Expats Guide for Areas to live in Moscow
While Moscow differs considerably from most hometowns – the language, alphabet, climate – some things are very similar to the most sophisticated western cities – 24-hour supermarket shopping across the city, public transport that runs until 1:00 am and convenience stores on every corner.
Tverskaya-Kremlin
Distinguished old buildings dating back 300 years line Moscow’s main street. There are abundant cafes, clubs and restaurants and many calm oases off the busy main thoroughfare. Twenty-four-hour shopping is found on Tverskaya Street at the luxurious Elesevskaya store. Harking back to pre-revolutionary times with chandeliers, the store offers high-quality goods as well as international grocery shopping. Azbuka Vkusa, another top quality store, on the Garden Ring is open around the clock. You can find both the Anglia English book store, and the Moskva bookshop on Tvesrkaya street, which has with an English section on the ground floor open until midnight.
This is the historical heart, within walking distance of the Red Square, the Kremlin, GUM Department Store, and a clutch of theatres and museums. The Okhotny Ryad Trade Centre has a food court with many cafes. In the summer, there are many outdoor cafes where you can enjoy shashlik kebabs and beer while watching the world go by, or splashing in the fountains to cool down. On Sundays, there is free ball room dancing in Alexandrovsky Gardens, under the walls of the Kremlin. You can also watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
International Schools: No
Supermarkets: Perekrostok is a standard supermarket with a wide range of products and 7th Continent is a little more expensive but carries a wider range of products. Even if you’re not shopping you should still visit Yeliseyevsky, on Tverskaya Street. It’s decorated in palatial style with lots of exposed wood, chandeliers and an intricately painted ceiling.
Restaurants: Yes, many. Mostly upmarket expensive restaurants, but a range of ethnic cuisine surrounds the Pushkin square area. This includes Italian, Indian, Chinese and German restaurants. McDonald’s and Kroshka Kartoshka for quick eats.
Cinemas: No
Sport Facilities: World class gym is a premium complex that caters for people who live or work in the center of the city. There are no other sports facilities in the Kremlin area.
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Tsvetnoy Boulevard
Here you will find a mix of pre-revolutionary Czarist era buildings and modern developments, with a few post-Stalinist buildings. Plenty of restaurants and bars here, with the Nikulin Circus the main focus of the Boulevard itself. Off the main thorough-fare, which is prone to traffic jams in rush hour, there are many quiet areas and green spaces. There is easy access to the rest of the city center. Heading north beyond the Garden Ring, it is only a short car ride up Olympisky Prospekt to the Olympic swimming pool, the Renaissance Hotel and the Dome Cinema, one of the few Moscow cinemas devoted to English movies. For supermarkets, head to the Garden Ring or Tverskaya areas.
International Schools: No
Supermarkets: No
Restaurants: There are many restaurants on and around the boulevard. In particular, Yapona Mama is a popular Japanese restaurant in building 3 of Tsvetnoy Boulevard. A short walk east is Syr (16/2 Sadovaya Camotechnaya) which is a French/Italian themed restaurant. Another Italian restaurant is Casta Diva which invites you to dine in 19th century opulence. It’s not for those on a budget.
Cinemas: The ‘American style’ Dome Cinema in the Renaissance Hotel boasts free parking, Russian translation by headphones and occasional discounts. Call their answering machine for times: 931-9873.
Sport Facilities: The Olympic swimming pool is part of the Luzhniki sports complex and often has water sports events.
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Lubyanka, Kitai Gorod, Chistye Pond
Although the modern translation would make this Chinatown, the name originates in old Russian and means middle town. This region lies between the Kremlin and the old White Walls, which were destroyed when the Boulevard ring was built. It features a mixture of elegant old buildings, monumental Stalinist structures – including the former KGB Headquarters on Lubyanka Square – and modern developments. The area is home to Moscow’s most famous clubs, and an abundance of restaurants from fast food and cheerfully inexpensive to gourmet dining.
