Moscow, Russian Federation (PressExposure) July 01, 2010 -- Finding a new place to live is never easy, especially when moving abroad, to such a vast and somewhat intimidating city as Moscow. Move One has therefore compiled a brief overview of the expat housing available in Russia's capital and what to expect when it comes to options for your new home.
The teaming city of Moscow, known for being the most expensive place to live, has become the epicenter of New Russia with a skyline featuring both soaring sky scrapers and ancient monasteries. Indeed, high rents have helped Moscow to be consistently rated as one of the world's most expensive cities with corporate executives commonly paying anywhere from $5 000 to $20 000 per month.
Its center is encircled by the Garden ring road, which is regarded as the divide between Moscow city and the suburb districts. Although Moskva River runs through the south part of the city, it does not mark a divide between standards of living.
In Moscow, accommodation often varies, not necessarily from neighborhood to neighborhood or even from building to building, but from apartment to apartment. It is common to find a beautifully finished home hiding in an unlikely building or neighborhood.
For practical reasons, such as hectic traffic at peak times and long commuting times, expats are inclined to rent in locations close to their work places or their children's international schools, depending on their needs.
Although some expat-suitable houses are available outside the geographical boundaries of Moscow, most expats tend to live in apartments, may it be in Moscow's inner city or suburbs, which each have their pros and cons. Bear in mind that rooms and floors are counted differently. A three-room apartment for instance is an apartment with a living room and two other rooms, as kitchens and bathrooms are not counted as separate rooms. Normally the floor counting starts from the very first floor, so there is no so-called 'ground floor' in Russia.
Within the Garden ring, the Tverskaya, Patriarshiya Prudy, Novy Arbat, Ostojenke and Chistye Prudy residential areas are the most popular among the expat community. They offer Moscow city life at its best, with a variety of attractions including restaurants, bars, shopping areas, fitness centers and entertainment at walking distance. However, the undeniable downside is the noise and air pollution as well as lack of green spaces or safe areas for children to play in.
These areas offer several types of apartment buildings, but most are built prior communism and are regarded as classic style apartments. There are also the infamous Stalin style properties with high ceilings and large windows as well as new apartment developments that follow western trends. These modern builds are startlingly expensive and considered 'VIP' due to their luxury features such as twenty-four hour security and underground parking, luxuries in Moscow.
The South-West districts, considered the safest, greenest and cleanest part of Moscow, are popular with expat families especially as they are close to international schools such as the International School of Moscow, the British International School and the German School. There are also popular residential compounds located in the vicinity.
In addition, there are three residential communities in the North-West districts, for which prices are extortionate and waiting lists standard due to their increasing popularity among expats and limited availability. The first is Serbryannyi Bor, and while Pokrovsky Hill compound has direct links to the Anglo- American School, the Rosinka compound is connected to one of the British International Schools campuses.
The obvious advantages of living outside of the city center are the better air quality, the possibility of your own yard, and safe play space for children in gated residential communities. However, the downsides include long daily commutes due to traffic jams, limited access to public transport and fewer amenities in close proximity.
While searching for a property, keep in mind that it's very difficult to find a home with a fixed parking spot, and most people have to try their luck with parking on the road. Although there are a lot of suitable properties in Moscow, they come at a price. The price range is very broad and depends on the area of Moscow and the number of rooms.
Here is an informative video about Renting in Moscow from our Move One City GuidesTM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5DLPJIdzDo&feature=player_embedded. For further information about housing in Moscow or Move One's services in general, feel free to contact them at relo@moveoneinc.com or visit their website at http://www.moveoneinc.com.