Three months in Frankfurt am Main: European New York with its own features

Frankfurt am Main is a city of contrasts, where modern skyscrapers are adjacent to historical buildings, and business bustle is harmoniously combined with cultural life. After spending three months here, I encountered a number of challenges and features that I want to share.

Housing search

Renting housing in Frankfurt can be a very difficult task. Demand is many times higher than supply, which leads to difficulties in renting housing for newcomers. To be honest, it seemed to me that I was ready for the difficulties in renting housing in a new city, but after arriving I found out that the queue for an apartment in the city for several people is 70 candidates recruited per week, in addition to apartments with furniture, and you also need to be prepared for the fact that local services for finding housing are paid. You can rent a small furnished apartment through platforms such as Airbnb, but it is recommended to start the search in advance to rent an apartment at an affordable price.

Cost of living

Frankfurt is considered one of the most expensive cities in Germany. The average cost of living for two people excluding rent is about 1,493 euros per month. Prices for food, transport and entertainment correspond to the standard of living in a large European metropolis.

Transport

Transport in the city is very well developed: metro (U-Bahn), suburban trains (S-Bahn), trams and buses. Buying a monthly travel ticket allows you to significantly save on travel, as a day pass can cost up to 7 euros per day within the city and one ticket from point to point 3.50. In addition, Frankfurt is a bicycle city, and renting a bicycle can be a great alternative.

Criminality

Frankfurt can be called criminal by European standards, but at the same time there are a number of criminal areas, first of all it is the area of "red lights" located near the station, walking there at night can be extremely dangerous and not very pleasant to the eye, while in the morning you can regularly meet volunteers there who distribute drug dispensaries.

Culture and leisure

Frankfurt offers a variety of cultural events: museums, theaters, concerts. It is especially worth visiting the Museum Coast (Museumsufer), where the main museums of the city are concentrated. I recommend going to the Stendhal Museum, a rather inexpensive museum with an excellent collection of paintings for every taste. The city is also known for its parks and green areas such as Palmengarten and Grunegürtel, ideal for walking and recreation.

Food

There are many restaurants and cafes in the city for every taste, but eating will not be very cheap, an average lunch in an inexpensive cafe will cost 15-20 euros, and in a mid-level restaurant - about 20-30 euros per person.

Language and communication

Despite the fact that many residents speak English, a huge part of the population prefers to speak their native language before the joke, a situation often occurs when you address a person in English and get an answer in German, and this phenomenon can be found even at international conferences.

Conclusion

Frankfurt is a metropolis that will appeal to those who love big cities,

At the same time, the city has some special atmosphere that you don't often find in Europe...