The most famous fashion street, Kuznetsky, borders the area. Supermarkets compete for business 24-hours a day, including 7th Continent behind the Lubyanka Square KGB building. You can also find the TsUM Department Store, the Bolshoi Theater, and the House of Columns Theaters where ballet, opera and drama performances are scheduled. There is a beautiful park around the Chistye Ponds. The Rolan cinema, one of the few Moscow cinemas to include foreign language movies on its roster, faces the ponds.
International Schools: No
Supermarkets: TsUM is crammed full of exclusive brands and is busy all day with fashionistas getting manicures and buying the latest fashion accessories. There is also an ethnic food store called Jagannath near the Lubyanka building which stocks many uncommon spices and other foods which can’t be found in mainstream stores.
Restaurants: The area has many restaurants for all tastes and budgets. Try Jagannath, which has a ethnic themed vegetarian buffet-restaurant. The staff don’t speak English, but it’s very popular with tourists and the staff are used to foreigners pointing to what they want! There is also an outlet of the popular chain Il Patio. It’s inexpensive and the food is consistently good quality.
Cinemas: The Rolan cinema is 10 minutes walk from Chistye Ponds metro station and is considered a rather arty venue. It has a nice bar. Call them on 916-9190 for times.
Sport Facilities: The Sandunovskiye baths aren’t strictly speaking a sports activity, however, the seriousness with which Russians approach public bathing makes it worth mentioning. Sandunovskiye are considered the best baths in Moscow.
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Taganskaya
This rapidly developing area astride the Garden Ring offers an amazing range of apartments from pre-revolutionary Czarist-era buildings to modern developments, and the Kotelnicheskaya Naberezhnaya Apartment Building, one of the Stalinist seven sisters. These impressive buildings were constructed from 1947-1953 in a massive architectural undertaking that combined Gothic and baroque styles with the latest in skyscraper technologies. With its green spaces and parks bordering the river, the Novospassky Monastery is a cultural landmark.
A short swing round the Garden Ring takes you to the International Performing Arts Centre, which Muscovites know better as the House of Music. There’s a big choice of 24-hour supermarkets. Restaurants from fine dining to fast food and everything in between are on practically every street. This is an extremely quiet and pleasant area. If you work in Riverside Towers, or the Avrora Business Centre, this location should be on your short list.
International Schools: No
Supermarkets: All upmarket chains are represented in this area.
Restaurants: As with most of Moscow, you can find almost any type of restaurant for any budget. Beerstrasse is a popular chain of German themed beer restaurants and there is one on Nizhegorodskaya Street near Taganskaya metro station. Try the ‘Oktoberfest’ meat pie. If you’re really hungry continue to Verkhnaya Radishchevskaya Street to the wonderfully named Steak. The New York Steak comes in at 1200 rubles so, as with all steak houses in Moscow, be prepared to pay through the nose.
Cinemas: Illuzion (Tel: 915-4353), inside one of Stalin’s skyscrapers on Kotelnicheskaya, is famous for showing old Soviet era films and international classics.
Sport Facilities: There is a reasonably priced tennis court in Tagansky Park (Tel: 632 6420).
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Zamoskvorechie
Old Moscow, beyond the river to the South, has the highest concentration of residential housing in the city centre. Some apartments have Kremlin views, but most of the buildings facing the Kremlin are either commercial offices, headquarters for major corporations, the British Ambassador’s Residence or the Balchug Kempinski Hotel. Before the Soviet Revolution, this was an elitist area dominated by the city’s rich merchant clans, where non-Muscovites were not accepted. There are narrow winding streets, green spaces and some modern developments springing up between the Czarist era pre-revolutionary buildings, including several embassy buildings.
Twenty-four-hour shopping with supermarkets on Novokuznetskaya street and neighbourhood stores throughout the area mix with all-night clubs and a wide choice of restaurants. There is an abundance of art galleries, from the famous Tretyakov Gallery to the open air art market beside the Moscow River. The famous Gorky Park is easily accessible from here, and there are many clubs and pubs, especially on Pyatnitskaya street.
