Language: Croatians in general are a very welcoming and hospitable folk. You will be able to get along in Split and anywhere else on the coast with basic English. Many folks in Split may even speak Italian and German. And given that many work in the tourism sector, they are happy to help, with hands and feet if necessary.
Parking: On-street parking is available directly in front of the entrance to the building and is free of charge, as is parking in the surrounding strets. You can park your personal or rental car there.
Taxi / car service: We mostly use Bolt or Uber if we are not traveling with our own car. Prices for both of those apps are typically cheaper than the "official" City Taxi and the drivers are friendly. If you want to book a private car service, say for an excursion that will last several hours, please let us know and we'll try to connect you with someone offering that service.
Supermarket: If you take a look from the balcony you will see a Konzum supermarket directly across the courtyard. Check out the deli counter at the back of the store. Cold cuts and cheeses are typically cheaper if you buy them freshly cut at the deli counter than pre-packaged items. Try dalmatian smoked ham (HR: Dalmatinski pršut) and cheese from the island of Pag (HR: Paški sir).
Pharmacy: To the right of the Konzum supermarket you'll find a pharmacy.
Butcher: Directly below your balcony, on the ground floor of the building, is a butcher.
Bakery: Next to the butcher is a bakery. The bakery offers great selection of bread including whole wheat and corn bread. Also their cheese and spinach pastries are great. Maria's favourite is a whole wheat triangle with cheese - try it and you will no be disappointed.
Fruit and vegetable stand: Directly if front of the bakery is a fruit stand, which you can also see from the balcony. Mladen, the owner, sells only organic produce from his own garden. He's there every day, usually until around 1 pm. So if you want to eat regional, seasonal and organic, he is the man to go to for fresh fruit and veggies. He will also let you try things, if you are unfamiliar with them. And his prices are comparable to the supermarket, while being of far better quality.
Café: To the left of you in the ground floor building you will find a couple of cafés. We do not know their names, because nobody ever bothered to put a sign up, or at least we have never seen one. Since cafés in Croatia typically don't offer any food, it is customary to buy your pastry or cake at the bakery and eat with your coffee in a café. It is definitely the case in our two neighbourhood cafés.
Movie theaters: Most movie theaters in Croatia show foreign films in the original version with Croatian subtitles, which makes it easy for non-Croatians to go enjoy a film. So if you're looking for a rainy-day activity, maybe check out the movies. A 10-minute walk from the apartment is a shopping mall called "Joker" where you'll find a CineStar movie theater ( https://goo.gl/maps/B2wWcj63xa... ). The majority of their movies will be in English with Croatian subtitles. At the larger Mall of Split, there's a Cinestar that offers 4D movies (https://goo.gl/maps/5Cf7YFbzRV...). To get there, you can drive, take an Uber, hop on public bus line 11 near the apartment or take the free shuttle bus from harbor. It goes several times a day, at least in the summer.
Restaurants: Pls see our sub-page What to see and do in Split and read the RESTAURANTS section
Shopping:
Joker shopping mall, 10 minutes walk from the apartment https://goo.gl/maps/oos9rjKoFa...
Mall of Split, 15 minutes by car or Bolt/Uber, https://goo.gl/maps/2XHC5uiHqb...,
Salona shopping mall, 12 minutes by car or Bolt/Uber, https://goo.gl/maps/p11zbqV4c2...
Markets: The main market of Split, called "Pazar" (on the map it will show as Green Market), is located just outside Old Town on the western side https://goo.gl/maps/1ZrvsNhx8t...
Souvenirs: You will find majority of the souvenir shops in Old Town of Split (15-minute walk from the apartment). There are also many craft shops and boutiques that you may want to explore. We personally love More Eco Souvenir Shop, which sells lavender candles and soaps as well as other items made by local artisans: https://goo.gl/maps/MM2NYdUyfoGmggNaA For Maria's mother (aka Bruno's favourite mother-in-law), we always get something small from there for her birthday.