Frankfurt, Germany Report of what it's like to live there - 08/22/23
Personal Experiences from Frankfurt, Germany
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
We have served in Asia, Africa, and the Caucasus. This was our first Western European posting.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
USA. Flights are easy and inexpensive to most major US cities.
3. How long have you lived here?
1 year.
4. What years did you live here?
2022-2023.
5. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Diplomatic mission.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
We are in the US housing complex, the Seidlung. It consists of several mid-sized apartment buildings situated in the same area.The guards are attentive and vehicle access is restricted to Consulate-related vehicle traffic, including POVs.
Positives include many Consulate friends nearby for our children, bus service to FIS Oberusel and Wiesbaden campuses, playgrounds, and a relatively safe environment for bike riding and outdoor play. It's a 30 min walk or a 20 min bike ride to the consulate. So that's a real plus. For us, even with kids, negatives far outweigh. The biggest negative, for us, is that we're in a little America and it's easy not to experience Germany living in a place like this and instead have the full people-of-Walmart experience.
The housing is dated and lacks A/C. The consulate only provides two units for the bedrooms so you should plan to purchase one (it's needed in the summer). The lack of central air also makes the homes dusty. Our electrical is wonky (lights turn on and off somewhat randomly with switches meant to control other lights). Sound travels down in the buildings so if you don't have a ground floor apartment expect that your colleagues can hear all your conversations, even those held in normal voices. Across the board, on the Seidlung, in my opinion, housing is improperly/inadequately cleaned prior to move in. Sponsors seem to be relied on to clean and unpack welcome kits.
Pets are a problem on the Seidlung. Dog fights in the dog park are a regular occurrence. There is a dog that poops inside our building and no one cleans it up. Children who can't control their family pets are regularly charged with walking them. We're dog people but there seems to be a real issue with responsible pet ownership here. There are no restrictions on pedestrian traffic including large bags. With the attractiveness of the grounds for picnicking or playing sports, it sometimes feels a little uncomfortable/crowded in the summers.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
We shop at the local grocery stores for most everything. Metro is great for bulk purchases but also for fresh produce and regular groceries. Rewe and Penny are convenient. We make a monthly run to the commissary for steaks, ribs, Amy's frozen meals, individually packaged seaweed, sharp cheddar cheese sticks, and sometimes soft American toilet paper. In my opinion, on the local economy, produce and packaged foods are healthier and either comparable or less expensive. Meat is more expensive. Pork is very high quality. We prefer to purchase beef at the commissary.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
None.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
I'm not a fan of the quality of the food delivery options in the Dornbusch area. We use www.lieferando.de for delivery or we go direct with a handful of restaurants. There is a good bakery, reasonably good Italian, and a really tasty vegan restaurant in close proximity to the Siedlung housing area.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
No.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
We use the Consulate's mail service as well as local post offices. For large packages or ground shipping to the US, we mail from the military base.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
We have a helper clean 1x week for 3 hours for 50 euro. This is less than the going rate in the consulate housing area but comparable with what a German family would pay for help. I don't think most families have help.
3. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
There is an affordable but dated basement gym run by the Community Support Association in the housing area. There is another one at the Consulate. You have to pay to use them. Yes, you read that right. The military base nearby has an amazing gym facility that is free if you have privileges to use it. We use that one.
4. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Yes. No issues.
5. What English-language religious services are available locally?
All of them.
6. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
I would recommend learning some German because people here expect you to speak some. Germans are very direct and they often seem to have the expectation that you will speak some German. It is, however, not strictly necessary. Young people and physicians almost all speak English.
7. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Yes. You can't even get around most of our buildings easily with a mobility related disability.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Yes.
2. What kind of vehicle(s) including electric ones do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, infrastructure, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car or vehicles do you advise not to bring?
Smaller vehicles will be easier to park.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Yes. In the Consulate housing area it can be installed prior to your arrive. In my opinion, this is one of the few things handled correctly and with elegance.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
I bought a very affordable unlimited annual prepaid plan at Aldi. The whole plan was similar to my monthly bill in the US.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Terrorism.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
It's not like the US in terms of truly specialized care but most medical situations can be well-handled here on the economy.
3. Are there any particular mental health issues that tend to crop up at post, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (winter blues)?
The winter here is long and hard. Every woman I have gotten to know at this Post is taking anti-depressants. That seems odd to me.
Schools & Children:
1. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
My kids are in martial arts. The class is taught in German with individualized assistance provided in English. Frankfurt International School and the military's activity program offers a wide array of programs in English.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
The Consulate community seems to have low morale.
Words of Wisdom:
1. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
We would probably low-rank Frankfurt in the future almost entirely because of the housing situation.
