When staying in Tbilisi there are many great places, but, if you're a young tourist trying looking for a cool place to stay, I would recommend no other place than Fabrika, a hostel like no other. Fabrika is the perfect example of Tbilisi's rise from the ashes of what was the Soviet Union. What is now a hip hostel for young hippie tourists was once a soviet sewing factory (so you can kind of get where it gets its name from). Because of its former history, it has a huge building with a central yard and tons of rooming options, along with lots of other recreational stops open to the general public (meaning you can still have fun even if you aren't staying there). 

 

   If you've made it to Tbilisi and are struggling to find 8 Ninosvhili St, you'll know you're on the right track when you see an increase in graffiti and hipsters. All jokes aside about hipsters, Fabrika is seriously a hit among the young, tourist or local. The central yard is open to everyone, and there you can find various restaurants, art galleries, and boutiques, all owned by local artists and entrepeneurs. There are also little events hosted by the hostel and it's a great way to meet other tourists and locals. Fabrika is at its peak in terms of visitors and such on the weekends and late night. Fabrika itself isn't located in a touristy place like Old Tbilisi, so it's not like you'll be able to walk out and be in the middle of all the historical action, but it's still in a good neighborhood that is close to many things (also Tbilisi isn't huge in general so no matter where you stay you won't have to worry about being isolated).

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   Even if you aren't staying at the hostel, I highly recommend you check it out for the good vibes and chill atmosphere, as well as the interesting buys. Many local artists rent out spaces in Fabrika and sell their goods, so it's a good way to buy from local artists and find some truly unique stuff. One thing that I loved a lot was the pottery gallery owned by two young art school graduates, who not only feature their own works, but the works of other local Tbilisi ceramic artists. If you walk inside you will most likely find them there, along with other artists working on their newest masterpieces, and they're super sweet and know English, so chat them up and even possibly buy some of their works. 

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   If pottery, art, and food doesn't interest you as much, there is also a boutique owned by a local designer that works with local seamstresses as well. The items are a little pricer (around 100 lari or more), but the dollar equivalent would be around $5o, and you can see many of the items being made in the room. The seamstresses are literally in a corner working on other clothing and accessories to sell, but everything is still great quality and feels no different than shopping at you're favorite store. An added bonus to the whole store is that you'll definitely be buying unique clothes and accessories that no one else will have had except for a select few since the items are not made in mass. 

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   To sum it up, Fabrika is a great way to experience a modern, hip Tbilisi with a little bit of historical flair. It's a great way to support local artists and businesses, meet new people, and get a jump start to exploring the city. Now, I feel like the best thing I can do now is just show a bunch of pictures to better help whoever's reading this get a sense of the place and possibly inspire them to check it out ;). Now, fyi, I took these in the middle of the day in the slump of Georgia's tourism season, but if you would like to see more pics and find out information on how to book a place, I encourage you to visit there website.