Value: 5/5
Livability: 4/5
Nightlife: 3/5
If you live in the the city center, Lviv is a completely walk-able city. I personally love living in a city where everything can be reached by foot or frequently running public transportation. Lviv is also a very cheap place to live. It will be hard to find another city in Europe where you can get as much bang for your buck.
This is partially due to the conflict in the East that began in 2014, and caused economic instability and massive inflation. If you are a digital nomad looking for a city to setup shop in for a few months, I think Lviv is perfect. Lviv is off the beaten path, and a bit more authentic and less touristy than a city like Krakow. In many ways, Lviv can be thought of a bit like being a cheaper Wroclaw, i.e. a compact city where everything is located around a central square. But be aware, the majority of the population speaks only Ukrainian and Russian, and the language is written in the Cyrillic alphabet. Thus things that are normally simple to do, can quickly become complicated.
A full meal can be bought in some restaurants for between two and four dollars. A SIM card can be purchased for your phone that includes a month of internet, calling and texting for only three dollars! Entrance to the city’s top club costs four dollars. If you do need to take a bus or tram, a ticket only costs the equivalent of 20 US cents. A routed taxi van known as a Marshrutka, will cost less than 50 US cents. The Marshrutka is basically a van that runs like a bus, and is normally jammed pack with passengers. The single driver changes passenger’s money while at the same time driving the vehicle.
Recommended Places:
Puzata Hata (Sichovykh Striltsiv St. 12, L’viv) and (Shevchenka Ave, 10, Lviv)
An à la carte restaurant chain in Ukraine, with two locations in Lviv. Great for people who can’t speak Ukrainian, since you can order by pointing at whatever it is you want. You can get a huge meal here for very little money.
Перша Львівська Грильова Ресторація М’яса та Справедливості (Valova St. 20, Lviv)
This restaurant is for those who love meat. You can get a delicious plate filled with all different types of meat here. The restaurant is execution themed, and a show is put on during which they blast Ramstein, flash the lights, and use a guillotine to cut slabs of meat. There is also a cage that lowers down into into a pit, and is reserved for those who cannot pay their bills.
Fashion Club (Ivana Pidkovy ploshcha, 1, Lviv)
You must be dressed decently to get in, since they have somewhat strict face control. There is a dance floor inside, a karaoke bar upstairs and a patio area outside. On certain nights, there will be staggering numbers of beautiful women. Entrance fee is 100 Hryvnia (~$4.00).
Rafinad Club (Rudanskogo, 1 Lviv 79000)
Probably the only other high end club in Lviv other than Fashion. Located underground, I found the space a bit too compact at times, making it harder to mingle and meet people. There is also a strip club located within this venue.
Metro Club (Zelena vulytsia, 14, Lviv)
A club targeted at foreigners, and thus is inviting to all people. The club is populated primarily by young Ukrainians and older foreign men. Not as fancy as the two clubs listed above, but has a much more relaxed and less show-offy/pretentious atmosphere.
Kryjivka (Rynok Square, 14,)
An underground bar where a man meets you at the door with an assault rifle, and you must speak the password “Slava Ukraini” (Glory to Ukraine) to be let in. Be prepared to be interrogated if they think you are a spy.
Music Lab (Brativ Rohatyntsiv St, 27, Lviv)
One of the few places open 24/7. A good place to go after everything else closes down if you are looking to stay out late and continue partying.
Secret Hidden Bar (Discover the location for yourself.)
A man dressed in pajamas will answer the door to a room that looks like a kitchen. This guise is done to throw off those who are unsure that this entrance does actually lead to the bar. Once inside, if you don’t have the local discount card, all prices will be 10 times higher than normal. The menu lists all prices with an extra zero on the end of them. Thus you must know prior to paying, that presenting a local car will decrease your bill by an order of magnitude when it comes time to pay.
Communa (Halytska 1, str.)
A very nice co-working area where you pay less than $1/hour to stay. There is a nice view from the room into the central square.
by 