Realtor Advice
Traditionally, at the beginning of June, millions of Muscovites, homeowners and citizens who come for work, suffer from acute allergic reactions caused by flowering plants. And each new powerful wave of summer stuffiness makes potential buyers and tenants of metropolitan apartments remember the “green” factor. «MK» decided to find out which locations in the metropolis are considered the safest for allergy sufferers, and which areas, on the contrary, have gained a bad reputation among environmentalists?
As the founder of BEST-Novostroy, Irina Dobrokhotova, told MK, for most buyers of housing in the mass segment and business class, the main criterion when choosing housing is still the price. The location of the apartment in a green area, in her opinion, is undoubtedly a factor that increases its attractiveness, but it is not included in the list of the main ones.
According to Miel network development director Alexander Dryagin, over the past 10 years, the importance of environmental criteria in megacities has become more significant for home buyers. Today, the number of requests for the selection of real estate taking into account eco-parameters (water quality, degree of air pollution, radiation pollution) has increased by 30%. More often than others, families who value the safety and health of children, young people leading an active lifestyle, and people suffering from various types of allergies. In addition, clean air and a park for walking are of interest to citizens who are purchasing housing for elderly parents.
According to realtors, the average markup on housing in ecologically clean areas of Moscow, as well as the discount when buying housing in environmentally polluted areas, can reach several tens of percent.
Moscow is considered one of the greenest cities in the world. In any of the city districts there is a large number of green parks, squares and ponds. Almost all industrial enterprises that pollute the air have been removed from the capital of the Russian Federation. A comprehensive reorganization of the territories where plants and factories were previously located (the so-called “Rust Belt of Moscow”) continues. Moreover, not only city authorities, but also developers are involved in land reclamation and the creation of new parks and public gardens.
Interestingly, not all green areas have mass-market housing or apartments for sale. «In some cases, this is due to dense old buildings and a complete lack of new construction. And sometimes only new buildings in more expensive segments may be on sale,» Dobrokhotova explained. According to her, due to the wind rose, favorable areas are located in the west and northwest of Moscow.
According to experts, the safest district for living for citizens suffering from allergies is the Central Administrative District. The area of green space in the Central District is 1316.6 hectares, that is, 19.9% of its total area. Most of the parks and squares here are man-made. Therefore, their creators planted mainly trees and shrubs that are harmless to allergy sufferers. Almost all industrial facilities are located outside the Central Administrative District, and the only serious risk factor remains heavy traffic.
“One of the most favorable places for allergy sufferers in the capital is the Moscow City business cluster,” noted the director of the sales department residential real estate group «Sum of Elements» Svetlana Bardina. There are no potentially harmful plants in the nearby green areas, and living in a skyscraper relieves allergy symptoms.
The second place in terms of safety for allergy sufferers is occupied by the Northern District. This is explained primarily by the fact that the flora of the location is dominated by oak. Its pollen is larger than that of birch, and flowering particles of the plant rarely penetrate the respiratory tract. Car traffic in the Northern Administrative District is difficult on the Moscow Ring Road in the Dmitrovsky district and Khovrino. In other areas of the district, the level of gas pollution is relatively low. A number of industrial enterprises still operate in the north of Moscow, but most of them are equipped with modern treatment facilities.
CJSC is in third place in terms of attractiveness for allergy sufferers. Mostly willows, larches and spruces grow here, allergies to which are not very common. The transport situation in the west of the capital has improved significantly in recent years. The district's main highways were reconstructed and widened, resulting in a reduction in exhaust emissions into the atmosphere. The enterprises of the chemical, radio-electronic industry, and instrument-making production located in the JSC were moved outside the city.
The air is cleanest in New Moscow. Which is not surprising. Among the most environmentally friendly locations, Dryagin singled out the village of Kyiv, the settlements of Voronovskoye, Klenovskoye, Rogovskoye, Pervomaiskoye and Novofedorovskoye. Inside the Moscow Ring Road, in his opinion, the “green” top 10 includes the districts of Krylatskoye, Izmailovo, Yasenevo, Obruchevsky, Yuzhnoye Butovo, Khoroshevo-Mnevniki, Strogino, Sokolniki, Metrogorodok and Kuzminki.
The top 10 environmentally unfavorable areas within the borders of old Moscow, according to his assessment, included the areas of Kapotnya, Butyrsky, Biryulevo Zapadnoe, Lefortovo, Nizhny Novgorod, Sokolinaya Gora, Danilovsky, Altufevsky, Vostochnoe Degunino and Shcherbinka. Most of them, if you look at the map, are located in the southwest of Moscow. In addition to dirty air, allergenic trees (birch, alder and linden) predominate in the forest parks here.
For those who value clean ecology, Dobrokhotova advises, when choosing housing, regardless of the district, to avoid proximity to major highways and large enterprises. The less dense the development, the less cars and thermal pollution. The higher the building site is above sea level, the greater the strength of the air masses that “ventilate” the territory. The height of the selected area can be found on a geographic map of the city.
Alexander Dryagin recommends that before making a transaction, you carefully study the environmental map of Moscow, on which areas with good and bad ecology are highlighted in different colors and eco-points are set. In addition to the reports of the Ministry of Health, which publishes statistics on requests from various age groups of citizens in various regions for certain types of diseases, in his opinion, attention should also be paid to chats and forums of district residents.
