*Review of the best according to the editorial board. Selection criteria. This material is subjective, not an advertisement and does not serve as a guide to purchase. You should consult with a specialist before buying.
City with a population of over a million residents attracts many people from remote areas who choose to move to places with excellent infrastructure. There’s a wide range of jobs, good wages compared to the rest of the country and a wide variety of housing options. In addition, in Samara there is a lot to see, where to go to relax, including the natural beauties will please those who have moved here permanently, because the city is located on the banks of the Volga.
Having made the decision to move, you should learn more about the city’s neighborhoods, as they differ from each other. Future comfort will depend on the choice.
Expertology editorial staff prepared rating review which includes 9 best districts of Samara to live in. All you need to do is to choose which of them will be to your liking.
Rating of the best neighborhoods in Samara to live in
| Nomination | Location | Name | Rating |
| Rating of best neighborhoods to live in in Samara | 1 | Leninsky District | 5.0 |
| 2 | Samara area | 4.9 | |
| 3 | Oktyabrsky district | 4.8 | |
| 4 | Krasnoglinsky district | 4.7 | |
| 5 | Sovetsky district | 4.6 | |
| 6 | Industrial area | 4.5 | |
| 7 | Zheleznodorozhny district | 4.4 | |
| 8 | Kirovsky district | 4.3 | |
| 9 | Kuibyshevsky district | 4.2 |
Leninsky district
Rating: 5.0
It is in the center where the heart of the city beats, so the district takes a leading position and is very popular. There is an embankment, several squares – Chapaev Square, Glory Square, and the largest in Europe – Kuibyshev Square, as well as a delightful Strukovsky Garden, Drama Theater, and a nunnery. All these sights are in relative proximity to each other, so you can reach them on foot.
By the way, walking around the area is especially attractive for both residents and visitors: cozy lit up streets, greenery, restaurants and cafes, where you can take a break, have a snack, and drink coffee or other favorite beverage. People come here from other, more distant districts, so there are quite a lot of people, especially on weekends, but they behave decently.
Business, cultural, entertaining and administrative life of Samara is concentrated in Leninsky district. There are many representative offices of big companies, various kinds of stores, including premium ones, with luxuriously decorated show-windows, as well as state institutions.
Locals say another positive quality of the historic center is that there are practically no Soviet-era apartment buildings. This gives the area a cozy appearance, somewhat reminiscent of small European cities. But along with this it should be noted that the cost of housing in the area is one of the highest, and the housing stock is old, although many houses have already undergone major repairs, while others are waiting their turn. Another minus of Leninsky is traffic jams.
Samara district
Rating: 4.9
This area is a place of contrasts, where on a par with new buildings, monuments of architecture and urban planning are ramshackle buildings in need of repair of the old housing stock. But of course the main sight of Samarsky is Leningradskaya Street, which locals call Leningradka.
This pedestrian zone has been recently cleaned up and fully renovated, making it a multifold transformation. You can find here benches, fountains, beautiful street lamps, lighting the paths after sunset. Two rows of buildings on the sides of the promenade offer strollers a view of restored houses of historical value, as well as galleries, boutiques, restaurants, and other hangouts.
Of the pluses of the area to highlight the security: in Samarskoye quiet and not afraid to go home even late at night alone, which allows at any time of day to go for a walk. In addition, there are modern buildings, apartments that are great for families, including those with children.
There are some disadvantages, too, for example, housing, as in Leninsky, is quite expensive. In addition, because of the large number of people living here there is a shortage of parking, which obviously will make life difficult for those who have a personal vehicle.
Oktyabrsky district
Rating: 4.8
When a vote was taken on one of the major Internet portals of Samara, the neighborhood ranked third, receiving thirteen percent of all respondents’ votes.
