Review

We took out a mortgage on a three-room apartment, which was cramped for five people, but at least we had our own roof over our heads. The price was reasonable, but the quality of the construction left much to be desired; the walls literally felt like they were made of cardboard.

The first thing they did was tear down the developer's door and install a proper, heavy one. The locks are secure, so I feel safe about the children and my property, even though there's always someone wandering around the building.

It's full of large families and tenants, and there's never any peace. The building's chat room is constantly filled with squabbles over strollers in the hallway and other people's trash.

The noise level is simply catastrophic. I can hear the neighbors upstairs arguing and the ones next door watching TV. The only saving grace is that my three children are just as noisy, so no one really complains.

We did everything super-budget: washable wallpaper and cheap linoleum, because the kids would ruin any renovation within a year anyway. The windows from the developer had to be additionally insulated; they were terribly drafty in the winter.

I've seen a couple of cockroaches crawling through the vents from my neighbors. We immediately called a pest control service and set traps, and they haven't shown up yet, but we can't relax.

The windows look directly into the courtyard, onto other people's balconies and a crowded parking lot. There are no beautiful views here at all, just the concrete jungle of a typical residential area.

It's a classic anthill, a huge pile of blocks stacked tightly against each other. Waiting for the elevator in the morning to take the kids to school and kindergarten is a fifteen-minute quest.

The cleaners try hard, washing the floors regularly, but with so many residents, it's pointless. By evening, the elevators are still trampled, and candy wrappers are always lying around near the entrances.

The intercoms seem to work, but the courtyard is a walk-through area, so anyone can come in. I only let the kids out into the courtyard alone during the day; I try to take them out myself in the evenings.

These are our daily tears; there are three times as many cars here as parking spaces. My husband comes home late from work and often leaves the car in the neighboring neighborhood because it's impossible to park here.

The building is monolithic and seems sturdy, but there's zero soundproofing, and there's a constant humming noise in the pipes. The elevators are cheap and often break down, so you have to drag the stroller up and down the stairs.

The Auezovsky district is excellent for living with children, with plenty of kindergartens, markets, and shops. However, the population density is off the charts, and the streets are constantly bustling with activity.

The utility workers clean Momyshuly Avenue well, and everything is in good order. But if you go into the old courtyards around the market, you'll find there's plenty of trash and dirt.

It's fine to walk around during the day, but late at night, a mixed crowd gathers near the markets, which can be unsettling. The police seem to be on the move, but the courtyards aren't lit equally well everywhere.

A typical old sleeping area interspersed with new human anthills, with frankly little greenery. There's no aesthetic appeal here, just a purely practical area for the harsh everyday life.

There's plenty of transportation; buses run along Tole Bi and Momyshuly to any point in Almaty. You can go anywhere if you can squeeze into a bus during rush hour.

Momyshuly is at a standstill every morning and evening; the traffic jams here are legendary. Getting to work downtown is a daily torture, wasting a ton of time.

Sometimes packs of stray dogs run past the private sector, which can be a bit scary for the children. There are plenty of stray cats, and compassionate grandmothers constantly feed them near the basements.