Germany

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RELOCATION
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Düsseldorf Essentials
The state of North Rhine Westphalia's capital city has turned itself into one of
the best places to live and is one of Germany’s key business locations.
WHERE TO LIVE
Düsseldorf's rise in quality of living rankings
can be put down partly to its excellent
international schools, but also to its superb
infrastructure, beautifully remodelled city
centre and cosmopolitan attitude. The city
is full of banks, industrial offices, international
headquarters and also has a thriving
media district which is home to some of the
world's largest advertising agencies.
The city covers an area of 217km² and has
a population of 573,585. Düsseldorf
spreads over both sides of the Rhine, with
the largest part on the right. There are 49
‘Stadtteile’, in the north Angermund sits
on the border with Duisburg and
Ratingen, and in the south Hellerhof borders
onto Kreis Mettmann.
Stadtmitte is a melting pot of cultures, a
mixture of rich and poor. It's where
Düsseldorf's banking district is located
and also its famous shopping street, the
Kö. Apartments are pricey and houses
hard to find, but if you want to live where
it's happening, this is the place to be.
Pempelfort is popular among singles. With
the Altstadt and Stadtmitte right on the
doorstep it has easy access to both business
and pleasure opportunities. With a
mixture of architectural styles, the area
also has a diverse cultural scene, is home
to museums and galleries and also antique
markets, unusual shops as well as quirky
cafes and restaurants.
The Hafen is Düsseldorf's boomtown - no
other part of Düsseldorf has changed so
much over the last few years. The architecture
is new and exciting and the area is
full of media companies, bars, restaurant
and clubs, so it attracts young residents -
the average age of a Hafen dweller is 34.
Bilk is the most populated part of
Düsseldorf, here you'll find lots of foreigners
and also students, as the university is
nearby. There's a great underground
scene, plus nightlife as well as lots of
green. The desired location in Bilk is Die
Karolinger, a street lined with trees with a
small canal running down its centre.
Oberkassel is well known for its wealth of
art nouveau architecture and is perhaps
the most attractive part of the city. On the
left side of the river it has lots of green, is
close to the river and is full of beautiful
old buildings. It's only 2km from the city
centre and connected by a couple of
bridges, bars and restaurants abound and
so prices are quite high.
Bordering onto Oberkassel, Niederkasse is
one of the most sought-after areas to live in.
Over a quarter of Düsseldorf's Japanese
population live here and have even built
their own Japanese Temple with a tea
house, traditional garden and school.
WHERE TO FIND RENTALS
There are a number of options for finding
rented accommodation but you'll need to
move fast as most well-located houses and
apartments are snapped up quickly. The
widest-read local newspaper, the
Rheinische Post is a good place to start
(www.rheinische-post.de), also try the
Westdeutsche Zeitung (www.
wz-newsline.de), peak days are
Wednesday and Saturday. Another option
is www.immobilien24.de.
Remember that most prices quoted are
‘Kalt’, which means they cover the basic
rent, water and electricity. ‘Warm’ prices
also include heating, but always ask to be
sure.
You can also use an agent, but you'll have
to pay a fee that can be as much as three
months rent in advance.
GERMANY EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDE WWW.EXPATICA.COM