Moving to St. Petersburg, Russia

Name three things that you wish you had brought and three you wish you had left at home.

Bring with:

1) Several electrical plug adapters, they convert the US flat pins to the round pins usable in Russia. Bring more dual-voltage electrical appliances (240 VAC here). 2) Money pouch, money belt, or ankle wallet. 3) Laptop computer internet enabled. 4) Comfortable house slippers.

Leave at home:

1) Heavy voltage converter box. 2) Second pair of shoes. 3) More than 3 changes of clothes.

How did you choose your neighborhood and find your home or apartment?

I have been lucky enough to converse with some Russian people online and to later meet them in SPb. The city varies widely in terms of housing. Some areas are industrial and you'll find smoke pouring into your windows at odd times. The better areas tend to be near universities, metro, large shopping malls ("magazines"). One advantage here is that for a small sum of about $0.50 US (20 ruble) you can take a bus and travel the city while seeing its various facets.

What type of housing do you live in? Is this typical for most expats in your area?

I am in what Americans might consider a "condo"; here it is a flat or apartment. The rents here are comparable to USA major city rents on a per square footage basis (here it is square meters of space). The quality of construction leaves much to be desired, exposed water and sewage pipes, occasional outages of water, and other minor annoyances, but this is typical for SPb. Get accustomed to hearing many car alarms at night, especially on the weekends. Here they are LOUD! Not like the dainty alarms found in the yuppie neighborhoods of America. Most heating here is water heat from the exposed pipes and radiators. Air conditioners are rare, but seldom really needed.

Are your housing costs higher or lower than they were in your home country? What is the average cost of housing there?

This is the grand question indeed! Rentals are fair priced at about $10-$20 SqM/month. You get what you pay for! Buying an apartment here is expensive and getting more expensive. The best areas here for ex-pats are usually near to tourist areas and these are going for up to $3000 SqM. As mentioned above, the quality is not the best. Most buildings are from the Stalin era (1930).

What advice would you give someone preparing to move to your area about the actual move, choosing a neighborhood and finding a home?

Moving your personal effects: Don't use Air freight as costs are outrageous and -- boat shipments aren't much better. Buying comparable items here has worked quite well for me. The prices for many articles are about 50% higher than USA prices, but without the customs duty, VAT, paperwork and forwarding nightmare of dealing with shippers, delays, and local trucking co's.

Choosing the neighborhood: Locate a real estate agent who can speak at least some English. It isn't difficult if you ask around. Expect to see many different properties! And watch your step! (literally!) In the US we don't think much about our footing because the floors are all level from room to room, or from street to entry. Here in SPb it is very easy for the tourist to fall because the streets and floors are all at different levels! Expect to step up and down often.

Laundries are rare -- indoor personal washers and clothes driers are rare, but becoming more commonplace. You can pay to have a bought W/D unit installed, but there may not be a heat outlet vent for the dryer. The bathtub becomes the usual instrument for washing one's clothes, air drying is common.