Where to live in Vienna. Your epic guide to Vienna's Districts.
Where to live in Vienna - it's the question most arriving expats and immigrants ask themselves.
Which district of Vienna is best for building your new life? For coffee? Which bezirk will feel most like home?
All critical questions to ask when moving abroad.I've had a stack of emails & messages through from readers recently, asking which district in Vienna is best for families or couples, what the 7th district is really like to live in and of course, where can you still get a good coffee outside of the city center.
So I thought it was high time to share with you guys my take on what district in Vienna you should move to.
This is my entirely biased opinion of course, from living in Vienna since 2012, so please take everything here with liberal spoons of salt. It's highly likely if you ask another Viennese who grew up in a different district or spends all their time in the 18th district (where this kind of good stuff happens) that they would have a completely different take.
But this is what I can personally recommend to you guys if you are trying to differentiate between which district (or bezirk) in Vienna to move to.
First things first though, let's cover the basics with some frequently asked questions.
What's the best neighbourhood to stay in Vienna?
Well this will of course depend on your requirements, budget and patience to find an ideal apartment.
The best neighbourhood for a hipster 20-something is probably between the 6th-8th district, for families, the 16th-20th districts might be better.
So the 'best' neighbourhood in Vienna will very much depend on your needs.If we go from a purely income, location and historic perspective, the most central, expensive and historical district is the 1st district, right in the heart of the old town.
Vienna's city centre is imaginatively called the 'Innere Stadt' and is where the fanciest apartments and old buildings are. But as you will see below, it's also smack in the heart of the city.
Wait, what's with the numbering system? Why do the neighbourhoods and Vienna Districts have numbers?
Being an entirely logical folk, the Viennese have imaginatively divided their districts by number - The 1st district, 2nd district, 3rd district...and so on.
The geographical location of each district fans out in a crooked snail-shell from central Vienna into the suburbs.
This handy dandy map gives you a better visual idea.
Vienna Districts Map
The clue to figuring out what district you are in is in the postcode - the district number is always hiding in the middle. For example:1140 → 14th district1050 → 5th district1190 → 19th district (the most magical village district of them all!)
Additionally, if you are lost in the city, wandering hopelessly with no promise of cake and coffee in sight, fear not - the street signs will tell you which district you are in so you can quickly find the nearest cafe.
Each street sign lists the district number before the name of the street, like so:
Now, what you really want to know….the stereotypes of each district.
Makes it much much easier to know what to expect when visiting or potentially moving and will hopefully help you figure out which is the best place to live in Vienna, for you.
Where to live in Vienna - Which Vienna District suits you best?
1st district - Innere Stadt
Vienna Districts Guide - where you should live in Vienna Austrian Adaptation
Full of tourists and rich people. If you can afford an apartment here, you are either a prince or come from old Viennese money.
Either way, your apartment is pimping but the touristy foot traffic at your door will drive you insane. Perks? Well, the entire city is at your doorstep.
Should I live here? Suuuurrreee, if you can afford it, by all means, get yourself an apartment in the golden quartier and live off your diet of champagne and caviar.
But seriously, if you do somehow have the option to live in the 1st district, it is as central as it gets. Just be aware that it's a highly tourist-trafficked zone there.
Coffee & Community options? You will have no shortage of restaurants and cafes to choose from.The difficulty will be in finding the ones that aren't overpriced for tourists, but with a little local know-how, you'll find your cosy places.
In terms of local community - rich old Viennese will be your neighbors, and potentially well-paid expats and new immigrants.
2nd district - Leopoldsdadt
Sitting on the ‘other’ side of the Danube, home to Prater park, the glorious Auggarten and many, many restaurants and indie stores that your friends from that side of the river will tell you about, the second is pretty damn cool.
However if you or your friends live on the other side of the river, the second district can feel like a world away!
In all seriousness though, the second bezirk is a large, sprawling district on the Northern side of the Donaukanal that has an exciting multicultural vibe.It's the gateway to Donauinsel and waterside playgrounds of Vienna, plus all the leafy activities of Prater Park.
Gorgeous Karmelitermarkt
Should I live here? Absolutely - it's affordable in places but still super close access to the city centre, it's interesting and it has a lot of housing options from the affordable to insane altbau apartments that can cost an arm and a leg.
