Vake, Tbilisi: the prestige district without a metro
Vake, Tbilisi: Chavchavadze Avenue, Vake Park and the cafes of Abashidze Street. Who it suits, the drawbacks and three scored addresses.
Contents 9 sections
What the district is like
Vake is the address Tbilisi people name when they mean "a good part of town". It runs along Ilia Chavchavadze Avenue from the university to Vake Park, with Abashidze Street one block over carrying the cafes, bakeries and small shops.
It was built in the middle of the last century for professors, doctors and officials, and the reputation stuck. Today the old families share it with diplomats, international-school parents and people who work on a laptop.
On foot
For everyday life Vake is very convenient. Abashidze and the parallel Paliashvili Street pack groceries, pharmacies, coffee, gyms and children's clubs into a short walk. Several international schools are close by.
The big green space is Vake Park, with a cable car up to Turtle Lake. Mziuri, a park in a ravine, sits in the middle of the district. The streets climb, but more gently than in the old town.
What we measured
The three addresses are on three parallel streets: Chavchavadze Avenue, Abashidze Street and Paliashvili Street, a few blocks apart.
| Address | Score | Groceries | Station or stop | School | Park | Noise and air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ilia Chavchavadze Avenue, 37, Tbilisi | 83.1 | 3 min | 19 minSameditsino Universiteti | 1 min | 5 min | −2.2 |
| Irakli Abashidze Street, 22, Tbilisi | 83.4 | 2 min | 19 minTeknikuri Universiteti | 5 min | 7 min | −1.7 |
| Zakaria Paliashvili Street, 60, Tbilisi | 84.6 | 5 min | 18 minTeknikuri Universiteti | 6 min | 6 min | −2.8 |
Map numbers match the table rows. Use the plus button to zoom in.
The station column shows a bus stop, because the metro does not come here. How that feeds the score is explained on How the score works.
Who it suits
- Families who want school, park and after-school activities close together.
- Remote workers who spend the day in cafes.
- Embassy and international-organisation staff.
- Buyers who see a Vake apartment for sale as the safest address in the city.
The trade-offs
Rents are among the highest in Tbilisi. There is no metro, only buses and taxis. Chavchavadze Avenue is jammed for most of the day and you can taste the exhaust on the pavement. Parking is a daily fight.
The housing
Stalin-era blocks with high ceilings line the avenue. Behind them are brick buildings from the sixties and seventies with added balconies. New towers keep squeezing in between, and each one starts an argument with the neighbours.
What to check
Ask how the flat is heated: Tbilisi has no district heating, so it comes down to the gas boiler in the apartment. See whether the windows face the avenue or the courtyard. Walk to the bus stop and to the park.
Without a car
Inside Vake you do not need one. For other districts most residents take a taxi: they are cheap here, and the bus sits in the same traffic.
Neighbours
Saburtalo lies to the north across a ravine, with its own metro line and lower prices. Towards the centre Vake turns into Vera, an older quarter of wine bars.