The locals, giving their answers, noted three landmarks that, in their opinion, make Oktyabrsky stand out – the main and one of the central streets – Lenin Avenue, which starts near the Zvezda Cultural and Entertainment Center and ends at the intersection with Polevaya. Here is a museum “Samara Space”, a beautiful and comfortable public garden Fadeev, the Heroes’ Square of the 21st Army, as well as a unique fountain “40 Years of Victory” – the iconic object for the citizens and the king of all urban fountains.
Another place of interest of the district is the stela “Ladya”, which astonishes with its size, from which starts Sofiyskaya Naberezhnaya. Its image is the most common on postcards and souvenirs, so the stele can be called one of the symbols of Samara.
The proximity of the embankment, which is known to be one of the most beautiful in Russia, also contributes to the popularity of Oktyabrsky. In summer it becomes the place where the famous “Volgafest” festival is held, which is followed by a number of interesting installations. There are also a lot of sculptures, such as a monument to Prince Vladimir, “White Dance”, “Wave” and others. More recently, a few years ago, the biggest fountain in Russia was opened here, located on the waterfront.
There are more than seventy educational institutions and more than fifty health care facilities, as well as fourteen cultural institutions: children’s clubs and music schools, museums, libraries of regional and district scale and so on. There are also places to spend your leisure time – the Botanical Garden, the gorgeous Suburban Park, the cultural and entertainment centers “Kinap” and “Zvezda”, the square of heroes.
Well developed infrastructure and a wide range of housing make Oktyabrsky attractive for families with children. True, like in the other two districts, apartments here cost a lot.
Krasnoglinsky district
Rating: 4.7
Despite the fact that the neighborhood is a city suburb, it is in the middle of the rating, since many people give it priority. This is not surprising, because its obvious advantages include nature: much of Krasnoglinsky stretches along the Sok River and the Volga. In addition, it includes several islands – Sulfur, Electron and Zeleny. In summer, the area becomes a Mecca for fans of wild recreation and tourists.
Proximity to nature and beauty noted not only by locals and guests of Samara. If you believe the legend, it was Mikhail Kalinin, all-Union headman, in the past ordered to build a sanatorium of the same name in Koptev ravine. But unfortunately, not so long ago, the new owners demolished the health resort, which was built on the site, and now in this place are working on a new facility, which looks like a hotel.
The area is considered environmentally friendly, so it will be comfortable for families with children, as well as people who prefer to stay in the city, to achieve maximum unity with nature, which allows you to live in a green area within the boundaries of the largest industrial center. Remoteness from the city center affects the price of apartments, which is one of the lowest compared to many other areas. It takes about an hour to get to the center from Krasnoglinsky, which is not much.
On the downside, we note the lack of parks, attractions and the poor condition of some roads.
Soviet District
Rating: 4.6
It stands out against the rest perfectly developed infrastructure and a small number of high-rises. Everything you need is close at hand: kindergartens, schools, clinics, playgrounds, transport interchanges, MFCs, and shopping centers like Aurora.
Sovetsky has a perspective because it is actively developing, so this area of Samara is one of the future of the city. Today it can be called a young city, as a huge number of students live here, because it is a cluster of educational institutions.
Citizens speak of the coziness that makes life in Sovetskiy comfortable. In addition, they note the absence of frightening lines at clinics and when placing a child in a preschool institution.
Residents spend their leisure time in the parks – Gagarina, “Molodezhny”, “Friendship”. There are a lot of green spaces, attractions, cafes, where you can spend your free time with your friends and family.
Prices for lodging are affordable, so for those who are limited in budget, this option will certainly suit.
One of the minuses is the old housing stock that needs repairing. The dilapidated facades don’t make the streets look as presentable as they could, but locals say the neighborhood’s many attractions make up for this deficiency.
Industrial area
Rating: 4.5
The area is the most densely populated and the largest in the city. Almost three hundred thousand people live here. The Industrial district has a great variety of houses: there are buildings from the eighties and nineties, as well as elite new buildings.