Coffee & Community options? So many good coffee and brunch options. Cafe Ansari is one of the most popular brunch spots in town, Balthasar Coffee make a mean third wave coffee, Karmelitermarkt and the Jewish district have delicious cafe options and you even have the vegan cafe Harvest that hosts a brunch buffet until 3pm on weekends.
So you won't be short on restaurant and food options.
In terms of community, the second district has, for 300 years, been home to Vienna's largest Jewish population.Now, with the regeneration of the suburb making it über-cool for students of the nearby University of Business & Economics, there's a fun mix of bohemians, students, orthodox Jews, immigrants and families in the 2nd.
You should absolutely live here to get a taste for the variety of cultures in Vienna.
3rd district - Landstrasse
Not quite so fancy as the 1st district, and not quite slumming it with the rest of us, the 3rd district has some pretty fancy-ass museums and cool cafe’s hidden in there.
You'll find the Belvedere Museum and gardens, the excellent Military history museum AND Hundertwasser's famous apartment block.
The Third district ain’t the coolest, but it definitely rates high if you can get a decently priced apartment. Also handy to be near the Wien Mitte station here, as it has connections straight out to the airport and regional trains.
Should I live here? Yeah, if you are a family or looking for a more sedate kind of neighbourhood while still being central, Landstrasse is the way to go.There's nothing overly spectacular about the district, but that is part of its charm.There are also quite a few embassies dotted throughout the district, Belvedere Palace falls within the neighbourhood and the transport hub of Wien Mitte means you are super well connected.
Coffee & Community options? Brilliant coffee & brunch options actually.Hotel Daniel, one of my fave brunch spots is here, the famous (and addictively good) Josefbrot bakery-bistro has their largest cafe on Landstrasse and the dinky little Rochusmarkt has some fantastic coffee spots and little wine taverns.
Plenty to keep your bellies full and eyeballs caffeinated.
For a sense of community, Landstrasse definitely has a more neighbourhood feel than the nearby 1st district. The Radetzky quarter is starting to encourage more of a cool vibe within the 3rd, but overall the district is a calm, quiet corner of Vienna.
4th district - Wieden
Now we’re getting to the cool shit.
The 4th district extends from Karlskirche, close to the city center, up into the indie-hipster area of Schönbrunnerstrasse and Naschmarket.
There’s a mini-Chinatown area, fresh local food outlets and deli’s, a recently opened vegan supermarket (!!!), funky bars and cafe’s, and loads of indie fashion design stores.
PLUS the much-loved Bobby’s English food store and some token Irish and English-style pubs for your supplies from the homeland.
The 4th is what some call the ‘original’ hipster district, claiming it was cool before the 7th was crowned king of hipster-dom and bobo’s in Vienna.
Should I live here? Look, I would, but it depends on where you are at in life.The 4th district is great for students, artists, and young families, although it doesn't have as many green and open park areas as other districts.There's a bucketload of cool bars, cafes, restaurants and you are on the doorstep of Karlskirche and Naschmarkt.
Coffee & Community options? Endless coffee & brunch options…it's a hotspot for brunch places. The Breakfast Club, Vollpension, Heuer, Naschmarkt itself with Neni tucked in there, Cafe Nest, Radlager... You won't go hungry, ever.
Community feeling-wise, it is a younger, cool district - arthouse cinemas, plenty of pubs and wine places, students, quite a few hotels and hostels dotted along main streets.
It's also quite artistic with a lot of local fashion designers and artists having their stores along Schönbrunnerstrasse, or an art gallery tucked into a side street.So there will be fun street festivals and chatty local butchers and store owners.
Oh and don't miss the amazing Italian deli over the road from Zweitbester - the greatest olive oil in the entire city!!Of all of Vienna's Districts, the 4th has a special feeling between cool and community - I love visiting here on weekends.
5th district - Margaretengürtel
Meh. This is what a cheesy real-estate agent would probably call ‘an area full of potential’. Meaning the location is pretty good, it’s near a lot of transport options but really, there are areas that are pretty shitty/boring.
Should I live here? Look, there's nothing wrong with Margareten and it's a great jumping off spot - you're still close to the main train station Hauptbahnhof and walking distance to cooler districts like the 4th and 6th.
It's pretty safe - although there's a prison disguised as an apartment block and Hells Angels headquarters right by Siebenbrunnengasse! Super-safe though, as a kindergarten is right around the corner and I worked by there every day, never a peep.
