Life in Leipzig

Hi,

Anyone got first hand knowledge of this city e.g. desirable living locations, jobs situation and life there in general or useful links,

Thanks

Only ever visited it, so can't tell you as much as someone who has lived there. It had an "Altstadt", which comes straight off the Hbf. the Hbf also contains a very large shopping centre. If I were to move there I would then go for Altstadt walking distance to Hbf for reasons mentioned above and the train to Berlin (which goes thru Berlin Schoenfeld as well if flights to the UK are an issue for you). There is a *very* cool bar/bier cellar called Moritz-Bastei, which is 5 mins walk from the station.
All in all, the impression I have from my 5 visits there is very positive. Beautiful city centre and the social side of life is cheap. One of the show pieces of the former East.

Better than Halle and Chiemnitz, but not quite Dresden. Oh and there is a state of the art International Airport that no one uses.

Thanks guys, your views are appreciated !

Sorry, I didn't think Leipzig was very pretty. It's definitely eastern Germany. There are a few cool places in the Altstadt which are particularly nice in the summer- but in general it's kind of a dump. But the upside is that rent is supposedly quite cheap since there are a lot of empty apartments.

Anyway, nowhere nearly as nice Dresden, but much much nicer than Chemnitz or Zwickau.

Edit: Just out of curiosity- Have you lived in eastern Germany before?

Leipzig - the home of the largest goth festival in the world (apparently)! Every year around Easter, thousands of goths descend upon Leipzig like a black swarm of locusts (with neon pink and purple stripes) for the music festival 'Wave Goth Treffen' or WGT. More info here: http://www.wave-gotik-treffen.de/english/

interesting stuff...I heard the same about the apatments and rents, cheap as chips apparantly...

I've been living around Halle region for about 12 years now. I think Halle is pretty cool place to live. It has a lively bar/nightclub scene thanks to the Uni. Most of the young English and American students who come to Halle really love the place. There is a opera house, theatre, art gallerys at affordable prices. It's especially "geil" in summer nice parks and beer gardens. Admittedly, the town has its problems. High unemployment and some crappy "Plattenbau" areas. It can resemble Gotham city in the winter. However, I think the town is often written of by a lot visitors without giving the town a chance. There's some lovely areas of Halle which a visitor has to spend time looking for.

Leipzig is a very similiar to Halle but a bit bigger. If you're visiting Halle/Leipzig area, try looking at Halletalk - English Speaking Forum and maybe you can meet up with English speakers who can show you around a bit.

God Bless,
Vic

Hey, I'm from New Zealand, living in Leipzig and am looking for work. Is there anyone who could give me a pointer in the right direction? Any help would be greatly appriciated! cheers Rachel

We visited Leipzig recently and have many friends there. We're currently located in Strasbourg, a very beautiful city in France...however due to lost faith in the french economy, politics and business practice we've decided to move.

Our original plan was to move to Switzerland for low tax, high pay and the like but after Leipzig both Lausanne and geneva dont compare...the ambiance, counter culture, progressive art scene and cheap living are much more positive. True you could earn a bit more in Lausanne but then we would never be able to afford a home there..where they cost at least £500k.

We're still considering all the options and have drawn up a huge chart of criteria to compare against strasbourg...quite interesting but like anything in life its really worth doing the research.

When we started to consider a move we read that both Zurich and Geneva had the best quality of life in the world for cities...there should be a caveat there which says...only if you are very rich. We found Zurich so posh and full of posers it was unbearable.

What an interesting comment. I think it's a valid point. There are places in the East that are dismissed without being given proper credit. I'm not saying that Leipzig is the be all and end all... but many places in the East are underrated in many respects.

Keep it quite, my son. Otherwise we'll get all those tossers from Munich coming here.

I think the biggest thing Leipzig has going for it, is the low cost of living. It IS much cheaper than Munich- but I think if any eastern city were to tempt people away from Munich, it'd be Dresden- not Leipzig.

Leipzig is good if you aren't totally dependent on an ex-pat community to keep you going. Or am I wrong?

Yep, they'd be much better off in Dresden.


