Punk/dive bars? Halloween activities? Thrift stores? Etc??
Cześć!
I'm a first-generation American born to immigrants and I speak Polish. My parents moved back for retirement and they live south of Kraków, and my husband and I are visiting for a few weeks at the end of October into mid-November. We'll be spending a little over a week in Warsaw by ourselves and then we're taking the train down to Małopolska to spend the rest of our trip with my parents.
Growing up, I spent most summers in Warsaw because my maternal grandparents lived there (in Ursynów) but I haven't been back in 10 years and I've never been able to do what I wanted to on a visit. Basically, I can navigate the city, but outside of the touristy things, I'm at a loss for fun non-touristy things for us to do. We're staying in my aunt's apartment in Gocław and we'll be there for our anniversary, which is on Halloween. We're also already planning to visit Powązki Cemetery for Wszystich Świętych as my entire maternal family is buried there and I've never seen it all lit up!
First of all, as we are hoping to experience some of the night life, but we tend to go to punk bars and dives here in Chicago--can anyone recommend an equivalent in Warsaw? Or else, older bars/pubs that aren't too touristy?
I know that Halloween isn't really a *thing* the way it is here...but, are there non-cheesy activities that we might have fun doing on our spooky anniversary??
I love a good thrift find. Can anyone recommend thrift/charity shops in the city?
Lastly, I'm heavily tattooed and thinking about getting tattooed while there; I follow a few Warsaw-based artists on IG but they seem very popular and therefore I imagine are booked up far in advance. Are walk-in street shops a thing in Warsaw, and if so, can anyone recommend one with solid artists? I mostly lean toward traditional-style art.
Thanks in advance!!!