Margareten is an increasingly affordable alternative to the 4th and 6th districts surrounding it.
Coffee & Community options? The district is multi-cultural due to the affordable housing and is basically a workers suburb, with plenty of cheap outlet shops and the occasional strippers bar.
As the Germans say it’s 'nicht fish oder fleisch’ meaning - it’s not bad, but not great. Affordability is the appeal here!
Even Vienna's most boring suburbs are more beautiful and safe than most in any countries I've lived in.The only coffee places worth mentioning are around Pilgramgasse - Coffee Junkie and the adorable Budapest Bistro.
Technically Cafe Rudigerhof falls into the 5th district too - which is a grand old dame of a cafe on the corner before Naschmarkt begins.It used to be filled with smoking old Austrians and delicious schnitzel.
Thankfully the smokers have been booted but the schnitzel and lovely terrace remain!
The quirky Motto restaurant have their original home here in the 5th, and Gasthaus Wolf is also quite a good food option - there are more and more cafes and restaurants opening up here.
The historic Film Casino is also in Margareten and often shows alternative or fun films.So, you can find some exciting things in the 5th!!
6th district - Mariahilf
Home to Mariahilferstrasse, the Gürtel and what most would call the main ‘high street’ shopping area of Vienna. The 6th district of Vienna veers between cool, local places and touristy clap-trap.
There’s a huge concrete flak tower (built during WWII) smack in the middle of the district that is home to the Vienna aquarium. (Pro tip - do NOT visit on a Sunday, you will be stampeded by families with children!) which stands as a beacon and guiding landmark for anyone lost in the city.
There’s some great hidden restaurants and bars to be discovered here and accessibility wise you are still central so its easy to get around the city.
Should I live here? Oh yes indeedy. Really cool restaurants, cafe's, indie stores and you are backing right on to Mariahilferstrasse, between the U4 and U3 train lines.The 6th is quite cool, my only warning is that a lot of it is on a hill - so if you look at a map and think living halfway up Esterhazygasse is a good idea, keep in mind it's steep!
Coffee & Community options? Community-wise the 6th is excellent, with locals gathering in the many cafes and old-man pubs dotted around the district.
There's also schools and kindergartens easily accessible so you do get the neighbourhood vibe. There are puppy playgrounds and kids play areas amongst all the urban corners so you can find a corner to relax under a tree if needed.
The 6th is one of my favourite districts for after-work strolls around the cool shops and funky cocktail bars and restaurants.
For coffee you have Brass Monkey with the best cupcakes in town, Cafe Jelenik for that old-school Vienna vibe, the classic Cafe Sperl, mecca hipster hangout Cafe Phil and an endless selection of hole in the wall coffee shops.You'll not go hungry in this part of town!
7th district - Neubaugasse
Hipster central - this is where all the best coffee shops, trendy bars, pop up stores and indie kids hang out.
High occurrences of moustaches, ironic t-shirts and artistic ‘happenings’.
You are just as likely to stumble across an art exhibition as a food market with hot young parents.
Should I live here? Again, depends where you are in life. It's not what I would call a traditional suburb - but if you really have your heart set on being in amongst the cool kids then you can.
I have friends who are living their best single lives in the 7th, and others who just had their second kid and are making it work in this über cool area.
What I love about the 7th (and Vienna in general actually) is how open it is for families and hipsters and students and oldies to all hang out at the trendy bars and restaurants together.
You're as likely to see a group of Nana's having a spritzer on a Thursday evening in the same outdoor terrace as the young family with a baby on the lap.
The 7th is really centrally located, close to Museum's Quartier and Mariahilferstrasse. There are plenty of tramlines and a few cute little parks to run around in.
If you want to be in the thick of what's 'cool' in Vienna and be tempted by shopping and cafe's daily then you should live in the 7th.
Think of it as Vienna's equivalent to Brooklyn
Coffee & Community options? Coffee and brunch you are set here - Figar, Sneak In, Time Out, Liebling, Ulrich & Erich, Der Fuchs & Der Hund...the 7th is basically brunch headquarters of Vienna!
You can check out my full guide to brunch in the 7th district here.
For community, there are local hot spots like Espresso where old-time Viennese gather and there will very regularly be street markets in this district so you can come to know your neighbours and locals.
