Moscow City

I have mentioned before that Moscow is a city of contrasts. In the very center lies Kremlin, with is old buildings, walls, churches, etc.

Head a little further out, along Moscows Third Ring - about 2.5 miles west of Red Square -and you will find Moscow City. A commercial center, many buildings still under construction, started in the mid 1990s.

We drove out there last weekend, parked, and walked across a pedestrian bridge to the center. Interestingly, there weren't any "traditional" skyscrapers, you know, big rectangles. 2 buildings looked like a tower of blocks stacked by a child, each "block" slightly askew (the 2 buildings on the left side of the photo). Lots of arcs and curves. Very interesting. Very modern looking, which is, I am guessing, the point.

So apparently, in the 1990s, the government decided it needed a modern business center, and viola! Moscow city. According to a plaque it was built for the city, and governments own "self respect" - I know something was lost in the translation, I just think it is funny to imagine a bunch of city planners sitting around and one piping up "any self respecting city would have a commercial center!"

It is projected that 250,000 to 300,000 people will be living/working/visiting the complex at any given time. Pretty impressive. According to my Russian sources (ok, my husband) they forgot to take into account one important factor. Can you guess? Yes, Parking! Apparently there is very little parking in the area. Some buildings do have underground parking - but only for special people.

Another Russian source mentioned that Russians arent used to building so high, many people dont want offices next to the windows because it is too high up. Leo laughed. His old office was on the 62nd floor and he loved it - and he is afraid of heights! (The office had a balcony on the 70th floor of their building where every summer they held a family bbq. Leo make me hold the kids hands and stand against the building the whole time because he was afraid they would fall off the building). He also mentioned that they are having a problem with the elevators in some of the buildings. They, uhm, sometimes drop 20 or 30 floors unexpectedly. cripes!

Ok, thats all for the Moscow City tour.

I gotta go do my Biggest Loser dvd. (I am trying ok!)