What should I consider before I move to Berlin?

January 30, 2008 1:11 PM

What should I consider before I move to Berlin?

I have the potential option of moving from New York to Berlin to continue in the same capacity with another branch of my company. They would handle the paperwork for me.

What should I consider before I say yes?

Are salaries lower in Berlin that New York? It seems living expenses are.

But the medical care is paid for, right?

Any Americans living in Germany can speak to taxes--both German and American? No idea on this front...

Vacation days? In France, it'd be like two months! But what's the norm in Germany?

Is it easy to meet people in Berlin like it is in NY?

And if I don't like my job, will I be forced to come back to the US right away? That is, what are the rules concerning the German work visa?

Any other legal/job/money details I should consider?

Thanks!

posted by beautiful to Work & Money (5 answers total)

I went to Berlin in a holiday capacity for a week and I got alot of very anti-American anger directed my way (Im English). This was three years ago however, but I was 18 at the time and it was just really unnecessary.

Just an FYI about the mean streets of Ber' things have probably changed.
posted by Neonshock at 1:50 PM on January 30, 2008

That's odd. I found Berlin to be a really friendly place when I visited about 5 years ago. I got lost several times but always got offers to help me find my way...but then again, I'm black and my reception in most European countries is often warmer than what I get in my own country.

If you want to private mail me, I can put you in touch with a friend of mine (white American guy who grew up in San Francisco) whose been living there for the past eight years. He's tired of the place but every time I talk to him (which is often) he is off to some great bar/party/restaurant.

He also tells me that Berlin is like the sixth borough now because there are so many New Yorkers moving there.
posted by notjustfoxybrown at 2:27 PM on January 30, 2008

My experience with Berlin and really Germany in general is that yes, everything is expensive. However, they all make more money and generally get 6 weeks of paid vacation a year. That's a generalization of course. Berlin's got a happening social scene, and with the rail system it's very VERY easy and affordable to pop over to Prague or Paris or, if you really want to, Tibet. Although...that's more expensive.

Germany has very harsh restrictions about immigration placed on it by the UN---they have a huge issue with turkish and middle eastern people seeking asylum--they are barely allowed to turn them away. It's sort of a WWII holdover.

Good luck!
posted by TomMelee at 2:30 PM on January 30, 2008

I've lived in Berlin for 3 years, as a Canadian (with an American spouse) and loved every minute of it. I think YTMS is spot on many issues. Cost of living (back in 2003) was much lower than other German cities. Berlin is a sprawling, very green city, with tons of different n'hoods that are fun to discover and explore. Public transportation is great (especially these trains you can hop on easily with your bikes for a bit of countryside cycling) . It's very cosmopolitan (at least by German standards). And a little bit of German will take you along way. I found people in Berlin to be extremely patient with us as foreign speakers. And YTMS hasn't mentioned the multiple FKK beaches (which we've also enjoyed)....
posted by bluefrog at 4:47 PM on January 30, 2008

No worries. I've spent most of my time in Bavaria, which is fairly different than a lot of the rest of Germany. There are so many fantastically amazing places you can visit for $50 and a days travel, and you don't need a car and the food is great and, usually, they are pedestrian friendly. Of course, I also haven't been there for a long time, and the German economy hasn't exactly been swimming. Where I was, it seemed that the standard of living was almost exactly the same as my own town, but everything just cost more...but everyone had more money.
posted by TomMelee at 8:56 PM on January 30, 2008