8th district - Josefstadt
Is this even a district? Nothing to see here.
Jokes guys, the 8th is alright, it kind of rides off the cool coat tails of the nearby 7th district but has its own pockets of cool restaurants and is home to the gorgeous WUK live music venue.
Should I live here? Yep, this is a 'bridge' suburb, still within the central 'Gürtel' belt, but with connections to the outer districts by tram. There's some small community gardens, great restaurants and you can get by walking around the district.
Again, can be a touch hilly but fine for the most part. Parking is a bit of a bitch though.
Coffee & Community options? Uuufff that's a bit trickier, there's one or two hidden gem coffee shops & brunch spots that you have to work to find.
The really lovely french cafe bistro Cafe der Provinz is in the 8th, as is the coffee aficionados heaven Kaffeemodul. More recently, Creme de la Creme and Cafe Hildebrandt have opened up here with some excellent, ambient coffee and brunch options.
People on Caffeine is a hole in the wall quick option too - but the area is really up for discovery, I'm probably missing some fab options!
There are a handful of community garden areas and kindergartens in the area so although it's quite city-centre, you will still have a community feeling in this district.
9th district - Alsergrund
Students area - lots of cheap eats to be found and small, hole-in-the-wall bars.
Sprinkled amongst the beautiful architecture are hidden squares that flower in springtime, historic museums, the university of Vienna buildings and plenty of delish cafes and coffee spots.
Also home to the Altes AKH building which is gorgeous for winter Christmas Markets and events.
Should I live here? Yes, you can probably find some affordable options here if you are a student, and the altbau apartments here can be stunning.
This is a really lovely Vienna district to live in - although when you live in any other district, you'll find the 9th to be a bit of a black hole to get to.
I don't know why, but I always find it frustrating to get a good direct transport connection through to the 9th, it always seems a bit of extra work to get there, but the rewards in this district are worth it!
This district is also home to one of my favourite cobbled streets in the city - Servitingasse. With cafes, a jewellers and a very ye olde times feel, you should simply stroll down this avenue to decide if you want to live in the 9th.
Oh and old mate Freud used to live around here too!
Coffee & Community options? So many delicious brunch options! Cafe Telegraph, Cafe Francais, Cafe de La Marche, Coffee Pirates, Porzellan, Josef Reindl.... you won't be short of options is what I'm saying.
In fact, you'll be spoiled for choice.
Being home to the university and the beautiful big parks and recreational areas by Votiv Kirchke and in the Altes AKH there are plenty of community spaces.
There will be a higher percentage of students here, but friends with young families also enjoy this district so it's a good bet for anyone who still wants to be 'in amongst' the energetic city vibe. Or just loves coffee...
10th district - Favoriten
The closest Vienna gets to a ‘rough’ district, though in fact it’s just cheaper housing and quite multicultural with the largest density of population.
The Viennese know it as a working class area historically, but it’s also home to the famous Oberlaa Therme, beautiful parks and one of my favourite public indoor pools, the Amelienbad.
There's also some super cool exhibition spaces in the former bread-factory-turned-gallery called Ankerbrotfabrik.
In all fairness though - friends who have lived here did mention some corners can feel dodgy at night to hang around by yourself.
Personally, I've never felt unsafe there, but you should know that most Viennese, if you ask them about Favoriten, will clench their teeth and gently tell you there might be better districts to live in.
Depending on how anti-immigrants your particular Viennese sources are, you could get a full lecture about the place.So be aware but not alarmed that Favoriten has its own reputation amongst locals.
Should I live here? It's affordable, it backs on to some beautiful parklands and is close to the heavenly Therme Wien.
It's also very much dominated by immigrant communities, cheap outlet stores and commission housing flats. So depending on your situation, you need to proceed with caution in deciding whether to live here.
Coffee & Community options?Ankerbrotfabrik is host to some fab community events, a free 'Lerncafe' for children and young people to pickup practical skills, run by volunteers.There's even a Magdas Kantine for a caffeine fix - the coffee shop run by refugees & homeless people to reintegrate them back into society.
There's great parklands surrounding Favoriten where families spend lots of time and a coffee shop out the front of Therme Oberlaa.
So if you dig you can probably find some coffee spots.
Community wise, there is a strong immigrant community in the area so depending on your needs it could work. I'd say you need to spend some time here before deciding to move here - if you can handle Vienna's so called 'rough' district, it has some advantages.
