Life in Munich - What's it like?

Hello you lucky people out there. I have just joined this forum as I have an interview for a job in two weeks time which would mean moving to Munich in the unlikely event that I am successful!

I have travelled fairly extensively around Germany over the past 4 years and been in love with it for more than 20 years, speak and write the language well and would dearly love to spend the rest of my life in Munich (however, my job would mean just 3 years )

As I have never yet been to Munich (Dinkelsbuehl being the only place I have visited in Bavaria, apart from a trip in (and out) of Wuerzburg as there was nowhere to park!) I would greatly appreciate hearing from Brits (and others) living in Munich, to get an idea of people's opinions on the city as a whole.

Look forward to hearing your views of a place that sounds fantastic to me!

I think this forum gives a pretty good picture of what <<<<munich is like.

Just while away a rainy sunday reading thru the posts and articles and you will know everything there is to know.

Good luck on your interview!

btw just to answer you in short: love living here, but the natives can get right on yer tits sometimes.

Christ it's the first time I agree with Graham. I's shocked and stunned and not a little bit amazed. What's life in Munich like, you've read this site, do so more and your question becomes moot.

Thanks for the replies guys. I will try to find some spare time to browse! Looks like I've got the job so I've a lot to do and learn in the next couple of months!

I've lived in worse, but there's a reason this site is called "Toytown Munich", not that I especially miss crime and ghettos and such. I don't. But despite being the capital of Bavaria, it's hardly Bavarian. That makes it pretty easy to get used to if you don't speak Bavarian, but somehow there's something missing.

Maybe I'm just jaded. I hope you enjoy it here. Really. I have a tendency to overlook a lot of things in a city until move to another and then return for a visit.

Don't forget the rules here.
1) Jokes about the war are not funny.
2) You must always carry ID on you.
3) As a foreigner, you're required to show up at Toytown Tuesday drinks.

HTH. Cheers,
woof.

Hey Woof, thanks for the tips! I do speak pretty fluent German but have not yet encountered a Bavarian accent, so that will be interesting! Having reasonably mastered the neighbouring "schwabisch" dialect of B.W. I am sure I will adjust in time!

For a city Munich sounds too good to be true. How/why is there no crime? According to something I read here yesterday, there are hardly any Police, so it doesn't make sense to me!

As Munich is a pretty popular place, I suppose it is full of foreignors and hardly any native Muencheners anyway! Guess I'll find out in April.

Cheers!

I think I read the other day that "foreigners" make up over 24% of the population of Munich. I'm sorry, I can't remember where (getting old) but I'm sure someone can...

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I absolutely LOVE it here! Don't get me wrong though cause when I first moved here I absolutely hated it. However, Munich grew on me and now I don't want to leave. I'm kind of at a transition point in my life, so still not sure what I'm going to do. Should I stay or should I go now?

I've been here almost 4 years now, and well think one more year and that's enough

Guess there is a point where, once you pass it, you will probably retire here, I guess it's around 5 years, but am not sure, I'm getting close.

Once I first arrived here, hated it, but stuck at it, and well, then there was a period, this is fab, but now I guess as we get older, you have to think about what you really want to do. @MommyinDE- my suggestion is exactly that, think what you want to do, and where you want your little one to grow up.

Germany's having a few problems generally, financially, so guess the future at the moment in Germany is not so great. But things like this can change, although they are not quick changes.

Thanks for this! I absolutely adore Germany and I'm sure I'll be in happy in Munich, though it will take time adjusting to city life again after 24 years in the countryside! If, however, I don't like it to start with, I'll remember what you said!

Hi Maggie,
I moved from the Bristol sticks last year and I couldn't have made a better choice. I think you'll love the place, its not really a city after all...

I'm with Mommy. I hated it here for about the first six months or so, but now I really like it. It'll be difficult when the time comes to leave. The place certainly grows on you.

you don't HAVE to live in the city. There are plenty of georgeous villages south of Munich near the alps within a reasonable comuting distance. The S-Bahn goes down as far as the Starnberger See which is also a lovely place.

That is the great thing about Munich: small city (well almost a city, it tries really hard to be one) with the great outdoors on the doortep!

I can only say...I'll miss it very very very much!!!

Thanks Jon et al, I am SO looking forward to it - wish I could come now! I expect Oktoberfest is in full swing! I know Germany well, but not Bavaria. I have read a lot about Munich and I really think I'll love it. As you say, with public transport as good as it is, you can easily commute in from the south. I was planning to live on the south side of the city.

When you say it "tries" to be a city, what do you mean? Are there no horrible skyscrapers?

Cheers!

Oktoberfest is over. It is actually mostly in September and the first weekend of October.
Munich is many little towns under one roof. Even the districts of Munich have their own character. Yes, there are a million people here, but you wouldn't know it compared to other cities of the same size. It is just, I don't know, different here somehow.
I guess that is what makes Munich the biggest little city in the world.