Location, Location, Location

I just moved to a new apartment. For those that don't know, the first month I was here I lived in a dormitory at the main building of MGU (pictured below in a post from July). While interesting from a historical and architectural point of view, it wasn't the most comfortable. And once the semester started and all the students who were away for the summer returned, it got quite noisy. There was also the daily humiliation of having to show your pass or "propusk" to guards twice before getting into your dorm. And if they were bored you would have to produce your passport and student ID as well, and answer some questions. And guests are only allowed if they are also MGU students. So I rented a room from a Russian guy looking for a flatmate. However, it wasn't in the most convenient location to the university, and I prefer to live alone anyway, so I found an apartment closer to MGU. The real estate market here is really bad; it is difficult to find something for a reasonable price, and you have to use an agent, the pleasure of which will cost you one month's rent as commission. After looking for three weeks with no result and then becoming worried I would have to subject myself to the dorm again, an agent turned up a nice apartment for me. It's a little pricier than I would like, at $550 per month, but it is quite nice, I'll post pictures of it soon. It is a large one-room apartment, which here means in addition to kitchen, bathroom, and entry-way, you have one room that doubles as living room and bedroom. So not quite a studio and not a 1 bedroom. I have a washing machine and the building has a concierge. I'm not sure yet what they do, but I have to pay them 250 Rubles a month for it. I've been there just a few days, but so far it is nice. A good home is important, of course, and with around seven months still to go on this adventure, it's good to have a nice home to come to at the end of the day. Now if I can just sort out the complicated mission of registering my place of residence with the university and the police, I'll be all set.