Artplay

Artplay, formerly a huge industrial area on the bank of the Yauza River, is now a creative cluster for designers and architects. During Soviet times, the area hosted the Manometr factory that produced pressure gauges (hence the name) and bronze, brass, and iron castings. Today, the top floors of the factory buildings are home to workshops, studios, and offices, with interior design showrooms and furniture shops occupying the ground floors. Opened in 2008, Artplay was one of the earliest creative clusters in Moscow built in a former industrial estate, along with Winzavod and Flacon.

Anyone can find something of interest here: restaurants, souvenir shops, bookstores, or cafés, including vegan options (Fruits & Veges and MOX+Volna). Pieces of street art are all around here: you will view a nine-meter-long graffiti featuring images of Moscow's tourist attractions on the wall of one of the buildings and a bright pink statue of David holding an oar next door.

One of the most fascinating experiences of the former factory is provided by Building No. 3. If you go up the stairs to Surf Coffee, you will find a balcony offering a splendid view of the Yauza River, the Andronikov Monastery, and the viaduct allowing overpass to the Kursky railway terminal.