Admiral Fokin Street
The picturesque Admiral Fokin Street, nicknamed Vladivostok's Arbat by local residents, is the favourite recreation place of city's locals and guests and one of its main attractions. It is always pleasant to stroll along the block pavement admiring well-groomed houses built in the 19th - early 20th century, to stop by at numerous shops and to drink a cup of coffee in one of the many cozy coffee houses standing along Vladivostok's main pedestrian street.
This street was initially called Peking Street commemorating the Convention of Peking signed in 1860. According to this treaty, the Primorye and Priamurye territories were adjoined to Russia for good. Later it was renamed into Trade Street because the kiosks, selling mostly Chinese products, stood here at that time. Since the year 1964, the street bears the name of the Admiral Fokin who commanded the Pacific Fleet for a long time and applied many efforts to its development.
In the early 21st century, the street was turned into pedestrian area and significantly ennobled: block pavement was laid, several fountains were built, motley flower beds were arranged, benches and stylized antique street lamps were set. Since then, the Admiral Fokin Street became popularly known as Vladivostok's Arbat and acquired great vogue among locals and tourists who always put it on their itineraries.
Now the street transforms every day: along with other sights of the Primorsky Krai's capital, it is being prepared for the grandiose international event - the APEC Business Summit that will take place in Vladivostok in September, 2012. Street's architectural composition was notably changed, several alleys were laid out near the houses. Thus, Vladivostok's Arbat is now not inferior to its namesake in Moscow.
But Admiral Fokin Street's main 'sight' is perhaps the sea that can be seen from any point of the street. You may descend the pedestrian artery to the Sportivnaya Naberezhnaya (literally: Sports Seafront) - one of the oldest favourite recreation places of Vladivostok residents.