Choosing an apartment: sleeping area or center? Where is the best place to live? In the center or on the outskirts of the city? Live in the center or on the outskirts
Imagine that you have a certain amount of money on hand, which is enough to buy a small apartment in the center of Moscow or a large one on the outskirts of the city (or even beyond). What kind of life suits you: in cramped quarters, but “windows on the Kremlin”, or in spacious mansions, but far from the center?
This article is a reference and information material, all the information in it is presented for informational purposes and is for informational purposes only.
This is the choice I put before the participants of this year's first sociological survey "". So the proposed situation is: where to buy an apartment at the same price: a small one in the center of Moscow, a large one on the outskirts of the city, or a large one in the Moscow suburbs? 38% considered the issue too serious to make even a hypothetical choice, or even refused to even mentally change their current housing to some other one. The rest of the audience coped with the answer in the proposed conditions within a few minutes. Thus, 39% preferred large apartment on the outskirts of capitals s. 15% agreed to modest meters for the sake of happiness to live in the heart of the city (you look out the window - and the words themselves ask: “My dear capital! My golden Moscow!”). 8% felt that it’s nice to be in a spacious dwelling completely outside of Moscow , but so as not to lose sight of it - that is, in the suburbs.
Of course, the respondents were asked to explain their choice. It turned out that those who chose the center were guided by more emotional motives. The rest, on the contrary, are rational. Thus, those who like to be in the midst of metropolitan life (15%) most often operated with the concept "I like" . Some just used to . There are those who snobbishly believe, they say, " outside the Moscow Ring Road life is no longer metropolitan ».
Part of the audience (39%), who chose a large apartment on the outskirts of Moscow, proceeded from other motives. Here, by the way, there are also enough “accustomed”, so to speak, where he was born, where he fit in . This is the third most popular answer. And the first in equal shares were the answers "better environment" And "less noise" . The second is a favorite answer from Captain Evidence that outskirts - the same Moscow . And, imagine, there were even such lucky ones who didn’t even have to choose - there is an apartment both in the center and on the outskirts.
Lovers of the Moscow region (8%) did not differ from the previous group of respondents for reasons: they would also like to save yourself from noise and soot .
However, there is one significant difference between even the most remote metropolitan outskirts and the nearest suburbs - this Moscow registration . The organizers of the survey also talked about its advantages with their interlocutors.
42% appreciate quality of social security : the pension is higher, and the polyclinics are better, and the benefits are more substantial than most regional ones. The same number of people noted the opportunity to get a better job yourself, to arrange children in schools and gardens, etc. 9% associated with registration the quality of life . (A funny idea, of course, but, as one respondent noted with some pathos, “the opportunity to live a full life.”) 3% even found in this fact cause for pride . And only 2% of the respondents no benefits Moscow registration was not seen.
That is, registration is one of the intangible parameters that influence the process of choosing a property. Therefore, respondents were asked to rank, in descending order of importance, the most important criteria for choosing housing (except for price). It must be said that this issue has repeatedly entered the scope of research interest (see, for example, "" or "", as well as "", etc.). The responses received were quite traditional. All their diversity is systematized and presented in the diagram.
As you can see, it came out on top transport accessibility (26.5%), problems with which can negate all other advantages of even the most wonderful place. For the second - almost 18% - developed infrastructure . For the third - 15% - prestige of the location , which, as often happens, is based on the presence of the first two factors. Further descending went good ecology, proximity to work / study, good neighbors, layout and, finally, the number of rooms.
Undoubtedly, the respondents approached the choice solely on the basis of common sense. Although in practice, of course, anything can happen. Here's what an expert has to say about it - Svetlana Birina, head of the urban real estate department at NDV-Nedvizhimost. She notes that the data obtained reflect the state of affairs, although not without some additions. Thus, the factors that have the greatest weight (after the price, of course) are indeed transport accessibility and infrastructure. In second place, the expert put the type of house, characteristics and condition of the apartment itself. But Svetlana Birina considers the location unimportant for the mass segment, since people who make expensive purchases usually look for “status and comfortable locations for living”. The expert agrees that in most cases people take a balanced approach to choosing a property.