11th district - Simmering
I literally do not have one thing to stay about this district because the only time we head out to this far end of the U3 is to get to Zentralfriedhof cemetery or to meet a friend and go somewhere else.
Affordable, multicultural, a bit of pain to get out to as it is the end of an Ubahn line, but you are in the city centre within 25 minutes or less. That's about all the info I can offer here - sorry!
12th district - Meidling
Another workers district, Meidling isn't bad. Nothing special, but not too shabby either.
The location along the U4 is good, being not too far away from the cooler 6th district and into town within 5-10 minutes. There's enough affordable housing options to get by. I can't say anyone ever heads to Meidling to enjoy the district itself, but it's a servicable suburb.
As we start looking for a new apartment, Meidling is looking more and more attractive for the location and relative affordability of rent - but you have to be careful you don't end up in the far corner of the district, away from all handy transport connections.
Should I live here? Yes, it's a perfectly fine suburb to live in if you aren't fussed about staying in a historic or characterful suburb.I enjoy a few corners of Meidling and really in Vienna, every district has it's secret spots, so Meidling's markets and tiny hideaway old-man bars might be hidden gems!
Coffee & Community options? For coffee, the most reliable bet is at Medilinger markt, where there's a rotating lineup of cafes of varying quality.
Milchbart is one of the cooler options.
For community activities, Meidling has a great public swimming pool, and a lot of pockets of different cultures living side by side. I've tripped across huge Indian wedding celebrations, Croatian birthday party nights, Asian grand buffets and Arabic family gatherings and clusters of classical Austrian ladies natterring on street corners, all within Meidling, so you have a real mix of people within the community here.
13th district - Hietzing
Ah Hietzing. The former home of aristocrats and royalty, now the resting place for old money and diplomats in their Villas.
I have a soft spot for Hietzing as people-watching there is the best entertainment you can get on a Saturday morning - Vienna’s old money at it’s most relaxed, indulgent and gracious.
Hietzing is like a village within the city of Vienna and moves at its own pace. You probably can’t afford to live here anyway, but visit for the classical Dommayer cafe, hidden brunch spots and brilliant people watching - it’s like going back in time.
Should I live here? I am utterly biased in this as we live near enough to visit central Hietzing regularly and I love the entertainment of watching rich old ladies in their natural habitat.
Hietzing is the kind of suburb where the Spar Gourmet supermarket has an oysters and champagne bar beside the coffee machine.
So, yes, live here, if you like being nearer to the Vienna Woods and are entertained by 'old money' - or in fact, if you are old money. When house hunting, beware that Hietzing spreads quite wide, so some apartments that look like a deal, may be quite a way out along the U4 line!
Coffee & Community options? There's a surprisingly good amount of coffee & brunch places in the 13th. My favourite brunch spot is one of them, as is Waldemar Tagesbar.
Dommayer Cafe is excellent for a classic Viennese brunch and in a pinch Mario's will do for coffee.
For community activities there's a great recreation centre and sports clubs in Hietzing, and regular street festivals and flohmarkets to get involved with. It is a 'money' suburb so some communities may be more closed off but you can find ways to connect here.
14th district - Penzing
Penzing is my turf so again, the bias is strong here.
I’ve seen the district grow from a place where ladies of the night roamed the streets, to an up and coming family bezirk with surprising pockets of excellent restaurants and cafe’s.
The Vienna woods edge the outer end of this long, stretched district and it’s completely accessible by multiple forms of public transport.
Penzing and the west side of Vienna feel like the undiscovered secret of the city, so let’s just keep it that way, shall we?
Should I live here? Yes! Depending on how far 'out' in Penzing you want to go though, the district stretches from Schönbrunn Palace all the way out to the border with Purkersdorf.
There's lovely green areas here, with Steinhofgründe being my favourite to 'hike' on weekends. It's a sprawled out district but good for families and young couples who don't mind the quieter life. Public transport connections are generally excellent too.
Coffee & Community options? Coffee is tricky here - you are very close to all the fab places in the 15th and 13th, but the 14th itself doesn't have much to offer.
Velobis is my top pick, and Ana and Jagetsburger will do in a pinch, but really, stick close to nearby better options.
15th district - Rudolfsheim Funfhaus
The eternal up and comer. With rents in the 16th skyrocketing and the 7th becoming a hipster joke of itself, the 15th is making a swing for ‘next big thing’.
