Review

The apartment is spacious, the ceilings are high, and there's plenty of air. We bought it for the status and location, but the smart home system is a pain in the ass; we disabled half the features right away.

The door is armored and opens with a fingerprint (when the scanner works properly). Leak and smoke detectors are installed throughout; they've saved us from flooding a couple of times, so that's a plus.

The neighbors are tricky people; they'll say "hello" through gritted teeth in the elevator. There's no sound between the apartments, and we don't really know who lives there—bankers or government officials—and we don't pry.

The apartment itself is as quiet as a bunker; the windows are triple-glazed, and you can't hear the street at all. The only noise is the hum of the ventilation system, but you quickly get used to it, like white noise.

The developer did a turnkey renovation, using expensive materials—marble and wood, everything was luxurious. But problems surfaced within a year: the parquet flooring started creaking, and the bathroom tiles had to be replaced.

All the furniture was brought from Italy, and there's plenty of room for large sofas and wardrobes. The layout is smart, the walk-in closets are huge, and finally, things aren't just lying around.

My Miele built-in appliances are great, but the control via the Smart Home tablet keeps freezing. Calling a technician to adjust the lights or curtains is a week-long slog.

From the outside, the complex looks luxurious, like a five-star hotel; it's always a pleasure to come home. But the maintenance is exorbitant, and the bills for the targeted expenses are eye-watering.

The marble in the entryways gleams, the carpets are vacuumed daily, and the mirrors are spotless. The grounds are swept around the clock, and in winter, the snow is cleared before you even wake up.

The security here is brutal; they won't let a courier through without a passport or a phone call, no matter what the price. The perimeter is tightly locked, and children can be let out alone until late at night; there are no strangers here.

The courtyard is a veritable park with landscaped gardens, fountains, and gazebos. Walking is a pleasure—it's quiet, green, and devoid of any hustle and bustle, as if you were in a sanatorium rather than in the city.

The crowd is respectable, with many foreigners and businessmen; the "gilded youth" is almost nonexistent. Everyone is polite, but they keep their distance; there are no casual get-togethers with beer here.

The Askarova district is the "upper" area; the air here is truly different, fresh, and there's almost no smog. It's not far from the center if there's no traffic, but you can't walk anywhere from here.

Askarova Street is spotlessly clean, the curbs are whitewashed, and the lawns are watered with an automatic sprinkler system. Surrounded by elite schools and residential complexes, there's simply no sign of dirt or decay here.

Police patrols are constantly rolling around, there are Sergek cameras everywhere, and the neighborhood is very quiet. It doesn't get dark in the evenings, the streetlights are bright, and it's safe to walk around.

Surrounded by mountains, greenery, and the Presidential Park just steps away, the aesthetics are top-notch. There are no ugly stalls or bazaars; everything is civilized and refined.

Public transportation is infrequent here, and we don't need it; everyone has two cars. If our car breaks down, the only option is a business-class taxi; the walk to the stop is humiliatingly long.

Getting onto Saina or Al-Farabi in the morning is tricky; traffic jams form right at the exit from the residential complex. Evenings can also be a hassle, but that's the price you pay for living in a prestigious location.

The First President's Park across the street is our main attraction; we go there for walks on weekends. There's plenty of greenery inside the complex, too, including a mini-park with roses and fir trees.

It's generally quiet, the main noise coming from the fountains in the courtyard. But sometimes at night you can hear street racers speeding along Saina, despite the cameras.