Review

It's perfect for a young family's first apartment. We took out a mortgage, and it worked out cheaper than an old prefab apartment in the city. The layout is standard, the rooms are small but cozy, and the square footage is a real gem.

The door was immediately replaced with a metal one; the one from the developer was a tin can. The locks are secure, and we feel at ease, even though the hallways are long and busy.

The neighbors are young families like us, all with kids, strollers, and shared interests. There's a neighborhood chat where you can always ask for salt or find out why there's no water; the people are friendly.

The walls are thin, and noise is quite audible, especially in the bathroom and kitchen through the ventilation. If the neighbors' baby cries (and everyone here has children), you can hear it two floors up and down.

The apartment was finished, the renovations were simple: linoleum, paintable wallpaper, but it was ready to move in right away. Three years ago, we just re-wallpapered the kids' room, but the rest of the room is holding up just fine.

The kitchen was custom-made; it's a bit unusual, so we had to tinker with the plumbing. The rooms are furnished from regular stores, and space is limited, so we try to keep things clutter-free.

The appliances work, but the wiring sometimes fails; if you turn on the kettle, washing machine, and hair dryer at the same time, the circuit breakers trip. There's no gas, everything is electric, and the bills are hefty.

Asyl Arman is truly a town of its own, with over 20 houses and thousands of people. It's fun to live there, but you get tired of the constant hustle and bustle and crowds; there's never any peace here.

The entrance halls are cleaned, but due to the huge influx of people, they're already dirty by evening, especially the elevators. The trash bins outside are often overflowing, and the wind blows bags across the courtyard.

There's a checkpoint at the entrance, security checks cars, and foot patrols are also present. Inside the complex, it's quiet, but it's scary to let children out alone because of the cars speeding through the courtyards.

There are so many playgrounds, every yard has slides, swings, and exercise equipment—it's a paradise for children. In the evening, everyone spills out onto the street; there's no room to swing a cat, it feels like a giant anthill.

Parking is the number one pain point; after 7 PM, there's simply nowhere to park. My husband sometimes drives around for 40 minutes or leaves the car far outside the complex at his own risk.

The buildings are monolithic and warm, and earthquakes (even minor ones) are barely felt. The facades are bright, the paint hasn't peeled, and the houses still look like new.

The area is unique: it seems like everything is right there, but you're cut off from the city by a perpetual traffic jam. If you work remotely, it's great, but if you have to commute to the center every day, it's hell.

The residential complex is clean inside, but beyond the fence lies a dusty highway and construction sites. The air here, of course, isn't mountain air, thanks to the proximity of the Altyn Orda market and the constant flow of trucks.

The complex is safe inside; there's a police station, and the officers know everyone. It's best not to venture outside at night; it's on the highway, and it's dark and uninviting.

The houses themselves are attractive and colorful, but the surrounding area is steppe and chaotic private housing developments. There's little greenery inside the complex; the trees are still small, and the summer heat is terrifying.

Altyn Orda is a curse; you can spend two hours just driving a couple of kilometers. They built an interchange, but the traffic jams remain, especially during rush hour and on weekends.

Sometimes dogs from the private sector wander in, but they're quickly caught or chased away. There are few cats in the yards, but so many pigeons have been fed that it's scary to walk under the windows.