Locals note a small number of high-rises, so you can observe the sky. Developed infrastructure is another advantage of Promyshlenny: everything you need is close at hand, whether it’s preschool institutions, schools, playgrounds or clinics, shopping centers and small stores. Due to the large number of residents there may be difficulties when placing a child in an educational institution. The Bezymyanka part of the district, not the whole district, is especially popular among the city’s residents.
There are thirteen shopping malls, of which the largest are Imperia-Center and Park House.
You can spend your leisure time in the parks. More than others, locals love the Gagarin Park, which every year is transformed, providing an opportunity to relax, admiring the beautiful greenery. In addition, the area is quite a lot of public gardens and recreational areas.
The area is not expensive: the apartments are relatively cheap, which attracts a large number of people. The average cost of one square meter in the secondary market varies around forty-four thousand rubles.
Zheleznodorozhny district
Rating: 4.4
The strengths of this area are considered to be the bus station “Aurora” together with the shopping center of the same name and the Sanfirova square. Locals note the coziness of the yards that have preserved many green areas, which have not yet been touched by the city authorities. Excellent infrastructure, preschool institutions and schools are located within walking distance, and a good transport interchange is another plus that influences the choice of Zheleznodorozhny for residence.
In this district there is a railway station whose building has been rebuilt to meet modern requirements, including design. Considered one of the city’s most beautiful architectural structures, it is not unusual to see people taking selfies in front of it.
The housing stock is in a good condition. The choice of apartments is rich: modern and spacious, as well as small Khrushchevka apartments are available. The cost is a little higher than average, but not as high as in the historic center.
There are no significant shortcomings, but still note the unsatisfactory condition of some roads and poor shoreline of the Volga.
The area is ideal for families with children, because it is much more convenient for parents to take their children to institutions located close to home, rather than carry them in other areas, standing in rush hour traffic jams. Besides, the ecological situation here is good: there are cozy squares for outdoor recreation. But motorists will be pleased with good traffic interchanges.
Kirov district
Rating: 4.3
Another green area of the city is famous for one of the largest forest park zones – Dubki. Kirovskiy is a strong center with engineering, scientific and economic potential. Despite the landscaping, it is considered an industrial area, where most of the people working at the local enterprises live, because most of the area is occupied by factories, including metallurgical, food organizations and industrial workshops.
Locals often go for hikes to Metallurgov Park, Oak Knoll Park and Park of the 60th Anniversary of the Soviet Power. Recently the area has become a sports center, thanks to the construction of a modern and interesting design stadium “Samara Arena,” which attracts fans of various sports, especially soccer.
The housing stock is old, with houses built from the sixties to the eighties, but not many new. Prices for apartments are affordable, so people who are short of money should consider this area of Samara.
The disadvantages are not the best environmental conditions.
Kuibyshevsky district
Rating: 4.2
Another city suburb, located in the southern part of Samara, on the left bank, completes the rating. The nature is its main advantage, they say. Here, in the channel of the Sukhoi Samarka, there is an island Koroviy, and next door to it, continuing the animal theme in the names – Telyachy. There are also three lakes in the area: Pastukhov’s Head, Telyachye and Bychye. Every summer the place is visited by locals and visitors alike.
There are no sights in the area, there are few shopping centers and complexes, however, as well as places where you can have fun and spend your cultural leisure time. There are also few apartment buildings, so it will be difficult to find a suitable apartment. Mostly agencies, dormitories and municipal housing are located here. But the price of available for sale apartments is very attractive.
Compared to other neighborhoods, locals highlight a number of drawbacks, most of which relate to transport accessibility. Kuibyshevsky Boulevard is connected with the rest of Samara only by two bridges – the recently opened Frunzensky and the one along Glavnaya Street. Public transport does not go here as much as one would like. In addition to this, the citizens have another complaint – the neighbors in the nearby penal colonies. They aggravate criminal situation in the area.
