Are there any expats or Dutchies that can help me decide what city to live in once we close the distance? We wanted to live in one of the typical bigger cities--probably Utrecht or Amsterdam. The problem is that it's so damn expensive to get a good apartment with as much space as we want. We have now extended our search to some of the smaller cities inbetween, but they have me worried. I lived in Utrecht when I was there last time and loved it. I'm afraid about moving to a smaller city, in particular, because I've heard that it causes a real problem for expats. The Dutch certainly don't have a great reputation when it comes to expats unless they're living in Amsterdam. I don't speak any Dutch (yet) and would like to live in a lively community that will be accepting of my Americanisms. I would hate to live in a place that doesn't like expats and sticking out like a sore thumb every time I go to the grocery store. I will now be working in Amsterdam and SO is working in Utrecht, so that means we need someplace that's easy to commute from. Any thoughts? It looks like we're going to be stuck either with a crappy apartment or in a little town...
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What do you think will make it easier to learn the language; to hang out with other expats and attend language class, or being immerged in the language and having no option but to learn quick?I made love to him only twice, she thought and looked at the man laying asleep beside her. And yet still it is as if we have been together forever, as if he has always known my life, my soul, my body, my light, my pain
- Paulo Coelho, "Eleven minutes"
"Bız yüzyılın aşkı vardır" - We have dated since Sept. 2013. To see our full story, click here https://members.lovingfromadistance....and-our-visits -
You could look into the city Rotterdam. I went to college there and there's quite a decent amount of international people, especially students.
It's personally my favourite city. Other than that the rent is also way less expensive!Comment
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It depends on who is going to commute and how. Public transport is quite amazing here, so that'd be easy, but if you plan on going by car I really wouldn't recommend living in Utrecht because you'll be in a traffic jam every single day on your way to Amsterdam. It's funny that you say that about Dutch reputation, because we're also known for our amazing language skills and amount of foreigners. Of course, in Amsterdam you'll blend in with the tourists, and in both cities there are international students. Like DC pointed out, I assume you plan on learning Dutch? In my experience people only find expats interesting, not annoying, but if you plan on living here and don't want to learn the simple Dutch you need to survive a grocery store then a big anonymous international city might be helpful.
If you plan on commuting by train, semi-cities like Hilversum or a suburb of Amsterdam (Amstelveen for example) may be useful. Still lots of immigrants, especially around Amsterdam, and Hilversum is the media-capital so lots of people who aren't from the area anyway. Anything north of Hilversum is known as very posh, so I wouldn't suggest looking there. Really though, I have lived in The Hague for a while and there are a ton of expats there too. Expats live where big international companies are (so in many cities..) and not just in Amsterdam. I'd even go as far as saying that slightly smaller cities tend to be friendlier. A big city is fun in its own way, but also quite impersonal. Like I said, you'd be taken for a tourist and that would maybe make it harder to build up friendships with Dutch people. Honestly though, if you go in with the attitude that people might not like you because you're an expat then that'll probably happen. Just be open and social and become part of a community, it's not like you'd live in a small farmer village where nobody speaks English or anything. Good luck!
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Thanks for the replies! We have decided to look in Amsterdam as it makes the most sense with the commute. I don't know how Amsterdam is, but in Utrecht I still needed my little bit of Dutch to get through the grocery store! I do intend to learn more, but I want to learn more because I want to not because I have to. As of right now, I know enough to get through a transaction at the grocery store and pick out my groceries. Unfortunately, my anxiety gets in the way of meeting new friends even in the U.S., so I always think people don't like me at first, but I'm trying to get past that as I start fresh in my new country. Anyways, thanks again for your help!Comment
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