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READER INSIGHTS

‘A megacity on a smaller scale’: An insiders’ guide to Frankfurt

Our readers in Frankfurt shared their insights into what life in the city and surroundings is really like, and revealed their top tips.

White peonies glow in the sunshine against the Frankfurt skyline. The photo was taken in the Taunus town of Bad Soden.
White peonies glow in the sunshine against the Frankfurt skyline. The photo was taken in the Taunus town of Bad Soden. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Hannes P. Albert

Known as Mainhattan thanks to its impressive skyscraper skyline, and with a bustling jobs scene, it’s no wonder that Frankfurt am Main is a city that many foreigners consider moving to. 

But aside from business, we wanted to find out what else makes Frankfurt – and the area around it – tick. And who better to ask than The Local readers who live there?

International feel, good connections and great nature

Maybe it has something to do with the many flight connections to the rest of the world from the airport, or perhaps it’s the thriving jobs scene. Whatever the case, readers said something special about Frankfurt is that it’s an international city with a small-town feel. 

“Frankfurt really offers the best aspects of a large megacity like NYC, London or Paris on a much smaller scale – so it offers world-class shopping, cuisine and amenities without overwhelming crowds,” said Michael Schacht, 31. “It’s super multinational as a result.”

Richard Davison, 45, who lives in the Sachsenhausen area of Frankfurt, said: “In my opinion Frankfurt is a special city as it is very international. As people come for work, it seems that it is very welcoming as many people are new, or have not lived in the city for a long time.

“There is a wide variety of affordable cuisine, bars and hospitality. It is a big city feel in a small city. What makes it special is the green spaces and surrounding nature: Taunus, Spessart, Odenwald and the Rhine and vineyards. Trains and flights are also so easy from Frankfurt.”

A boat sails across the Main river in Frankfurt.

A boat sails across the Main river in Frankfurt. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Sebastian Gollnow

READ ALSO: 10 facts you probably didn’t know about Frankfurt (even if you live there)

Tom Boon, 26, who lives in central Frankfurt, said “the diversity” is the best part of life in the Hesse city that’s home to about 753,000 people. 

“It’s also a great place for English speakers to feel comfortable as you can always bump into somebody you can talk to,” he added. 

Laura, 42, from Sweden, said the best thing about Frankfurt is the “diversity” and that it “feels like a village in some parts”.

Angeeka Biswas, 34, said Frankfurt’s positive points include it being “accessible by public transport in almost all parts of the town” as well as the different cuisine available, and the large expat population. 

“Frankfurt has lots to offer and is full of many different shops, restaurants and bars,” said Frankfurt resident Cara Schaeffer.

“Frankfurt is also surrounded by the Taunus mountain range,” said Schaeffer. “However the most special thing about Frankfurt are the people that live there.

“You’ll meet people from all over the world from different cultures, regions and backgrounds. It’s an extremely international city, where more than 25 percent of the residents don’t have a German passport.”

People at Frankfurt's main station on June 1st, the start of Germany's €9 monthly travel ticket offer.

People at Frankfurt’s main station on June 1st, the start of Germany’s €9 monthly travel ticket offer. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Arne Dedert

Lots of people said the surrounding nature was a real draw of Frankfurt.

Nichola, 64, said the “proximity to the Main River, access to the Großer Feldberg region with the possibility of cycling in the summer and skiing in the winter,” were some of the best things about Frankfurt.

She also said the airport is “one of the hubs for Lufthansa so it’s easy to fly almost anywhere”.

Where are the best places to go?

Lots of people talked about the food and drink offering in the Hesse city, as well as the landscape. 

Natalie, who lives in Taunus, said: “Explore the Taunus, walk the river, shop on the Zeil (street), eat in Saschenhausen or in Bornheim or Nordend.” 

“Go for brunch,” said Angeeka Biswas. “Bike beside the Main river, exercise or just sit beside the river. It feels so calm inside the chaos of the city.”