The Anti-Christ

Have been living in Leipzig for the past 4 years now and, I have to say, I love it. British football can be watched at only one bar, Killiwilly in the Südvorstadt, but as everyone there knows us, it's ok. The best nightlife is concentrated around Connewitz and the south (can be a bit alternative, but always something happening) Gottschedstrasse near the city centre is also good but a bit more upmarket Depends what you'Re after. Barfussgässchen in the city is full of bars, but cater more to the tourists. If you'Re looking for work as a teacher, no problem, there seems to be a shortage of native seakers at the mo'. I find the best area to live is Südvorstadt-bars are nearby, good transport links and the rent is not so expensive.

hi guys

Leipzig is a good standard of living for a cheap price.

@madcityfan, well if you were in the know ya would know the Aussie bar is sorting out a sky set up and Steve the main man is back in town. So you southerners can hang in diff. places. What would ya family say, giving up ya northern roots for Southern wussieness ; ). And aren´t ya bailing and moving to our capital? Can not wait to see the Rams beet the city boys in the first match, hey.

The city is a great place, and do not forget the lakes and forest, it makes it a green city. Would recommend it to any one? Just do not tell to many, we do not want to be over-crowded.

Dunno about Dresden. I was there a few times and the city centre was flocked with tourists and I couldn't find a bookshop anywhere. Also I couldn't find anywhere with Setanta to watch the hurling final last year and I went to Berlin instead. What has Dresden got that Leipzig hasn't?

Agree with whoever said Halle is a bit of a dump, though its zoo is quite nice.

I was a bit surprised with Chemnitz though I have only been there briefly. City centre is very new but its all trendy clothes shops. It was a bit busier than I expected. Found a couple of nice restaurants, mind.

After looking at some towns in the UK recently, I'd say Halle is in good shape. If you don't believe me, I'll give you my personal guided tour through the town. If after the tour, you still don't like the place, I'll give you 50% of your money back.

to add to the flair of Leipzig I am doing a stand at the Leipzig Bus station show on the 15th September. They are doing an event around China and as most of my flags are made in China I thought i would fit in.
But lots of books and standard UK foods
hope to see somewhere there at the stand
Robert Berridge

Hopefully posting here will push this back into view on the forum...

What are the differences in living in Leipzig and Dresden and the 'feel' of each city? I'm not interested in the employment situation as if I lived to either it's be on an transfer with my company. I found Dresden a bit 'bare' - the 'old' buildings are all plonked around without character, and yes, full of tourists in summer.

Thanks.

I have visited Leipzig, admittedly only for a few days, but I really thought it was an ugly city (apart from the Denkmal thing). Do those of you who live in Leipzig have similar or differing views? The buildings were just so run down, half of them seemed vacant or like they had squatters in.

Urbanangel,

I think you're missing the point. Go to any city in the old GDR and you'll see plenty of run-down buildings, even in Dresden. But that's the charm of the place. It's real, down-to-earth and you can see and feel the history here. It's not like western Germany which was rebuilt after the war in order to hide any scars. I lived in Leipzig for over 4 years and absolutely love the city. Admittedly, I now live in Dresden, but that's because of work (isn't that why we're all over here?), but often return. Leipzig's not ugly, just like Glasgow and Liverpool, etc, aren't. You just have to open your eyes and not expect Paris or St. Petersburg. Go to Leipzig again, relax, don't do the tourist thing, just walk around and feel the history jump out at you. That's what's special about this part of the world.

aision,
I have lived in Dresden for a yer. In my opinion it is a beautiful, user friendly, and especially SAFE city. I'm a single woman and I have traveled all over the city in the day time, and evening, with friends and alone, and I have always felt safe. There always seems to be something going on downtown. They have fireworks on the Elbe all the time, and events down by the river too. You see beautiful hot air balloons flying along the river at dawn and dusk, and you can sit in the biergartens and just enjoy the sunsets. I have only been to Leipzig once, so I'm just giving you my opinion of Dresden. If you have any specific questions, plse feel free to write me. I'll answer any I can.