But there are buyers who are not satisfied with ordinary criteria. Svetlana Birina gave an example when clients were searching based on ... the values of numerological tables. This is at least strange, since you and I know that stargrams and Yijing are much more effective (we are joking, of course, we are joking, don’t be scared).
The magazine was also interested in professional opinion about the reasons why people abandon housing in the center and move to the outskirts. First of all, Svetlana Birina noted the desire of people to expand their living space in connection with the replenishment of the family. Obviously it is. After all, the decision to change one's place of residence is one of strategic ones. They don't accept him for nothing. And even fatigue from the noise, bustle, gas pollution of the center of the metropolis will not always be an excuse for the whole family to leave their habitable place like this.
Young people are more mobile. And it is she who, making her first independent purchase, can decide on a cheaper Moscow region, receiving modern full-fledged housing for her money (for example, in fashionable formats such as townhouses, with a developed infrastructure of residential complexes). The older people are, the stronger the social bonds and the power of habit. And it’s even unnecessary to talk about the importance of accessible clinics for pensioners, pensions with a capital allowance. This is probably why the percentage of respondents who found it difficult to answer the main question of the questionnaire was so high during the survey. (But let’s add on our own behalf that working people of active age, who can seriously change their lives, still prevail among real property buyers.)
Here are the results of the new study in general terms. The theoretical choice of survey participants who gave intelligible answers is generally understandable. Moscow (albeit outskirts), a large apartment subject to good transport accessibility. Still, a spacious footage remains an enduring dream for our Russian people, who (as it happened historically) did not particularly bathe in luxury and often lived rather cramped. Moscow registration is also from the list of eternal values, but transport accessibility does not require separate comments. Well, the choice is quite reasonable, worldly understandable. Let the way to the apartment take some time, but we will live like a human being - with comfort.
The data was obtained by the magazine using a telephone survey conducted on a representative sample. It allows you to reflect the opinion of the population of an arbitrarily large city and maintain the ratio of sex and age of respondents, depending on the population in . The survey involved residents of the city of working age.
Now you can buy any apartment, in almost any district of Moscow, if you have enough money.
There are absolutely wonderful offers, for example, Barkli Virgin House in 1st Zachatievsky Lane!
Thanks to the unique interiors from the world-famous designer Kelly Hoppen (Kelly Hoppen for yoo), the Barkli Virgin House club house cannot go unnoticed even among the luxury of the mansions on 1st Zachatievsky Lane. This area, dubbed the "Golden Mile" because of the mesmerizing proximity to the historical and cultural center of the Russian capital, is rightfully considered one of the most respectable not only in Moscow, but also in the world. But there is one thing, the ecology of the Golden Mile is the ecology of the center of Moscow. Of course, green squares are organized in such complexes, but still, the purity of the air in such places is far from from perfection.
On the other hand, completely unique park complexes are being built up in Moscow, such as, for example, the Sadovye Kvartalri residential complex, located in Khamovniki and located in the central district of Moscow. But is the environment so good there? However, if there are no problems with the budget, then you can choose for yourself an apartment in Moscow and a house outside the city, but what if you need to choose one thing, where it is better to look for an apartment for yourself - in the center - closer to your place of work and entertainment or closer to the outskirts, where there are real forests, parks and recreation areas?
If you have a clear budget for the purchase of an apartment, then you should understand that the closer the apartment is to the center, the more expensive you will have to pay per square meter and, accordingly, the smaller the area of the apartment you buy will be. Moreover, apartments with windows overlooking a quiet courtyard, and not a city street filled with cars, are even more expensive. Of course, you will not have to overcome busy highways on your way to the center, the metro station will also be close to you, but if you have children or, in extreme cases, a dog, most likely your walks will be limited to a small well in your backyard.
Apartments on the outskirts, even within walking distance of the metro, are cheaper by 20-30%. Shops are cheaper the farther from the center they are located. And in almost every district of the city, the farther from the center, the more greenery in the yards, the more space. There are also much more forest parks and recreation areas in the outlying districts than in the Central Administrative District. True, it is quite difficult to say what the ecology of the selected area is, for this you need to know what enterprises are in your area and how much they can poison the air!
The author has chosen for himself a fairly eco-friendly area at some distance from the city center, but what do you prefer? Based on what parameters do you choose your housing in the city?
