Frankfurt, Germany Report of what it's like to live there - 12/07/24
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?
No, a city in Asia.
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?
United States. There are direct flights from the U.S. and it is easy to travel to post.
3. What years did you live here?
2022-2024
4. How long have you lived here?
Two years.
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?
Most people lived in apartments on the siedlung. The apartments can vary in size but most are comparable to an average apartment in a major U.S. city. You can hear everything that your neighbors do. There isn't any privacy. I heard conversations at a normal level and heard my neighbors in the bathroom.
The apartments are close to the office and it is possible to bike or take a short bus ride.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Plentiful. The apartments are walking distance to three grocery stores. There are many specialty stores in Frankfurt where more uncommon spices/ingredients can be found. We had access to the commissary at base which is a 20 minute drive away if you're feeling homesick and want any U.S. groceries.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
None. Everything is available by DPO even the spice store in our hometown. The closest grocery store to the Siedlung has an American section that includes peanut butter and vanilla extract.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Wolt and Lieferando are popular. There are many restaurants that are walking distance to the apartment complex.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Not in our apartment, but people didn't follow orders and stored food in the their basement storage units. This caused a rat infestation in the apartment complex basement storage units. Don't store food (even pickled or canned goods) in the basement!
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
DPO.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
We were quoted between 40€ - 70€ an hour for a cleaning service for a small apartment. We passed. Most people don't seem to have household help.
3. Do you feel that it is safe to walk, run or hike outside? Are there areas where bike riding is possible? What is the availability and safety of outdoor space for exercising? Are these easily accessible?
Yes. There are many bike trails and walking paths.
4. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
There is a gym membership available through the community association that is very expensive for what it is. In my opinion, the gym at the Consulate and on the Siedlung are in need of repair. The weights need to be replaced. They are cracked and when weighed, didn't match the weight they claimed to be.
There are several gyms available in Frankfurt that I would recommend spending money at instead if you care about cleanliness.
5. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Surprisingly no. You need to carry cash in Frankfurt.
6. What English-language religious services are available locally?
Several.
7. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
It's nice to have, but not necessary in Frankfurt. I recommend learning a few basic phrases if you're planning on traveling in Germany and want to visit smaller towns.
8. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Possibly.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Yes they are safe and very affordable.
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?
You can get by without a vehicle at this post. Don't bring an electric vehicle or a large one.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
High speed internet is available. Vodafone wasn't perfect and dropped sometimes, but it's better than most posts around the world.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
Google Fi worked here.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
Yes there are many veterinarians here. We didn't need to quarantine. People struggled to find kennel services and dog-sitters.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
EFM or remote. Mostly part-time.
2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
Several organizations through EFM groups on the Siedlung.
3. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Casual.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Similar to any large U.S. city.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
No major health concerns. Most people take vitamin D.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Good.
4. What do people who suffer from environmental or food allergies need to know?
German. You need to have an allergy card printed in German.
5. Are there any particular mental health issues that tend to crop up at post, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (winter blues)?
Yes post morale was very low. SAD was common. I witnessed many curtailments.
6. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Mild. Similar to D.C.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
There are several for elementary aged children.This post is difficult for parents with children under the age of 5. The community association preschool was expensive and not reliable while we were at post.
2. What accommodations do schools make for special-needs kids?
I've heard this isn't a good post for special needs.
3. Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?
There is a waitlist for the local preschools. I recommend applying a year in advance if you have children in daycare or preschool. The community association school was expensive and had unexpected closures.
4. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
Yes. Many.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Large. There are many expat organizations available locally.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
Post morale is low. There are a few EFM groups on the Siedlung but nothing for direct hires to participate in. The CLO hosted one event a year while we were at post. Events had low community participation and were not a reliable way to meet people or make friends.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
There is something for everyone.
4. Is it easy to make friends with locals here? Are there any prejudices or any ethnic groups who might feel uncomfortable here?
There are many expat clubs in Frankfurt. I met people who participated in the following local clubs: soccer/football, running, painting, Warhammer, skiing and more.
5. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
Yes.
6. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
The city of Frankfurt is easy to live in. We enjoyed the street festivals, farmers markets and beautiful parks. It is easy to travel around Europe.
7. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Not a shopping post.
8. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
How walkable it is. Everything you need is near the apartments.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
How bad post morale was. We liked living in Frankfurt, but found this post to be challenging due to how unhappy everyone was here. This post had us questioning if we picked the right career because of the gossip and cliques present in the Siedlung community. Neighbors walked by each other and wouldn't acknowledge one another if they didn't hang out with the "right" people. Everyone on the Siedlung complained about mundane things, but took zero steps to have a positive impact on the community or be the change they wanted to see on the Siedlung.
I wish someone told us to avoid the fieldhouse and the facebook page. Your mental health will thank you for it if you avoid those two things at this post.
We had a better experience once we made friends locally.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Not on U.S. orders. I would live here in a different career/life.
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Sanity if you are here on U.S. orders. Many of the offices were shortstaffed during our tour and we watched many families curtail due to post morale.
4. But don't forget your:
Bike!
5. Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?
Watch dinner for one.
6. Do you have any other comments?
Frankfurt could be a great post if it had more funding for basic resources. I felt the fieldhouse and gym were unacceptably dirty. What seemed to be a lack of basic maintenance and cleaning of community spaces caused viruses and bacterial infections to run rampant through the community. It feels lik Frankfurt is a post that D.C. doesn't want to fund/deal with.