International Schools: No
Supermarkets: The huge Arkadia shopping center on Balshoi Ovchinkovsky Street is a standard mall with a range of shops and a food court.
Restaurants: A very good selection of restaurants. Go to Baltschug for European cuisine in a child friendly environment. They are well-known for their Sunday brunches and they have a children’s room. For a healthy treat try Prime Star, the food is simple and cheap but incredibly popular. You can also get take-away which is convenient if your office is in this area
Cinemas: Pyat Zvyozd is a 5 screen independent cinema in the Arkadia shopping center.
Sport Facilities: For walking or running Gorky park is the obvious choice although beware that in summer barbecues come out and any jogger will be treated to mouth watering wafts of cooking meat.
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Arbat-Kropotkinskaya
The most colorful part of Moscow, with many old and Stalinist buildings behind the iconic Foreign Ministry building, is a busy area with some surprisingly quiet side streets and quiet parks. There are also lots of modern developments and new buildings. Many embassies and several Ministerial-type brick buildings are also in this area. The pedestrian street of Arbat links the Foreign Ministry to New Arbat Street. Street musicians, art and souvenir stalls and booksellers fill this pedestrian street, which is lined with cafes, restaurants and pubs.
Many 24-hour supermarkets, including 7th Continent, and neighbourhood stores are here. In the summer, this area is ideal for relaxed al fresco dining on the many outdoor terraces on Arabt street. Apart from street entertainment, there are many theatres and museums here. The reconstructed Christ the Saviour Cathedral is Moscow’s major Orthodox church. The Pushkin Museum of Fine Art has the largest collection of European art in Moscow.
International Schools: No
Supermarkets: This area is serviced by a 7th Continent at Smolenskaya metro station. There used to be a Stockmanns which, to the dismay of expats, closed down due to a dispute with the landlords. It was replaced by Perekrostok which is big but doesn’t carry the same range of foreign goods.
Restaurants: In addition to the wide selection of restaurants, there’s a Hard Rock Cafe on Arbat Street, if you want something international and familiar. The Chinese restaurant Peking Duck does the most authentic crispy duck in Moscow. It also has a wide range of Japanese and Thai dishes on its menu.
Cinemas: No
Sport Facilities: There is a World Class gym in the Smolensky Passage shopping complex.
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Kutuzovsky Prospekt
This broad avenue is flanked by Stalin-era buildings, including some gated apartment compounds run by the Foreign Ministry-associated GlavUpDK (Service for Diplomats and Foreigners). There are many modern developments behind the main thoroughfare and many parks. There is a big choice of supermarkets and shopping, including the Evropeisky mall with over 300 stores. The extensive Food Market at Dolgomirovsky is in the centre of the area. The street is named after the General who repelled Napoleon’s invasion of Russia; and features a panorama museum of the 1812 war.
Nearby is Victory Arch, dedicated to Kutozov’s victory, and beyond it the fabulous Victory Park dedicated to the Great Patriotic War (World War II). With a gold-domed Orthodox Church, a mosque and synagogue, there is a somber area on the hill overlooking the city. A walk with pools and fountains leads from the obelisk topped by a statue of Nike to the museum and the surrounding oaths – a summer favourite with roller blade enthusiasts.
International Schools: No
Supermarkets: Evropeisky is at Kievskaya metro station and is such a big mall that you can’t miss it. After ice skating on the top floor and eating in the food court on the 4th floor you can do your grocery shopping in Perekrostok in the basement. There is also lots of parking.
Restaurants: Evropeisky has many restaurants, especially chains such as Il Patio and Goodman Steak House. A short walk from Kievskaya metro station is one of Moscow’s few Thai restaurants. Baan Thai offers traditional Thai food which hasn’t been tempered too much for the Russian palate. Over the river from the Radisson Hotel is a large ship, this is Viking. They had a fire in early 2010 and and have since refurbished in a ‘Viking’ style. The menu is international with European, Japanese and Caucasian cuisine all on offer.
Cinemas: There is a cinema on the 4th floor of Evropeisky, however, all showings are dubbed in Russian.
