Would you ever consider moving to continental Europe? And if so where?

zweton

Oymyakon wrote: »

Only been to Amsterdam in NL, but plenty of people with my degree go to Eindhoven, and Utrecht just looks gorgeous, almost like Amsterdam lite but the rent prices reflect the demand of living in such a place.

I was using funda.nl and kamernet (to look at room shares), the Dutch housing crisis and rental is almost as bad as ours.

For Belgian rent prices, I was looking at immoweb.be, you'll find 2/3 bedroom furnished apartments for <1,000 EUR.

your right its as bad as ours if not worse...have you looked at leiden, cheaper again i think and looks lovely.

Brian?

zweton wrote: »

your right its as bad as ours if not worse...have you looked at leiden, cheaper again i think and looks lovely.

It’s nowhere near as bad as Ireland, I’ve been checking for rentals in Ireland in case I want to move home. 2k a month for a 2 bed house in Maynooth ???


1850-2000 a month for a 3 bed semi in Celbridge.


No way are you going to pay that in Eindhoven.

zweton

Brian? wrote: »

It’s nowhere near as bad as Ireland, I’ve been checking for rentals in Ireland in case I want to move home. 2k a month for a 2 bed house in Maynooth ???


1850-2000 a month for a 3 bed semi in Celbridge.


No way are you going to pay that in Eindhoven.

Ya but its Eindhoven:P But in all seriousness how does Eindhoven compare with Utrecht and Leiden? Would they be considered a prettier city and would Eindhoven be as popular to move to compared to Utrecht and Leiden? I wondered as Utrecht and Leiden are mentioned alot when people move over.

Yellow_Fern

Oymyakon wrote: »

Only been to Amsterdam in NL, but plenty of people with my degree go to Eindhoven, and Utrecht just looks gorgeous, almost like Amsterdam lite but the rent prices reflect the demand of living in such a place.

I was using funda.nl and kamernet (to look at room shares), the Dutch housing crisis and rental is almost as bad as ours.

For Belgian rent prices, I was looking at immoweb.be, you'll find 2/3 bedroom furnished apartments for <1,000 EUR.

Leiden is lovely. The stairs there in homes tend to be lethally steep though

Oymyakon

zweton wrote: »

Ya but its Eindhoven:P But in all seriousness how does Eindhoven compare with Utrecht and Leiden? Would they be considered a prettier city and would Eindhoven be as popular to move to compared to Utrecht and Leiden? I wondered as Utrecht and Leiden are mentioned alot when people move over.

Eindhoven isn't your conventionally pretty Dutch city, it's a bit more industrial but I think it has a big international and young workforce which makes it an attractive place to live, but in the last 5 years ago house prices and rents have been going up similar to the likes of Utrecht

Brian?

zweton wrote: »

Ya but its Eindhoven:P But in all seriousness how does Eindhoven compare with Utrecht and Leiden? Would they be considered a prettier city and would Eindhoven be as popular to move to compared to Utrecht and Leiden? I wondered as Utrecht and Leiden are mentioned alot when people move over.

Eindhoven is utilitarian. A wonderfully convenient place to live. It's brilliantly organised and laid out perfectly for bikes and buses. Cars come a distant third. It has a huge amount of amenities; cinemas, sports clubs, parks, Mountain bike trails etc. .

When it comes back, the nightlife is good. Good restaurants, 3 x Michelin star restaurants in the city. Great outdoor eating and drinking.

Most importantly for a lot of people here, there are well paying jobs in companies who's primary language is English. Learning Dutch is entirely optional.


BUT, Eindhoven is not a traditionally 'pretty' city. It didn't really exist 100 years ago and was built by Philips. It's a post industrial city now. A lot of the old Philips factories have been repurposed as shops, bars and restaurant. Which I love. A conscious decision has been made to maintain some of the industrial facades. There is also some seriously good graffiti artists commissioned to work around the city.

In aesthetic it's closer to East Berlin than it is to Amsterdam or Leiden.

