Kyiv is rich in picturesque historic streets in the very center that are ideal for investing and living. We took a poll among Vestor.Estate employees and expats living in Kyiv and made a list of the top 5 streets in downtown Kyiv. 

1. Ivana Franka Street

Ivana Franka Street is the absolute leader in the Vestor.Estate office poll – 45% of our team said that Ivana Franka Street is the best because of its location: in the very heart of Kyiv but still quiet in contrast to other central locations. The street was formed from two streets in the second half of the 19th century and was named after a famous Ukrainian poet. Franka Street is a business street, one of the three newly-renovated historical streets with bike paths and plenty of green. The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine and the Austrian and Swedish Embassies are located here. If you want to have a walk, Shevchenko Park and the Botanical Garden are nearby, with plenty of places to have a picnic or just relax. It is a very non-tourist spot, making it comfortable for living and you can always find a place to park your car. Proof that this street is excellent for investing is the fact that we have sold and rented out about ten apartments on Ivana Franka Street. Some expats like renting an apartment in Kyiv that is near to their country’s Embassy. This Vestor.Estate exclusive apartment is a great example of the flat near Sweden Embassy.

2. Volodymyrska Street

3-kilometer-long Volodymyrska Street has a 1,000-year-long history. Its oldest section, from Desyatynna Church to Sophia Square, arose around the 10th century. It was the main city street, leading from the Golden Gates to the main church, St. Sophia Cathedral. Only in the 1870s did stone buildings finally appear along Volodymyrska Street, some of which have survived to this day. Volodymyrska Street is one of Kyiv’s main arteries, passing through practically all of the old city, and is lined with a significant number of buildings, places, streets, and sights that all of Ukraine is proud of: Kyiv National University, the National Opera of Ukraine, the National Science Academy, and dozens more. Vestor.Estate has a great example of a one-bedroom apartment for long-term rent on Volodymyrska Street with a fresh renovation.

3. Yaroslaviv Val Street

Yaroslaviv Val Street is also one of the oldest streets in Kyiv. Earlier, it was a rampart going from the Golden Gates, and only in the 18th century were the remains demolished, giving new life to the street. As we said in our video about Kyiv, Yaroslaviv Val Street is like a grandmother wanting to feed you, as there are so many restaurants of diverse cuisines. There are also a number of extraordinary buildings, like the House of Baron Steingel that looks like a castle, Keraimska Kenasa with an exceptional appearance, and many more. Although the street has a lot of visitors, living there is quite comfortable, as old historical houses have both great insulation and quiet courtyards. The street begins from one of Kyiv’s main sightseeing spots, the Golden Gates, and ends near Peizazhna Alley – an island of green in the city center where you can find solitude from the city’s commotion.

4. Pushkinska Street

Appearing on city maps in the middle of the 19th century, Pushkinska Street immediately became a center for urban intelligence and local entrepreneurs. The late 19th- and early 20th-century buildings have been almost wholly preserved on the street, except for the initial half-dozen houses along the street that were completely destroyed during WWII. In summer 2020, Pushkinska was on the list for renovating historical streets so that now it, along with Ivana Franka Street, is bright and green. 

5. Reitarska Street

As every cook praises their own broth, we adore Reitarska Street because the Vestor.Estate office is located here. However, this bias is not why it’s among the top 5 best streets in Kyiv, as almost 50% of expats voted for it, leaving all other streets behind. 

Once upon a time, there were foreign horse regiments here – reiters, in honor of which Reitarska Street gets its name. Most of the buildings on this street are unique, and many famous people have lived here, like Mikhail Bulgakov, author of The Master and Margarita, and the nephew of Pyotr Tchaikovsky. On Reitarska Street, which is just 5 minutes walk from Khreshchatyk Street and Sofia Square, are the embassies of Hungary and France, a lot of conceptual stores, a unique courtyard with ravens, and, most importantly, you can find here the soul of the old city.

For those interested in our little survey, below you can find a chart of the results, which include the streets:

• Ivana Franka Street;
• Volodymyrska Street;
• Reitarska Street;
• Yaroslaviv Val street;
• Pushkinska Street;
• Khreshchatyk Street.

If you look at this bar chart, you will see portions colored in dijon that corresponds to the Vestor.Estate teams’ responses and steel blue portions that correspond to expat responses. Each bar illustrates one street.

It is interesting to note that Reitarska Street is the leader both among our team and expats, earning the most votes from both groups. Ivana Franka Street took second place, trailing behind Reitarska Street by just one point. In third place is Yaroslaviv Val Street. 

Interestingly, there is a really small number of people who are willing to live on Khreshchatyk Street, even though it is very noisy and often blocked by traffic jams. The vast majority of Embassies and diplomatic missions do not recommend their staff live there because of different kinds of protests and pickets. What was a surprise for us to see a point for Khreshchatyk Street! To each their own.

Concluding our list of top streets in Kyiv for living and investing, it is essential to mention that when considering investment apartments, remember that not the only location influences an apartment’s value. There are several other factors, including renovation, which you can read about in our previous article.