There’s multicultural markets at Johnstrasse, delicious cafe’s and brunch spots dotted around Märzstrasse and the top of Mariahilfer strasse, with a handful of green patches for families to enjoy if you know where to look.
Should I live here? It's affordable, well connected with tramlines and the U3 and you are quite smoothly out into the greenery of Vienna woods within half an hour. It is a multicultural district, so an interesting mix of neighbours and some very delicious local turkish bakeries or Balkan supermarkets.
The 15th is also home to some wicked art stores, comic book places and eclectic restaurants and hangouts - to me, it's a district about to become cool.
Coffee & Community options? Lots of communal parks and gardens, plenty of schools and VHS'.
For coffee you can find the occassional gem - most obviously at GOTA coffee.
Landkind, Das Augustin, Turnhalle im Brickhaus, Das Eduard and News Cafe all do an excellent brunch, and there's a vegetarian restaurant, Hollerei, hidden down the 15th's sidestreets that's well worth hunting out.
This district makes you work a bit harder to find its gems, but that's part of the charm. We're currently looking here for a potential apartment!
16th district - Ottakring
Ottakring is definitely a hot district these days in Vienna.Home to the famous Ottakring brewery - Vienna's last remaining brewery within the city limits - the district has a bohemian, multicultural charm that a lot of people want a slice of.
The rents were affordable a few years ago, with a largely Turkish and Balkan population, but the district is getting 'urbanised' by hipsters, young families and Viennese who want a central but cool location, so prices are creeping up.
It sits along the U6 train line on the east side and stretches right back to the greenery of Wilhelminenburg, with some gorgeous walking paths and parklands for you to enjoy on weekends.
Should I live here? Oh hell yes.The 16th is fantastic - still close enough to the city but with its own unique flair.
It's home to Brunnenmarket which is the less touristy equivalent to Naschmarkt, lots of delicious fresh produce, cheeses, meats and cheap organic vegetables and fruit year round. Brunnenmarkt leads you to Yppenplatz, which is a glorious square to while away a morning watching street performers, children playing and enjoy a tasty brunch while people watching.
The Ottakring brewery also plays host to a number of cool food festivals, fashion pop up markets and festival events throughout the year, luring all of Vienna's young hip crowd out to the 16th.If I could, I'd live here, it's a fab district.
Coffee & Community options? Oooohhh yes indeedy.
On the Coffee front your mecca will be Yppenplatz - Fridas, Caffee am Yppenplatz and Wirr am Brunnenmarkt are all excellent brunch and coffee options within the square.
We've been known to trek across to Yppenplatz on weekends just for the coffee and brunch options. Oh and the district is home to the legendary heuriger 10er Marie - great for wine nights out, if you don't mind being about 20 years younger than the average age range. It's a wonderful city heuriger!
Community wise, Ottakring actually has a lot of community halls, clubs and spaces, due to the largely immigrant population that has been in the area for decades.
There's also an art/exhibition/community hall 'Brunnenpassage' that hosts multicultural artistic events. T
hey describe it as a 'social space where people of different backgrounds can meet and make art together'. So you have a lot of different access points into the local community.
17th district - Hernals
This is getting into fancy town again - the west of Hernals is home to expat or old-school families that need full size houses, rather than apartments.
However on the east of Hernals can be less affluent and occasionally sketchy.
To be honest, we haven't spent a whole lot of time in the 17th. Cycled through quite often and had one or two dinners, but the vast majority of times we visit the 17th is for the unbelievably adorable and peaceful Neuwaldeggerbad pool. There are also a few little Heuriger's worth a visit.
Should I live here? If you need a lot of space and have a car to get back into town, sure.If you don't, the public transport options are there, but it gets trickier. There's no reason not to live in the 17th, it's just kind of...bland.
Coffee & Community options? Really no coffee or brunch places to speak of.There's some standard cafe's and bakeries so you won't waste away, but nothing of note in the 17th.
Community wise there's a lot of big beautiful parks and schools in the area so you can meet plenty of families.
18th District - Währing
The 18th is a grand old district, home to a few international schools and larger houses.
Wandering around this area will give you a sore neck from peering at the beautiful architecture and imagining the people who can afford these villas!
The stunning Türkenschanzpark is the highlight of the district, followed closely by our favourite gin palace - SLUbar.