This is Strijp-S, used to be all Philips lighting factories. Now I go there to eat, drink, go to the cinema, got to a concert, skateboard/BMX or indoor climb etc..

https://www.thisiseindhoven.com/en/visit/exciting-districts/strijp-s


Leiden, s' Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch) and Breda are very pretty cities. Historical trading centers. But the employment prospects are lower.

zweton

Was just looking at rents in Utrecht looks insane for what you get

Brian?

zweton wrote: »

Was just looking at rents in Utrecht looks insane for what you get

What site were you checking?

J Mysterio

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I moved to Germany after completing my Masters in England. I loved German in secondary school, studied it extensively for my undergraduate degree, and considered myself pretty fluent before I moved to Germany. Knowing the language is very important if you want to truly integrate in a country. Otherwise you'll always feel like an outsider, or gravitate towards other expats who can't be bothered learning the language.

I know it's a bit of a cliché, but the Germans really are very organised people. Things tend to run really well over here. They are also very friendly people, and far less cliquey than the Irish. The food is pretty horrific though, and no one who complains endlessly about RTÉ has had to watch German television.

I'm very lucky to have moved from one of the best run countries in the world to a country that I feel is even slightly better run.

England is one of the best run countries in the world?

J Mysterio

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

I could see myself going back but my problem is where. Dublin is no better than London in terms of affordability whereas the countryside is a no-no. I could probably get work in Limerick but I've never been there.

Limerick is a great place to live.

Oymyakon

J Mysterio wrote: »

Limerick is a great place to live.

I think it's got great potential. Definitely a huge skilled workforce there with the University. With a bit of forward thinking city planning it could be the next best place for investment after Dublin.

ancapailldorcha

J Mysterio wrote: »

Limerick is a great place to live.

Oymyakon wrote: »

I think it's got great potential. Definitely a huge skilled workforce there with the University. With a bit of forward thinking city planning it could be the next best place for investment after Dublin.

I've never been. I've been convinced that it's probably safer than I think it is. It looks a lot more developed that most non-Dublin places in Ireland as well.

iamstop

Probably Berlin for the record shops.

zweton

Brian? wrote: »

What site were you checking?

funda and pararius, do you have an example of a nice place for rent in utecht at a reasonable price?

Brian?

zweton wrote: »

funda and pararius, do you have an example of a nice place for rent in utecht at a reasonable price?

Nope. I was just wondering. That’s what I’d check as well.

Bench marked against Dublin, Utrecht is very cheap

J Mysterio

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

I've never been. I've been convinced that it's probably safer than I think it is. It looks a lot more developed that most non-Dublin places in Ireland as well.

Limerick is completely safe. There are maybe two/ three run down areas, none of which need to be visited, and they keep largely to themselves.

There was an issue with gangs (mostly affected those in the aforementioned areas) which were allowed to run around in the 90s but these were wiped out by determined Garda operations at the end of the 90s/ early 2000s, and the introduction of the Special Criminal Court.

People are friendly and humble and proud of their city. They are welcoming and want you to like the city too.

It has a good balance between urban/ rural, and all the facilities you would expect of a city, with great nature that is easily accesible (the Shannon/ hillwalks) and very nice towns surrounding to spend time in (Kilaloe/ Adare).

The University of Limerick is the nicest campus in Ireland. Very green and world class sporting facilities (big gym, running tracks, astro pitches, climbing walls, olympic swimming pool).

The National Technological Park is built around the university and has lots of multinationals. There are others around the Dooradoyle/ Raheen area too. Regeneron may be a fit for you, and they are hiring.

Sport probably isn't your thing, but Limerick is mad for sport too, particularly Rugby and hurling. A visit to a Munster match in Thomond Park is a must.

The pubs are great, though the nightclubs may be a little lacking. There's a very good range of restaurants and they are improving all the time. Limerick has the best Japanese restaurant I've been to in Ireland (Kyoto), and the best Indian (Copper and Spice).

Oymyakon

J Mysterio wrote: »

The pubs are great, though the nightclubs may be a little lacking. There's a very good range of restaurants and they are improving all the time. Limerick has the best Japanese restaurant I've been to in Ireland (Kyoto), and the best Indian (Copper and Spice).

