Info needed for areas in and around Herzogenaurach

[cooldash87 0]

Hello All,

 

Really enjoyed reading a lot on the forum, but did not really find much information on Herzogenaurach area. So thought would seek assistance from the group.

 

I am considering an opportunity with Adidas Group at their Herzogenaurach location and was looking to understand the approx cost of living, rent (max 750 per month), nearby areas to live, traveling cost/options (public transport or cycle. Not sure if i would be able to afford a car), day care, internet charges, Sky TV with indian channels (if any), etc. Currently we plan to live and settle for atleast 3 years before we make our next decision to either move back or continue in Germany.

 

I will be moving with my wife and a 2 yr old son from Mumbai, India are complete Vegetarians. So would need daycare/kinder garten for my son, grocery stores, etc.

 

The offer is a little below the industry standard but well above the average income of the country. Adidas is know for its benefits, so that was one of the reasons for accepting this offer. They will be taking care of my relocation cost. Wife might consider working for not on immediate basis.

 

Any help/pointers/suggestions/ would be appreciated.

[cooldash87 0]

Anyone???

[WDave 122]

Hi, cooldash,

 

Herzo is a village that closes in the evenings and weekends, which might be great for young families, but not so much for young singles.

 

Overall, the cost of living is higher than similar small towns, but lower than cities. Erlangen is closest, then Nuremberg. Because Herzo does not have a train station, if you live in Nuremberg, you'd have to take the S1 to Erlangen first, then the express bus to Herzo. If you do not have a car, then other nearby places like Fürth would be less convenient, requiring multiple bus/train transfers, and thus more time. With a car, any of these are fine.

 

From Herzo, then walk or take the adidas shuttle bus between adidas buildings around town. You didn't say, but if you're in IT, you would probably be in the World of IT building, a 25 minute walk from ADP (Adi Dassler Platz). The Herzo Base main complex (what you see in all the recruiting videos) is another hour's walk away, so you'd take the shuttle, or bicycle when the weather permits.

 

For rent, it's best to check the usual sites (immowelt.de seems to have more local listings than immobilienscout24.de). HerzoMedia.de is the main provider for cable (TV, phone, internet), though you can also get DSL and phone service from Deutsche Telekom.

 

Hopefully you'll get someone who views Indian programming to add their input. I think satellite dishes are common for non-German programming, so be sure your apartment allows it.

 

Adidas provides daycare at the World of Sports facility (called World of Kids), but if you are not working in that building, I don't know how convenient it would be. You might try to negotiate daycare or Kindergarten costs into your compensation package, and HR should know about local options.

 

There are always local markets to buy fresh vegetables, but to get non-German spices and such would probably require a trip to a city -- that's something you can probably search for here on the message boards (box in the upper-right).

[cooldash87 0]

Hello WDave,

 

Thanks for that response.

 

Yes, I will be working as a part of the Adidas IT team.

 

If my budget permits, I might lease a car and live around Nuremberg or Erlangen but again if the apartment are available within my range (600-700 cold rent for a 3 room). How good is the car pool thing? Would you know how does it work? I have never used on in my country so quite curious to know abt that.

 

Another important this is finding a good kinder garden for my 2 year old. Not sure if its easy to find a English speaking one.

 

I also wouldnt mind staying in a place which is connected to Nuremberg by train to have us travel 15-20 mins to visit the city during evenings/weekends.

[WDave 122]

You're welcome. Glad it was helpful! I think you've hit the limit of my knowledge, though. You can find apartments that fit your budget, but I don't know anything about those areas. You can search for and read other threads here that talk about that specifically (which few areas to avoid).

 

I know adidas employs several thousand people in this area, so chances are pretty good that you will be able to find others to carpool with. Typically, either one person is the usual driver, and all the riders pay a small amount to him or her. Either you meet at a common point, if you live close by, or the driver picks each person up, though this may take longer. It also only works if you have a very regular schedule. For example, you do not have to work late at short notice, and you do not need to have your own car to travel elsewhere (the way a sales person might, or someone flying out to other offices frequently).

 

Details about that and the Kindergarten are only available to employees through the online company information system, so you would have to ask your HR person to share them with you. For a 2 year old, rather than a true Kindergarten, you might also be looking for something like a Kindertagesmutter or a Krabbelstube. I'm sure you could find other info on how those work by searching the forums (even if they are not for this area, the general info will still apply).

 

Sounds like Erlangen is where you would find the best options, given what you have said in this thread. Herzo would be too quiet (but extremely convenient, though maybe too expensive to find an apartment). Nuremberg is a bit far unless you have your own car, but then there is some traffic, so the money you save in rent by not living in Herzo, you spend on the commute, plus the extra time wasted every morning and evening (unless you can work it out with a carpool).

 

Good luck, and hope to meet you at WoGIT soon!

 

WDave

[cooldash87 0]

Thanks WDave, those are some really good pointers and are sure helpful.

 

Yes, I think i would rather spend a lil extra living close to office instead of Nuremberg. I can nyways use public transport to visit that place either during evening or weekends for hangouts.

 

Please correct me on my understanding from what you have mentioned, rents in herzo are expensive than Erlangen and Nuremberg? I thought it was other way round Herzo being comparatively cheaper than Erlangen and Nuremberg.

 

Yeap, will look forward catching up with you @ WoGIT :-)

[WDave 122]

Regarding rents, it varies depending on what you're looking for. Best is to ignore my comments and just go search the usual websites (immoscout and immonet -- search for them in the forums here) to get real-time updates.

 

My comment was based on what a colleague said earlier, but his housing needs as a single guy at entry-level are probably somewhat different than yours!