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Moscow is not a nice-looking city, is very polluted, low wages, and is dark and freezing half the year. It's also basically a dictatorship.
Moscow is very large and diverse city. Salaries in Moscow are quite large, but life requires a lot of money. Winter really dark and cold. No dictatorship. This is an exaggeration.
Of the benefits, Moscow fairly safe city. You will not be killed in the street, if you come to the wrong district. Ghetto does not exist in Russia. Of course, you can be robbed, as elsewhere in the world, but it's usually safe enough.
I'd rather visit St Peterburg. Anyway, a friend of mine invited me to NYC last week (not been there since 1987!), but given the actual foreign policy of the US, I've decided not to go.
I've lived in NYC and I'm currently living in Moscow so maybe I can speak a little as to how they compare with one another.
Both are huge cities. The center of Moscow is pretty nice but the "sleeping districts' can be a little depressing. Nothing but dreary, monstrous high-rises. I don't think anywhere approaches the intensity of Manhattan and, although Moscow can be considered an international city, there aren't any distinct ethnic districts. Not even a Chinatown. I miss that about NYC.
The Metro is pretty impressive and I'd say superior to the NYC Subway aside from the fact it shuts down at 1 am. You won't need a car. Bring warm shoes and clothes though. Even with a weak ruble clothing prices are outrageous here.
Figuring out Russian culture is still a work in progress for me. For the most part people are decent if not always overly friendly. You won't experience the gregariousness that is so common in NYC. On the other hand I think the likihood of getting into a confrontation with a random stranger is low. I 'pass' for Russian quite well apparently. So much so that I get stopped for directions almost daily. I know there can be issues for non-whites here, even central Asians who are as 'Russian' as Ivan Ivanovich. English is not surprisingly the most common second language here but it's still not as common as in many other countries. Learning a little bit of Russian language goes a long way but it is a very confusing language for a native English speaker.
This is a great city if you are into the arts, particularly high-brow stuff. There are dozens upon dozens of theatres and performing arts venues and several world class museums.
I've had locals respond incredulously when I've told them I like living in Moscow. Despite all that's happened it still has a lot going for it and experiencing Russian culture firsthand is pretty fascinating for someone who grew up at the tail end of the cold war.
Moscow is not a nice-looking city, is very polluted, low wages, and is dark and freezing half the year. It's also basically a dictatorship.
If you want to live in Russia (not sure why given all the other places on earth), then I would choose St. Petersburg, which is at least beautiful and is more affordable than Moscow.
Come on, this is such a boring and factually incorrect statement. I don't agree with a lot of things happening in Russia, or anywhere else for that matter, but the idea that living in Moscow would dramatically affect a foreigner's life in a negative way within months to years is kind of ridiculous. This would be a fantastic experience for the OP if it works out in some way. Also, I don't understand why Peter would be drastically different climatically, for wages, or being a dictatorship.
I think Moscow is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.
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