Where to live?

[Skippy]

We are arriving in Moscow beginning of October and are quite confused as to where to live.

Our son will be attending ISM in Krylatskoye and my husband is working in Mayakovskya. We want to living quite centrally and try and avoid the crazy traffic. We were looking at areas like 1905 Goda, Barrikadnaya, Krasnaya Presnenskaya, Smolenskaya etc for an apartment.

We were then told about Severbryany Bor which I believe is quite lovely, very green and quiet. My concern is that it is too far out and isolated from the city. But close to the school. There is a new road that has been built from there to the city? Can anyone tell me about this what Severbryany Bor is like. Are there any other parents from ISM living out there? If so, what is the commute time to the school and also to the city center?

We are looking for an apartment that is easy to access the city center where my husband works as well as having some green space around it. Like a park in walking distance. I want some sort of community area around were we live, a gym, small grocery markets etc Are we asking too much?

We are also looking for short term accommodation somewhere central on the West side for a couple of weeks while we look at possible apartments. Could anyone recommend who I should speak with and what we are likely to pay for something decent that houses 2 adults and 2 kids.

Any information would be most helpful.

Thank you

[xSnoofovich]

We want to living quite centrally and try and avoid the crazy traffic.
Thank you

Everywhere in Moscow has crazy traffic. You can't escape it.

[JulieV.]

Sorry you did ont get any replies on the public forum to your questions! As someone in the same position as you, I am hoping once you get settled you can answer some of your own questions and help out some new comers like me!! Your questions / concerns are exactly the same ones I have. Thank you!!

[Transparent Theatre]

Can anyone tell me about this what Severbryany Bor is like. Are there any other parents from ISM living out there? If so, what is the commute time to the school and also to the city center?

The right spelling is "Serebryanny Bor", which might help you Google better info

It's so far from the centre you'll never believe it

[rushan]

try to walk through "Khamovniki" district, between "Komsomolskiy prospect" and "Frunzenskaya naberezhnaya". It's quite easy to get to the center or to "TTK" where you get access to all main moscow radial roads. Or you can try to look at "Kutuzovsky prospekt" area.

[quandary]

We want to living quite centrally and try and avoid the crazy traffic.

quite lovely, very green and quiet.
not too far out and isolated from the city.
But close to the school.

We are looking for an apartment that is easy to access the city center
as well as having some green space around it.
Like a park in walking distance.
a gym, small grocery markets etc Are we asking too much?

Traffic is far more dangerous than back home, and using the metro in Moscow is not advisable, since you never now when the FSB blows it up to blame some Chechens/Georgians/Armenians "bandits" for it...

Just some advice:
- don't walk along a road if there's traffic on it (and better not if there's no traffic on it, too, because suddenly someone drunken drives over you at massive speed)...
- cross the roads running, not walking
- don't take the "little buses" (drunken drivers, can be veeeery dangerous)

quite lovely, very green and quiet, parks

Believe me, you don't want a park around, especially at night...
Additionally, it's safer if it's a busy place than if it's a "quiet" place.

a gym

Have you ever been in a Russian gym?
Better go in a green park. On day - in summer.

small grocery markets etc

You anyway find them at nearly any suitable corner of the street/road, selling vegetables and flowers - and fish.

Are we asking too much?

Well, I think you have no idea what kind of country you are going to...


PS: If anyone asks you direction to somewhere - be careful. They anyway see, even from 100 meters away, that you are a foreigner...

[MissAnnElk]

Wow. Such pessimism.

Yeah, this is not the easiest place to live, but I'd take the comments above with a few grains of salt.

[Skippy]

ha...I've just come across this reply now after not being on the site for a while.

Well I've been here 3 months. We found a fab place in Patriarchiy Prudy, it's near husbands work, near a park and not so far from my son's school and have joined a gym. It's a crazy city I'll admit and there is layer of complexity to everything. But I'm having non of the problems that you listed here so with so much pessimism...how have you survived it here? You must be consistently living in fear...poor you! You should send emails like this one to all new comers to Moscow! Good for PR...

[andybrstle]

quandary, mate, thats a good one
i had a great laugh!

[Swordfish90293]

Moscow is a mixed bag from what I've experienced and heard. Inside the ring, there is no good or bad zone, only Moscow. So you may live in a great building with garden space, step off your block and find dreg.

Novy Arbat is a good neighborhood, if a bit cosmotpolitan for kids...

I'm a native Angeleno moved here in January. I'm very happy with my situation. I found a very nice, actually great flat in an old 4 story (rare) 17th century bldg. 12 min walk to the office. But the other 10 or so flats I was shown varied from great flats in bad blocks, bad plumbing in a great building, bad flats in bad buildings. You get what you pay for or you make yourself get lucky.

You should get yourself a GOOD agent, and not limit yourself to one exclusively. Mine was excellent and used to dealing with foreigners (one client is Ikea). PM me for his number if you like.

Good luck...

[BUell_X1]

Well, I am very suprised by those awful comments, again one of those guys who think that the evil Russia is back

Well I have been living in Moscow for the last 7 months and my wife is Russian so I have been in different places in Russia.

It is true that in small cities in Russia, it can be dangerous. But Moscow is not the case, Moscow is more safe than Paris or London, as there are so many cops.

Before it used to be the case when cops gave you a fine (just to rip you off) but the Government is doing some cleaning in the cops, it is not perfect but improving.

The metro is safe and it is the best way to go around the city.

Using a car is not recommended in Moscow, as the traffic is bad, as well as the drivers and unless you are fluent Russian, You might find yourself in difficult situations with the cops.

For the place to Live I could advise you Aeroport, which is where I live. There is a nice park/forest (not too polluted) with a lake not far with play ground. It is also not far from the circle line and the center.

Also on the main axe to the aeroport there are several malls.

Cheers,

Alex