Sport Facilities: The Igromax center in Evropeisky has sports and games aimed at a young audience such as trampolining, bowling and rock climbing. Rock climbing is also available at Skala City Climbing Gym, a customized indoor climbing center with a fully equipped gym, sauna and some restaurants.
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Patriarshy Ponds
The elite area of central Moscow. You will find refined dining in restaurants on the ground floor of pre-revolutionary Czarist buildings, and modern developments around the Patriarch’s Pond made famous in Mikhail Bulkagov’s novel “Master & Margerita.” There are some Ministerial brick buildings in the area, but there is no post-Stalinist Soviet construction.
A pleasant park surrounds the pond and joggers make use of the path around the circumference. The European Medical Centre, the only western medical centre inside the Garden Ring, is located here. For supermarkets, go to the adjacent Garden Ring, but many neighborhood stores are in the immediate area. On the Garden Ring nearby, you will find the Bulgakov House museum and several theatres, including the Tchaikovsky Musical Theatre and the Satire Theatre.
International Schools: No
Supermarkets: No, the closest are in the adjacent Garden Ring; there are small, neighborhood shops.
Restaurants: Attached to the Jewish cultural center on Nikitskaya is a fully kosher restaurant called Chagall. The area also has an abundance of the usual chains: Correa’s for American/Italian cuisine, Le Pain Quotidien, a Belgian cafe known for its pastries and coffee and Mu Mu with its cafeteria style Russian food.
Cinemas: No
Sport Facilities: At 15 Zoologicheskaya Street there is a center called Me and My Child. This is for swimming and gymnastics for children under 6. They also have program of activities for expecting mothers.
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Krasnopresnenskaya
This is a historic industrial area of Moscow, undergoing rapid redevelopment with the headline grabbing Moscow City skyscraper development at its edge and the Moscow International Trade Centre with offices, apartments and conference centre at its heart. It is also home to the huge International Expo Centre with an extensive program of exhibitions. You will find the full gamut of Moscow accommodation here from pre-revolutionary Czarist era buildings to modern developments.
There’s a choice of 24-hour supermarkets, neighborhood shops and a wide range of other stores. There is a big choice of restaurants from fast food to gourmet cuisine, and the occasional nightclub or two. The Barrikadnaya cinema complex shows foreign films. If you work in the International Trade Centre or Moscow City, this is a wonderful location to be in. Children will also enjoy the Moscow Zoo‘s extensive parkland, located here.
International Schools: No
Supermarkets: The Red October candy shop is at Krasnopresnenskaya metro station. There is also the high end supermarket Azbuka Vkusa at 42 Balshaya Gruzinskaya Street and a rather small, Ramstore (Tel: 255-5412), at Krasnaya Presnya Street.
Restaurants: Gusar – 1812 is a restaurant inside the Orlov manor which used to belong to a distinguished noble family. The decor is elegant and well preserved and the food is extremely high quality Russian cuisine. If you’re on a budget avoid Gusar – 1812 and try the incredibly Russian Yolki-Palki – they have the kind of homey food a Russian grandmother would make. And, you can find many other restaurants between the two!
Cinemas: The Barrikadnaya cinema complex is at 15 Druginnikovskaya Street (Tel: 255-9057). The wonderful Moscow Museum of Cinema used to be upstairs but it has since been replaced with a strip club.
Sport Facilities: No
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MOSCOW CITY – OUTSIDE THE GARDEN RING
Outside the Garden Ring, the availability of higher-grade, western-standard accommodations decreases, but there are still numerous new developments interspersed with Stalin-era and less modern buildings. Every region is split into fairly small administrative districts. Due to the high concentration of residents in high-rise apartment buildings, it remains, even after the end of social planning, viable economically for each district to contain multiple malls, grocery stores, restaurants, salons, dry cleaners, private dental clinics, and entertainment venues. Very few Russian-standard services are beyond walking distance, although you may need to travel outside of your district to find western-standard medical facilities, high-class sports facilities, and English-speaking service.
