Sergeli

Sergeli is working-class Tashkent at its most authentic. This sprawling southern district is dominated by new affordable housing developments that have attracted young Uzbek families from the provinces — many are first-generation Tashkent residents building new lives in the capital. The community bonds are strong, with mahalla committees organizing everything from wedding celebrations to neighborhood clean-ups.

Sergeli's main recreational asset is its relative spaciousness — the newer housing developments are built with more green space than the dense Soviet-era districts, including playgrounds, walking paths, and small neighborhood parks. The district has invested in several modern sports complexes with swimming pools and gymnasiums, available to residents at very low cost.

Sergeli's main challenge is distance from central Tashkent — it sits about 15km south of the center, and until the metro extension reaches it (planned but not yet complete), the commute relies on buses and marshrutkas. The bus ride to the nearest metro station takes 30-40 minutes, and from there another 15-20 minutes to the center.

Daily life in Sergeli revolves around the home, the bazaar, and the mahalla. The Sergeli bazaar is a massive open-air market where families buy everything — produce from the Fergana Valley, freshly slaughtered meat, household goods, clothing, and electronics — at the lowest prices in Tashkent. Many residents also grow vegetables in small garden plots near the housing developments.

Sergeli sits on the flat southern plain, exposed to the full force of Tashkent's continental extremes. Summer heat is particularly intense — without the tree cover of older central districts, temperatures on the open streets can feel even hotter than the 40C+ readings suggest. The newer buildings have air conditioning, but electricity costs for cooling are a noticeable budget item.