Text: S.K., Natalia Nikiforova
Photo: Natalia Nikiforova
A person decides for himself where it is more comfortable for him to live: in the city center or on the outskirts. Surely, each of us has our own subjective opinion on this matter. But let's try to talk about the positive and negative aspects of life in the center and on the outskirts.
About the pros and cons of living in the center of the metropolis
In the photo: Moscow International Business Center "Moscow-City"
Let's start with the pros and cons of living in the city center. All the outskirts of large metropolitan areas have similar features. The sleeping areas of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Paris or Rome, in fact, are not much different from each other. The historical center is the face of the metropolis, its distinguishing feature, and the outskirts are usually areas of new standard buildings. Living, for example, within the Moscow Garden Ring, you feel like a part of the history of the city, because the houses located on the central streets of the capital, being built several decades or even centuries ago, have a rich past. At the same time, the most beautiful places in the capital are located within walking distance from your home, which makes them more accessible to you. For homeowners in the center, the city can be part of the apartment. It's nice to look out the window with a breathtaking view of the Moscow River or the palaces on the banks of the Neva.
In the photo: Interior of an apartment in the center of Moscow
It is always cozy in the city center, and walking along the streets with a rich history can be a real pleasure. On the outskirts, you often want to close the windows tight curtains so as not to contemplate the surrounding panorama. And in the evenings, the owners of apartments in the periphery usually do not want to go out.
However, for all its merits, housing in the center is expensive. Few people can afford a large apartment in a good house in an elite area. In order to enjoy panoramic views of the Kremlin and, at the same time, be able to walk with a child in a well-guarded courtyard, homeowners in the center have to pay a lot. Therefore, buyers of residential real estate often face a dilemma: whether to buy small apartments in the elite central areas or not to sacrifice square meters and purchase a spacious apartment on the outskirts.
In addition to high real estate tariffs, another significant disadvantage of living in the center is the serious difficulty in traffic. However, residents of some outskirts are also well acquainted with traffic jams. However, only in the center of a large city can it happen that you will not be able to drive a small 10-kilometer distance from work to home in an hour. Cars also serve as a serious hindrance to the lives of those people whose windows overlook the busy city road around the clock.
In the photo: In the center of megacities you can always find picturesque places for walking
In the central areas of megacities, parks usually operate. Residents of the outskirts often have the opportunity to walk through the forests. Another plus of the center is a large number of public entertainment. Even late in the evening you can visit a cafe, restaurant, cinema, shopping center, amusement park, etc. A variety of grocery stores are also always at your disposal.
The streets and alleys with a rich history, old buildings, beautiful views from the hills, churches and even former estates - in the city center there is always a place for new discoveries. In the historical districts of megacities, life is in full swing, which is very nice. You can quickly get used to the seemingly unbearable noise at first. Over time, and rushing at three o'clock in the morning, motorcyclists soothe better than any lullaby. Those who live in the Central Park area are doubly lucky, as such lucky ones have a great place for outdoor walks nearby.
How to organize the space of a small apartment in the center?
In the photo: From a small apartment by redevelopment designers managed to create comfortable apartments for mother and daughter
A small area of apartments in the historical center of the metropolis may not be a significant problem. After all, there are always ways to make even tiny apartments cozy and comfortable to live in. For one or two people, a good solution would be studio apartment in which volume and air are felt. Small family of three a two-room apartment in the center can be re-planned into a "three-ruble note" and, thus, find a place for a children's room or office. If there are several children in the family, then it is preferable to make the bedrooms very small, since most of the time the home will anyway spend in kitchen-living room. But for children in their personal rooms, you still need to equip a place for study and creativity. A child definitely needs a small, but personal desktop for classes.
Pictured: B children's room interior it is important to properly organize the space
If there is a choice between two small nurseries for two children, for example, 7-10 m2 each, or one room for two with an area of 15-20 m2, two separate rooms are always preferable. Children, just like adults, need personal space to relax from communication with peers, parents, teachers, relatives, etc.
If you have two bedrooms, for example, 10 and 8 sq.m., then it is always better for a child to allocate a larger room. Parents can use the kitchen-living room at any time for communication, work, hobbies or watching TV. But children have to use their rooms not only for sleeping and relaxing, but also as playgrounds and classrooms for studying on their own or with a tutor.