The greatest advantage of life outside the Garden Ring is that this is where most international schools, including British, American, German, French, and Finnish schools, are located. If you are looking for basic apartment accommodations, but proximity to an international school, you may want to begin your housing search by choosing a specific international school (See International Schools). For high-class accommodations near an international school, consider single family home compounds inside or outside the city boundaries. See below.
Pokrovsky Hills
Pokrovsky Hills is a gated community of 207 townhomes, located on the edge of the 270-acre Park Prokrovskoye-Glebovo, near the intersection of Leningradsky and Volokolamskoye highways. The compound lies 13 kilometers northwest of the Kremlin and it is easy to get into the city by car, or taking advantage of complimentary bus service to nearby metro stations. Homes are up to 340 square meters, with 3-5 bedrooms, and include garages. An international school, European medical center, and sports and recreation facilities are on-site. There is currently a long waiting list for housing here.
International Schools: The Anglo-American school (walking distance)
Supermarkets: No
Restaurants: No
Cinemas: No
Sport Facilities: Sports facilities at the Anglo-American school are available for Pokrovsky Hills residents 19:00-22:00 on weekdays and 09:00-21:00. These include basketball and tennis courts, a gym, a swimming pool and an ice rink in winter.
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Serebryany Bor
Moscow’s newest single family compound, Serebryany Bor, is already becoming popular with expatriates. It offers new construction homes up to 280 square meters, with up to 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, and 2 studies. Located in the northern part of Moscow, the complex is within easy driving distance of the center and 15 minutes away from an international school. Rents range from $13,800 – $14,100 monthly.
International Schools: The Anglo-American School (15-minute drive)
Supermarkets: Due to its proximity to the center you can take your pick of supermarkets such as 7th Continent at Okhotny Ryad and Azbuka Vkusa at Beloruskaya.
Restaurants: Pomestie Park is an unusual restaurant with a mixture of European and Oriental cuisine. It is set in a beautiful location and has ‘VIP’ rooms upstairs. The area also has a number of hotels which all have fine restaurants.
Cinemas: No
Sport Facilities: Cycling, water sports and volleyball are all possible due to Serebryany Bor’s proximity to both forests and beaches meaning you can take advantages of all the associated sports.
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OUT-OF-TOWN COMPOUNDS
For those who prefer not live in the center of a bustling metropolis, there are a number of secure out of town options available. The following two are especially popular with expatriates.
Rosinka
Rosinka is one of the original residential compounds. Located outside the MKAD ring road, Rosinka consists of American-style housing units, in a clean suburban environment. There is an international school on the compound, as well as a kindergarden, mini market, restaurant and sports facilities on site. There’s a regular community bus service that operates during the day and evening.
International Schools: The Rosinka Division of the British International School.
Supermarkets: There is a mini-market within the complex.
Restaurants: The complex has 3 restaurants. An Italian, a Mexican and a family restaurant. They all provide a delivery service.
Cinemas: No
Sport Facilities: There is a 3 story community sports center which has a wide range of activities. These include a swimming pool, squash and tennis courts, a gym, a sauna and a solarium.
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Moscow Country Club
The compound at Nakhabina, 30 kms Northwest of Moscow, incorporates a hotel, managed by Le Meridien, and The Moscow Country Club with its 18-hole Golf Course where the PGA tour Moscow Open is played every year. The territory includes several luxurious independent single family homes from 200 to 400 square meters that are offered on a long-term lease for one year or more. The Finnish-style wooden houses harmonize with the woodlands in the estate. The estate also offers smaller wooden “townhouse” type cottages of 140 square meters, and a 5-storey apartment building with 1-3 room apartments. Tenants may obtain seasonal rights to play golf without purchasing full Golf Club membership.
International Schools: No
Supermarkets: No
Restaurants: The club has 7 restaurants in total, including a cozy winter garden and lakeside beach bar.
Cinemas: No
Sport Facilities: The range of sports available here is very extensive, from the usual activities such a tennis and a gym they also cater for niches such as archery, billiards and table tennis. In terms of outdoor activities they offer fishing, boating, climbing and volleyball among others.