It's still in the east with people from the east, make of that what you will.

Edit : read mancity fans post and you'll hear that it's fuckin ugly but the people are ok

Not my experience but i live in the west and find them agressive and ungrateful

Working class knob of the year goes to...(drum roll)...

To be honest I don't know why the people in the East Germany should be grateful to beer guzzling expats in Munich. Furthermore I've never heard anyone say the East Germans are aggresive. Unless, of course, you're referring to expats in East Germany. We're fucking hard.

Hi guys
First time on so please be gentle!!
Looking at buying a crash pad in Leipzig area as I am potentially starting a job at the airport in the New Year. Any no go areas to buy? I have found a lot to the north of the city on the web going for a song but my canny Jockishness has given me a few doubts as to the reasons why!!
Thanks in advance.

Hi Kennyboy,

I would avoid any "Plattenbau" (concrete blocks built in the DDR) Also make sure the flat has been modernised (central heating, hot running water, inside toilet that kind of thing.) I don't really know Leipzig that well. But I would pay max 350€ including Nebenkosten (utilities) for a decent modernised one bedroom flat. You might want to check the flat has a fitted kitchen. Check the conditions for the down payment. If you put the link up for a flat I'll check it out for you.

The Vicar's choice - 1 bedroom flat with balcony in hip and friendly part of town This flat has no fitted kitchen.

Uhhh ... because they a) rescued them from a dictatorship, b) converted their worthless monopoly money at 1:1 instead of the, like, 50:1 it was really worth, c) gave them a completely new infrastructure, d) paid to clean up the mess left behind by 40 years of neglect and d) almost 20 years later are still involuntarily paying the full freight via the Solidarietumschlag because the east germans are all sitting around navel gazing and pining for a banana-free world with 12-year waiting lists for farty little wartburgs and trabants and Stasi-bugged apartments?

What a bunch of ingrates, FFS. If the Poles had gotten 1:1 on the Zloty in 1990, they'd have done a reverse Barbarossa and be running the whole joint by now.

The expats did all that. Wow.


West Germany did very nicely after WWII. Why? Because the Allies helped the West Germans rebuild industry and infrastructure. East Germany, on the other hand, had all its industry stripped by the Russians. The East German suffered under Soviet rule. The West Germans thrived in the free world. The East Germans started a peaceful revolution in Leipzig at the end of the 80s and brought about the downfall of the DDR.

Solidaritätszuschlag - is paid by East Germans too and is equally unpopular here.

They did ... because on top of German taxes US expats pay US taxes that allow the German government (third-largest economy in the world and number-one export economy that it is) to spend a paltry amount on defense and allow unemployed layabouts in east germany to buy the flatscreens we can't afford because we're too busy paying for everyone else who assumes they can suck off the government teat rather than have the audacity to save for their own retirement and watch it get hacked away to support those who don't.

May I send you the Porsche-sized Solidariaetsumschlag bill I just received for a retroactive 2004-2006 assessment on US-based investment income they've just decided was non-excludable?

Why send it to me? You plonker. I'm not East German. I'm probably paying more tax than you.

Well, maybe they should have thought that one through before embarking on a lemming-like quest for world conquest.

East Germany ... the return of the prodigal son. Coming soon to a theatre near you.

You're right. I'm no plonker ... just ticked off that I have to pay so much to live here to keep the wife and kids happy. Nothing personal.

Actually, my northeastern US parents and grandparents felt the same way about the building of the interstate highway system in the american south in the 1960s that dragged that place up from abject poverty in the wake of bad choices and a bloody war. And then I read this in the paper yesterday (which i saw firsthand driving to Ruegen last summer ... so maybe there's hope.

Seriously, no offense intended.

None taken.

I thought I'd put this quote here from the Prodigal Son link as I thought it was most appropriate to this quote.

Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

Well, that just about wipes out TT in one fell swoop.

I'll be here the whole week. Tip your waitress. Try the veal. You've been a great audience. Goodnight everybody!

