I am a freshman here so here I say my hello.
I live in Poland and being close to my mid-twenties (which means cutting many ties, as you could guess) I started to seriously consider working abroad. Recently I came across a few job openings in Germany - most of them in Berlin and Hamburg - and that's why I'm here.
Because you're such a kind and vibrant community I'd like to ask for a quick summary of pros and cons of moving to the said cities. I'd like to know more about cost of living, options to spend my spare time (I am fond of popculture and group activities) and I'm also keen to know whether it's possible to have a good start there without knowing nearly any bit of German language.
Plus I'd be equally grateful for trivia-like advice like "do not go near the lighthouse before the rooster sings", meaning any tips out of category but of great use are also welcome.
So again - hello, please help me make a decision. Thanks in advance.
PS. Of course I meant that pros and cons are appreciated, pardon.
Considering moving to Berlin or Hamburg. Pros and cons approved.
Your chances of finding a good job, and even more so of having a reasonable social life, are quite low without language skills. So maybe you want to study some German first?
Many of your compatriots work as agricultural helper, construction or factory worker, or other low-skilled (and low-paid) and often temporary jobs. Some of these don't require language skills. Is that what you're after?
Hi concarne,
As beppi already said, without German language skills your social life will be very restricted. That will be an issue.
I like both cities, but find Berlin more open and cosmopolitan than Hamburg. You hear more English (and other languages) on the streets in Berlin. Even though I dislike stereotyping, I find the people in Hamburg in their character more reserved than Berliners.
I suggest you should visit both and decide for yourself.
I believe apartments are cheaper in Berlin. I've found Hamburg to be a very multi-cultural city although Berlin is perhaps more so. More international companies there, I suppose. I found Berlin great to visit for a weekend with lots of cool neighbourhoods. I suppose it has more options than Hamburg because of its size. I love Hamburg but I'm kind of biased as I live here.
Like others have mentioned, to actually live and work in Germany, learning the language is pretty essential. That said, Berlin and Hamburg are the two largest cities in Germany which means they are very diverse. You probably have a better chance there of finding fellow Poles and English speakers from all over than in smaller German cities. Because of its size, Berlin has more of everything and still cheap places to live despite the gentrification of many neighborhoods in recent years. Hamburg‘s proximately to both the Atlantic ocean and Baltic sea give it a special flair. As a performing artist myself, I think the cultural happenings in Berlin must be appealing but it also means more competition making it harder to make a good living unless one reaches a certain level of popularity and recognition.
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