Being a student in Düsseldorf
The capital of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf is Germany’s second financial center. The European headquarters of many international companies are also located in Düsseldorf (Frankfurt is the first). “D’dorf” is especially popular with Far Eastern businessmen: More than 10,000 people and 400 companies from Japan are based in Düsseldorf. So much so that there is an annual Japanese Day festival.
Düsseldorf is a well-known economic center as well as a German fashion city. In Königsallee, which is called “Kö” for short, you can find the most expensive boutiques in Germany lined up side by side. noble boutiques lined up one after another. By the way, the street (I don’t know if I should call it an avenue, there is a park in the middle) offers a very beautiful view with chestnut trees and a waterway connected to the lake. I loved how the ambiance matched the shops and the customers, but Düsseldorf, the number one hangout of German high society, also offers plenty of boutiques, shops and shopping centers for “standard people like us”. On Schadowstrasse you can find all the well-known shops. Ackerstrase is also a popular shopping street for Düsseldorf students.
As someone who has seen Turkish neighborhoods and places with a large Turkish population and shopping streets in many parts of Germany, it was a shock to see a Japanese shopping street in Düsseldorf. It is possible to see a Japanese sign in one of the two shops you see while walking on Immermannstrasse. It was very interesting since I was not used to it.
Since Düsseldorf can be considered the metropolis of the Ruhr region with a population of around 10 million people, it attracts a lot of people from neighboring cities and towns for business or shopping purposes. Add to this the frequent international fairs and you have a very dynamic and modern city. The modern tram network is designed to take you almost everywhere easily and you can use it very easily.
LIFE IN DÜSSELDORF
Although Düsseldorf is a bit more expensive than neighboring Ruhr cities, it does not rank very high in terms of cost of living in Germany. The city has a lot of activities and options to offer students. Many students live in cheap shared apartments in the outskirts of the city such as Flingern or Bilk. Here you can find a room or apartment for rent for 250 – 350 Euros on average. In my property searches I found a lot more options than in many other cities (must be the advantage of a big city). If you have more budget, you might be interested in the Pempelfort area closer to the Rhine: a lot of students live here too, but you might think that rents start at around 500 Euros.
As is typical in Germany, the further south you go in the city, the more “dangerous” or “bad” it becomes. When looking for a rental apartment, they don’t recommend looking in Garath or Reisholz. There are only two nice neighborhoods south of Düsseldorf: Benrath and Urdenbach. Benrath is a beautiful neighborhood famous for its castle, but the area around Benrath train station is still not very safe at night. Urdenbach has very nice houses and the upper middle class lives there. Oberkassel is said to be the best place to live in Düsseldorf, but you have to have a pretty high budget for that. In summary :
Bad: Flingern South, Reisholz, Holthausen, Garath, Eller, Rath and Heerdt
Good: Bilk, Flehe, Golzheim, Grafenberg, Kaiserswerth, Oberkassel, Benrath and Urdenbach
The truth is that no matter which part of the city you live in, you will often hang out in the old town (Düsseldorf city center). Isn’t that the nature of being a student? The old town will attract you not only with its shopping malls but also with its museums, galleries and theaters. If you want to go out with your friends in the evening, the old town is also the center of attraction, because the 250 or so bars and breweries lined up left and right on Bolkerstrasse are described as “the longest bar in the world”. Local and foreign tourists and students fill them every evening.
The Studierendenwerk actually provides accommodation for around 4300 people. Dormitory rooms are offered to students starting from 260 Euros.
DÜSSELDORF BY THE NUMBERS
| City Population | 619.294 |
| Number of Students | 60.334 |
| Student/resident ratio | % 9,7 |
| Number of beds provided by Studierendenwerk | 4.312 |
| Rents for accommodation provided by Studierendenwerk | 217-381 € |
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