Nice areas for a family to live in Dresden

Hi, I have just registered with Tottown Germany today as my family and I are looking to move to Dresden. I have 2 children aged 6 and 8 and wondered if anyone had any advice on good places to live? We would be looking to live fairly centrally and probably in an apartment.

Hi I've lived in Dresden - Lobtau since October. It's a nice area, tons of kids (and very young parents), a few nice parks (ex. Bonhoeffer Platz). Most important, it's central to 3 Strassenbahn lines, and several buses. There is more greenery here than other parts of the city. It's what they call an Arbeiterviertel, so the people who live here tend to be more of what one would consider working class. It's safe, I've had a few random comments thrown my way from people (men) in the streets -- either because I'm a woman or a foreigner, not sure which, and I don't understand Sachsich -- but I do think it's safe here. Shopowners are patient with limited German capabilities, and everything you'd need is nearby, from a ton of bakeries to a grocery store, bio store, a Euro shop and children's clothing store. (It's a quick Strassenbahn ride to Freibergerplat, where the main Stadt library and a swimming pool facility is located).

A lot of people think that the Neustadt is "the place" to live, and I have a good friend who lives there, so I'm familiar with the area. Personally for a family I think it'd be too loud at night from all the people who are out drinking then "singing" or talking loudly as they walk down the streets. The sidewalks are narrower (than in Lobtau, for example) and there's tons of dog dirt everywhere, which would be horrible if you're pushing a stroller, because there'd be no way to avoid ploughing through it.

Plauen might also be a nice neighborhood to consider.

Good luck. Dresden is a great city. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Central would be Altstadt or Neustadt. I have a family (3 & 5) and wouldn't want to live there. There are lots of nice neighborhoods that I don't know anything about, but I do know that Blasewitz and Loschwitz are both pricey and nice. Blasewitz is perhaps the more urban of the two.
It's also possible to live out on the "edge" of town where it is not as pricey and still not be isolated. Depends what you want to be close too. I like the Southeastern, Elbhang area, upstream from Loschwitz (remember the Elbe flows toward the North). It's green, in places people keep horses and sheep, there are lots of walking possibilities, always easy access to throwing stones in the Elbe (can keep children busy for hours), and yet is only a 15 to 20 min. drive to the Frauenkirche or a 30 to 40 min. ride on public transportation, in Pillnitz there is a grocery store, pharmacy, beer store, two salons, butcher, florist, tailor/cleaner, post office, dentists, restaurants, etc. - and two outlets of the same local baker (a third baker just folded). The No. 83 bus comes by every 10 minutes during rush hours, and every 20 min. otherwise. On the bus, you can be in Loschwitz (shopping at Loschwitz Arkaden or Koernerplatz) or Blasewitz (shopping at Schiller Gallerie) in just 15 minutes.

You can't walk to the Semper Oper or the Altstadt Gallerie from Pillnitz, but it's not a problem to get there either.

I lived in Löbtau in the 1990s before it was done up, in a coal-heated unrenovated flat not far from the power station, and boy was I pleased to escape from there! I believe it has changed now, though! (Did you know it used to be called "Kuh-Löbtau" as it was outside the city and the locals were considered a bit yokelly?)

I then moved to Pirnaischer Platz in the centre of town (Altstadt) which was lovely and convenient, but you do get Nazi marches going past the door from time to time, complete with armed police ... once looked out the window and they had an elephant walking down the street, so it's not all bad, though! Many of the flats there have been renovated.

Now live in Johannstadt, which is quieter, with more suburban-style roads, wide, relatively flat/cleanish pavements and schools and kindergartens galore, but the buildings are pretty ugly, although the flat does have central heating and everything :-) It's near the Elbe, and it feels safe enough for the kids to go out and play unsupervised.

Here's a random map with the districts: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...emeindungen.png
The ones which are well connected to the tram network, etc, are those in orange and peach in the centre of the map. There are also good connections up to Klotzsche.
The places to avoid are Gorbitz and Prohlis (rows of huge tower blocks packed with unemployed youths). The Neustadt is popular with young people, but as you walk into Alaunstraße there are usually a bunch of scruffy men dressed in black with studded leather jackets, sitting on the floor with their dogs, so it may not be to everyone's taste. The posh, nice areas are those between the Blue Wonder and Pillnitz, and all up that hill to Weixdorf. Also, Klotsche and the area near the airport. But there are good and bad patches everywhere, it's worth going and having a good look round.

Hi Anne, a lot of the buildings in Lobtau have been saniert, including my apartment building : ) There are still some stragglers that need to be redone, but quite a few more are in the process of being renovated as well. Anna