Should I live here? If you can afford it, there's no reason why not. The 18th district is lovely, with a not-too-long transit into the city centre you get a taste of suburban, woodsy village life without being too far away from the hustle of the city centre.
142 Likes, 4 Comments - Carly| AustrianAdaptation (@carlyhulls) on Instagram: "Happy Monday! How cute is this little bike in the window of Cafe Himmelblau? I love cycling 'round..."
Coffee & Community options? The 18th has a lovely little market area around Kutschkermarkt which is home to the adorable Himmelblau cafe.
Popular with young families and serving irresistible home made cakes - if you live in the 18th this will become a favourite!
There's a smatterring of other good cafes - Meieri Diglas in Turkenshanzpark, the french Petit Dej by the entrance to Pötzleindorfer Schlosspark - and you won't struggle to find a perch for a coffee.
Community wise, the district is very family oriented with so many large parks, schools and sprawling green areas.Though the area near the Gürtel is busier, the rest of the district is peaceful suburbia and schools, so very comfortable and quiet.It wouldn't hurt to have a car living here - though if you can afford to live in this district of Vienna, you probably already have an Audi that can be parked out front of the Villa ;)
19th District - Döbling
Ooh la la, now we are definitely in fancy wine town. The 19th is stunning, backing onto Vienna's vineyards and the Kahlenberg hill, made up of very adorable cottages and villas.
It's also stacked with preeeety wealthy people, and all the best heuriger wine taverns.
Basically when we come here to visit it's for wine and rubbernecking at the amazingly beautiful mansions and houses that we definitely can't afford.
Hiking around Kahlenberg is also lovely, especially as most paths can end up in a winery or a coffee stop.
Perched at the end of the U4, the 19th feels like visiting another world, but really, you are only 15 minutes or so from town and there's plenty of buses and trams connecting you back to reality.But when the district is as adorable as the 19th, why would you want reality?
Should I live here? By all means...if you find a cute place or sharehouse you can live a lovely little life here.
It will definitely take you away from the bustle of the city to your own woodsy retreat and you can make the most of being surrounded by vineyards and delicious heurigers.
There are some public housing options in this district too - including the famously huge Karl-Marx Hof, so live here for that woodsy suburban feel, and to ogle the upper middle class locals.
Coffee & Community options? A few little brunch options at Cafe Nest or Oktagon am Himmel, if you like your coffee with a view.
20 - 23rd District
Guys, I love you, but honestly I have nothing enlightening to add about these districts.
Nothing offensive or bad about them - I'm just from the west-side of Vienna man, and don't spend a lot of time here.
I don't want to lie to you so all I will say is this; Liesing, the 23rd, is unheard of with not much of note to offer, but will appear in nearly every search you do for an affordable apartment.
That is because people don't (yet) want to live in this district.
Realistically, its probably fine, the Viennese are just a bit funny about districts a bit further out.
Donaustadt, the 22nd district, is massive and can be lovely in parts - it's home to the UNOV building and the best version of a 'beach' that Vienna can offer by the waterside of the Donau.
The times we have spent here have been in summer, wandering the gardens, playing beach volleyball or relaxing by the Alte Donau.It's very much a workers district around here and you will be able to find some affordable housing - depending on how far out you want to go, it may be a pain to get back into the city.
Florisdorf, the 21st, I genuinely don't think I've been there more than once, passing through on a bike ride. So no comments here...
Lastly, Brigittenau, the 20th, is a relatively decent option to visit. At least, this article would argue there are some exciting things happening out there. Again, I have passed through here a few times, and even had dinner at the Kabaret bar restaurant, but have not spent enough time to offer any kind of informed opinion.
Which means - if you live here or move here, let me know about the hidden gems I'm missing!
Phew, I think that's everything covered.
As mentioned, this is in no way an exhaustive list, but intended as a guide for anyone searching for which district in Vienna to live in live in and trying to find some honest opinions outside of the shady-sounding real estate agent.(Who's probably charging you an insane amount just to speak with them...more on that fiasco of finding a place in Vienna next!)
Where do you live in Vienna? Have I completely misjudged your district? Have at it in the comments!
Want more Insider tips on Vienna? Join 5,000+ travel fans and subscribe to Austrian Adaptation for regular updates straight to your inbox.
PIN ME!