One caveat that is only applicable to a tiny minority, but the restaurant scene isn't so great if you're a vegan

zweton

Brian? wrote: »

Nope. I was just wondering. That’s what I’d check as well.

Bench marked against Dublin, Utrecht is very cheap

rent wise?

Brian?

zweton wrote: »

rent wise?

Yes, from what I can see on Daft.ie

zweton

Brian? wrote: »

Yes, from what I can see on Daft.ie

suppose it depends what county your looking at

Living Off The Splash

Brian? wrote: »

Leiden, s' Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch) and Breda are very pretty cities. Historical trading centers. But the employment prospects are lower.

https://ibecomingdutch.wordpress.com/2018/05/11/bossche-bol-bosche-ball/

I would go back just to eat more of these.

Leiden is a lovely town. Den Bosch very pretty. Breda lovely. You could live right in the centre of town and everything would be on your doorstep.

yer man!

Living Off The Splash wrote: »

https://ibecomingdutch.wordpress.com/2018/05/11/bossche-bol-bosche-ball/

I would go back just to eat more of these.

Leiden is a lovely town. Den Bosch very pretty. Breda lovely. You could live right in the centre of town and everything would be on your doorstep.

Leiden is where I live and yeah it is lovely I have to say but it's old and historic so building is very restricted leading to a very large housing shortage in and around the city. If you like the look of cities a bit more inland like Den Bosch I would seriously consider it as there's going to be more housing with slightly less demand.

zweton

yer man! wrote: »

Leiden is where I live and yeah it is lovely I have to say but it's old and historic so building is very restricted leading to a very large housing shortage in and around the city. If you like the look of cities a bit more inland like Den Bosch I would seriously consider it as there's going to be more housing with slightly less demand.

looks very nice indeed

Living Off The Splash

ilovesmybrick wrote: »

It's a beautiful town, but I know someone living there and it's an absolute nightmare with tourists. I couldn't be dealing with the thousands of them being bused in from Salzburg every single day!

Hallstatt. Visited there two years ago. Stunning place but not somewhere that I would want to live. The nearby town of Bad Ischl had a lovely vibe to it though. The whole area gave you a feeling of being very isolated but with modern conveniences.

ancapailldorcha

J Mysterio wrote: »

Limerick is completely safe. There are maybe two/ three run down areas, none of which need to be visited, and they keep largely to themselves.

There was an issue with gangs (mostly affected those in the aforementioned areas) which were allowed to run around in the 90s but these were wiped out by determined Garda operations at the end of the 90s/ early 2000s, and the introduction of the Special Criminal Court.

People are friendly and humble and proud of their city. They are welcoming and want you to like the city too.

It has a good balance between urban/ rural, and all the facilities you would expect of a city, with great nature that is easily accesible (the Shannon/ hillwalks) and very nice towns surrounding to spend time in (Kilaloe/ Adare).

The University of Limerick is the nicest campus in Ireland. Very green and world class sporting facilities (big gym, running tracks, astro pitches, climbing walls, olympic swimming pool).

The National Technological Park is built around the university and has lots of multinationals. There are others around the Dooradoyle/ Raheen area too. Regeneron may be a fit for you, and they are hiring.

Sport probably isn't your thing, but Limerick is mad for sport too, particularly Rugby and hurling. A visit to a Munster match in Thomond Park is a must.

The pubs are great, though the nightclubs may be a little lacking. There's a very good range of restaurants and they are improving all the time. Limerick has the best Japanese restaurant I've been to in Ireland (Kyoto), and the best Indian (Copper and Spice).

Cheers for writing this. Wish there was a bookmark function.

Sport wouldn't be my thing but I do haul myself to a gym a few times a week so a well equipped one would be welcome.

I saw Regeneron and there's a spot in Castletroy I could find work in. I wouldn't be after a load of nightclubs to be honest, just somewhere nice I can live quietly enough and not be murdered or hassled (within reason). To reiterate, I stopped thinking of Limerick as "stab city" some time ago.