Advantages and disadvantages of apartments on the outskirts of megacities
And now let's move on to larger apartments on the outskirts. Here, too, there are advantages. Firstly, houses on the periphery are located next to forest parks. Owners of apartments in houses on the territory of the city outskirts can go to nature at any time. The air on the periphery of the city is cleaner than in the center due to fewer cars and more green spaces.
Secondly, having a spacious apartment is very nice. You can not limit yourself and make large rooms for all the children, separate bathrooms with windows and a Jacuzzi, an office, a library, personal dressing rooms for each family member, and, of course, a huge kitchen-living-dining room. It's very attractive, isn't it?
But, probably, living on the outskirts, you will not feel the fullness of your city, its history. The way by car will seem far enough to walk along the embankments and visit the most beautiful places. An apartment on the outskirts can have a beautiful interior, but at the same time be isolated from the outside world, unless your windows overlook fields and forests, but a standard sleeping area or, even worse, neighboring houses. It is not very joyful to see a sad industrial landscape every day or admire a wasteland. Life on the outskirts can be depressing. It is not always pleasant to return late at night from work or study to an uncomfortable gray area. The apartment itself simply cannot be a real warm "nest" if it is located in an unfavorable location.
In our opinion, the main difference between living in the center and living in a residential area is that an apartment on the outskirts is isolated from the city, while apartments in the center usually become part of the metropolis.
When buying an apartment, each person pursues his own goals: an increase in living space or financial benefits from the sale, or just a long-awaited, joyful event and the first purchase of a home. He is faced with a problem, not only in the choice of footage, number of floors, comfort, but also its location. Everyone who decides to buy an apartment is faced with the choice of buying it in the center or on the outskirts of the city? And faced with this small dilemma, a person can spend more than one month of time.
Both the central regions and the suburbs have their advantages and disadvantages. If a city with a small population (and a city, respectively, in terms of area), then in such a city the center is not far from the outskirts, and here, as a rule, it is not worth choosing for a long and painful time where to buy housing? You just need to take into account your attachments and priorities: nature, clean air, forest, river, etc. or center? Which in other things is also good, since the distance is not an obstacle to walks in the countryside.
Why is an apartment in the center better?
Another thing, if a city with a population of a million or more? Most often, future homeowners tend to choose and buy apartment in the center because there is a more developed infrastructure, there are more shops, clubs, cinemas, theaters and various institutions that are important for human life. As well as developed transport and there are no problems with movement, you can easily get to any part of the city. And also important is the location of kindergartens, schools, administrative buildings and educational institutions.
But you must understand that you will have to pay much more per square meter in the center than in a remote area, especially if the windows of your future apartment overlook a quiet, calm courtyard, and not a busy street, this will also cost a certain amount. This is one of the disadvantages when buying an apartment in the center. If we compare two apartments of the same size, then in a residential area such an apartment will cost 15-25% cheaper. Also, the noise from transport and enterprises located near the purchased housing can also be attributed to the minus, since in large cities a high population density and the location of factories, factories and other enterprises are concentrated close to the center. Which, in turn, violates the ecology of the city - this also applies to the lack of buying an apartment in the center.
Of course, manufacturing enterprises are also located on the outskirts, but in every city there are sleeping areas where there are no factories or factories. There, as a rule, there are parks, many trees, clean air and not infrequently there is a pond or even a lake. Living in such an area is much more pleasant and comfortable. And it is better to see in the window not flickering transport, but beautiful nature. And if you have a child, then you will not need to hold his hand and get to the playground for a long time.
If you are more attracted to silence and tranquility, then it is better to opt for the outskirts, and more often than not, new buildings predominate in residential areas, which is also not unimportant. Of course, the disadvantage is a less developed transport structure, but this can be compensated by the difference in the cost of housing and, as a rule, lower prices for food and other consumer services.
And another important indicator that requires attention when choosing an area for further residence is crime. In every city you can find prosperous areas, and you can also find those where a large number of thefts and robberies are committed. A well-lit yard will be preferable to garages or a vacant lot near your home.