Winzavod Moscow

Once a wine factory (hence the name Winzavod), this place now houses prominent contemporary art galleries, hip restaurants, an art supply store and more.

I fell in love with it even before I moved to Moscow: the combination of the red brick industrial buildings and intricate, Dali-esque murals was irresistible (this neighborhood, and Winzavod in particular, attracts street artists). Years later, I noticed that I keep coming back to Winzavod, even as the reasons are changing. One day I go there to see Best of Russia photo exhibition; a week later I return with my friends to take some silly pictures in a photo booth and leave a book I’ve read on a bookcrossing shelf. Then I come for a city sketching class, because the place is so picturesque. Then I'm in the neighborhood and I have this sudden craving for curry, so I stop by Hitrye Ludi, the dog- and sketching-friendly restaurant where they serve sheets of paper and colored pencils for you to draw while waiting for food.

Simply put, Winzavod is the place to visit and re-visit.