READ ALSO: Hesse – 7 maps that explain the home of Germany’s financial hub

Smruthi Panyam said his top tip is to grab a steak at M Steakhouse in Feuerbachstraße.

Simon Slade, 70, in Wehrheim, recommends “the English Theatre, walking or cycling along the river Main” as well renting a car and driving north west to “the Hintertaunus and the river Lahn – you will find stunningly beautiful countryside”.

Slade also said Frankfurt has “numerous organic veggie and vegan restaurants, especially along the Bergerstrasse”.

“If you want real authentic high quality traditional German inexpensive food at half the price of Frankfurt, try the Taunus restaurant in Obernhain.” he added.

READ ALSO: Three German cities ranked in the top 10 places to live

Cara Schaefer’s top tips include going to the top of the Main Tower to view the city, taking a boat tour, and enjoying the nightlife “especially at 22nd lounge, a cocktail bar on the 22nd floor of a sky scraper”.

Schaefer’s top restaurant tips are Saravanaa Bhavan, a vegetarian Indian restaurant near the main station and Ristorante Arte – an Italian in the Bockenheim district.

People toast an Apfelwein on the banks of the river Main.

People toast an Apfelwein on the banks of the river Main. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Frank Rumpenhorst

Tom Boon recommends that visitors “take the Ebbelwei Expreß, a tourist tram that loops around the city every half hour or so”.

“The ticket includes a drink and pretzels,” he added. Meanwhile, Boon says the best pizza in Frankfurt “can be found at Giulio’s on Wittelsbacherallee”.

Lots of our readers said Apfelwein – known colloquially as Ebbelwoi, is the drink to try out in Frankfurt. 

Boon said: “Apfelwein arguably trumps beer in Frankfurt. I prefer to drink it mixed with cola (it’s much better than it sounds, and popular enough that it is sold premixed in cans), though some traditional Apfelwein pubs will refuse to serve this combination based on tradition.

“I would recommend avoiding the big chain-eque bars in favour of the smaller pubs and beer gardens dotted around the city.”

Others flagged up the architecture and buildings. 

I really love going to the Dom Romer district to see the old city hall and rebuilt square which is really eye-catching,” said Michael Schacht.

“The New Altstadt is also really beautiful. I also like walking along the river bank when the weather is nice, visiting Old Sachsenhausen and Bornheim for a cozier small town vibe. Though a bit on the outskirts, Hochst has a traditional medieval Altstadt that’s worth a stop to see.”

Keep a lookout for our second feature on Frankfurt coming soon.

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CITIZENSHIP

‘Get in early’: Your tips for applying for German citizenship

Are you ready to apply for naturalisation in Germany? We asked readers about their experience applying for citizenship so far, and what tips they could share.

'Get in early': Your tips for applying for German citizenship

With Germany’s new dual citizenship rules officially coming into effect on June 27th, some prospective new Germans-to-be have been gathering documents and taking their language tests.

Yet, plenty of other candidates for naturalisation are still waiting to hear back about applications submitted months or even years ago.

The Local recently polled readers who were either already in the process of applying, or planning to apply for citizenship soon. Of 121 readers who took our survey, 81 percent intend to apply for citizenship compared to 12 percent that were still unsure.

Additionally, six percent said they will not apply, and the remaining few had already naturalised.

READ ALSO: What would German citizenship mean to foreign residents?

Here are some concerns and helpful tips from readers who have already started an application for citizenship.

How are current applications going?

Asked how the application process has been so far, those who have already applied or started putting together their applications had radically varied responses.

It seems that applying for naturalisation can be pretty straightforward or wildly frustrating, depending on where you live.

Some readers are having a relatively easy time with it, such as Nauman, from Pakistan, who notes that “in Berlin it is online, so all is good.” In the capital, the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA) opened up a central office at the start of the year and has entirely digitalised its processes, from the initial screening to the application itself. 