Leipzig is OK. It's like a more attractive and cultured version of Leeds or somewhere. It wasn't actually bombed that badly so it still has a lot of very nice buildings - tho' not around the station, which is where most tourists seem to hang out a bit before thinking 'what a dump' and going on to Berlin or Prague or something. Best things: cheap housing and trams, big university, big music college and art college so lots of bands and live music and also students. Bad things - not many good jobs, local townsfolk are often hard up and 'off' towards foreigners (the kind of WTF are you doing here look in shops etc.), a few neo nazis kicking around, can feel 'stuffy and provincial' outside of the west end or the Südvorstadt which is the main student area.

A resounding thumbs up from Matt.

You drunken old fool. In the description it says it's got a fitted kitchen.


Leipzig has a more consistent architecture than Dresden for obvious reasons.

I don't think East Germans have it quite as cushy as you're assuming. I know it's frustrating to see a load of money being dumped into the East. However, East Germans also have a lot of frustrations. As far as infrasturcture goes- ok, they've got some nice new autobahns-- but does that not also benefit West Germans? On the other hand, a big problem where I lived in the East was that after reunification, previously state owned and operated factories were sold at extremely low prices. Lots of which were bought up by West Germans... who sat on them waiting for the value to go up. There are lots of buildings there that have been neglected for so long now that there's not much more to do than rip them down and start over. I was looking at buying one several years ago because it was a really amazing building- but the West German who owned it was asking a truly obscene amount of money for it. How is that benefitting East Germany?

I also think they need to have a good look at how that money is being spent in the east. Re-training courses, for example. What a joke.

The reunification of Germany caused high employment in the new German states. All the old inefficient factories closed laying off its workers.


A good example :

They run/used to run a lot of English courses for the unemployed. The languages schools running these courses used to make a lot of money from them. The owners, usually a West German, would be driving around in a big Merc (a jerk in a Merc) and with a deep sun tan. Did they improve the chances of the unemployed to find work? - Maybe a bit. But I think the main aim of these courses was to keep the unemployed occupied.

Thanks guys. I'll be paying a visit if the new job comes through. All I'll be needing as a pad for a few nights a month in between flights so not really too fussed about the luxuries. However somewhere safe near some decent boozers,eateries and public transport to the airport and Berlin for flts back to Blighty.
Don't spreche Deutsche too well Vic, so not sure about that flat. Is it in a good area. Was looking at purchase as opposed to rental though. Take it that flat mit nebenkosten is €440pm?? Appreciate the link though mate.
Matt..I Knew a girl in Leeds once....

Looking for advice... I hope to move to Leipzig from the US for a job, but am having a difficult time determining how much I need to earn. I have heard the cost of living, and especially the taxes, are very high, but has anyone found any web sites that help with this conversion?

@Kennyboy

The flat was 355€ per month with utilties. 3 month down payment. Looking to buy? 30K should be enough to buy a decent 1 bedroom flat.

List of flats to buy in Leipzig

PS. If you could ask the pilots to avoid flying over my parish, I'd be grateful.

Spot the kitchen.

First of all, I didn't 'do the tourist thing' when I was there. I was mostly walking around, eating, drinking and catching the excellent trams. Secondly, I didn't see anything special about a load of tumbling-down, graffitied walls and buildings. You want history? Sure. Not a ghost town though. Of course I didn't expect or want Paris or St Petersburg. It had no character or charm like most European cities do - its only characteristic (which is different to 'character') was ugliness. I'm a real city/urban freak but didn't see any individual charm here whatsoever.

There are some very nice parts to Leipzig. I wouldn't describe Leipzig as an ugly city. It's got some naff parts but also some great bits which makes it interesting. It's a pity you didn't come away with a better impression.

The only real negative thing about Leipzig is that once a year a bunch of horrible Goths invade the city.

I find the Goths quite harmless.

I think not.

Goth technology is almost completely oriented towards weaponry, apart from their own bodies. When originally seen in The Tenth Planet they had large energy weapons that attached to their chests. In The Moonbase, the Cybermen had two types of weaponry: an electrical discharge from their hands, which stunned the target, and a type of gun. They also made use of a large laser cannon with which they attempted to attack the base itself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goths