In the wake of the nobility, writers and artists began moving to Arbat and it became the Muscovite equivalent of the Parisian St-Germain or London's Bloomsbury. Now both working-class and aristocratic, the area has preserved some of its former charm. Don't miss the artists' and writers' museum-houses and the mansions on Pretchistenka Street. Between Ostojenka and Moskova Streets, bold architectural projects, museums and artistic centres are breathing new life into this district.