Not too far away in Brandenburg, Elshafie, who is 35 from Sudan, told The Local: “I’m getting quick responses by email – sometimes same-day responses.” So far Elshafie, who has lived in Germany since 2017 and is married with one kid, has secured an appointment for submitting papers in June.

Another reader also called out the ease of applying via a new digital portal. A 30-year-old reader who has lived in Germany for six years called the process “smooth”, adding: “I am lucky to be a resident of Hamburg which is one of the few cities that now have a digital application process.”

But even in places where a new, digital application process exists, people who applied prior to the digital process are sometimes left waiting while newer applicants . Such is the case for thousands of applicants in Berlin, many of whom have been waiting for years already.

READ ALSO: ‘I’ve waited four years’ – Foreigners in Berlin furious over German citizenship delays

“I applied in September 2023, and heard nothing back so far,” said Dilara, 30, a Turkish-born resident living in Berlin. As a bit of a sarcastic tip to other readers, she suggested applying as soon as you enter the country because “it will take years anyways”.

Dilara is not the only applicant left waiting without an explanation. In fact, a lot of readers had some choice words for the process, which in many cases can be very quite long and opaque. 

Daria, 26, from Russia said she applied in August 2023 in the city of Gießen. “They said to wait 20 months for the work on my application to start,” she told The Local. “Now they’re saying to wait 22 months. They don’t tell the name of the person in charge of my application and don’t answer any questions regarding my case. I think of suing them a lot.”

Another applicant consulted a law firm after the naturalisation office in Landkreis Harz said that they weren’t offering further consultations this year due to the high demand.

“I had my citizenship test and B1 language certificate ready. The last document I need now is my pension insurance history, and I just found out that the reason I don’t have it, despite requesting it twice, is that my address on file was wrong,” said Ryan Thomas Sanders, 35, from the US.

Even for those applying from outside of Germany, long delays with no communication seems to be the norm rather than the exception here.

Veronica Dierick, 66, said she handed in her application for citizenship by descent to the German Embassy in Belgium on March 5th and is still waiting for a response. 

A citizenship applicants reads the German constitution.

A citizenship applicants reads the state constitution in Germany. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Marijan Murat

Advice from readers: gather your documents and start early

Bureaucratic processes in Germany are known to drive people crazy – even plenty of native-born Germans. 

So in some sense, the fraught process of applying for citizenship can be seen as the last, painful but vital step, toward truly becoming German.

That said, it’s definitely worth taking any and all extra precautions to make the process as easy as possible. So with that in mind, here are a few tips that might help.

Daria, who is still in the middle of a long wait on her own application, recommends making copies of all of your documents before sending them in, noting that she regrets not having done so herself – both to retain her own copies and also as means of proof of when and what she had submitted. 

She added, “We’re sitting in the same boat. Try to apply as soon as possible… as later you’ll regret that you haven’t applied sooner.”

Ryan Thomas Sanders suggests getting your language certificate and citizenship test out of the way early, even if you don’t yet meet the residency requirement: “These are probably two of the most time-consuming documents and you can and should get them taken care of early.”

Dani, 34, from the US said, “Always ask your local Amt about their current rules because they often differ from what is happening in Berlin or other larger cities.”

Meanwhile, Jon, 34, who has lived in Germany for five years provided an unsolicited endorsement for The Local, adding: “Because of this site, I’m feeling prepared and informed. I have everything ready to go once the applications are accepted for dual citizenship in June.”

He added that applicants should “stay organised and allow extra time for each step like getting test results, documents from an employer, or translations of original documents.”

All of which is great advice, and is aligned with the advice told to The Local by immigration lawyer Andreas Moser, who advises making sure your application is as neatly organised as possible.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED – How to get a speedy response on your German citizenship application

If you’ve met all the requirements, gathered all the papers, and presented it all as neatly as possible, the only thing left to do is wait and hope or pray for the best. 

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