Thanks summerrain - I've merged this into the main thread now.

Josep, you can either start from page 1 and read the whole thing (if you've got serious time to spare!) or use the "Search this Thread" button to sift through it for each Kreis you are considering. Best of luck!

Hi All,

I've recently taken up a job to work in central Zurich and have been
checking out various sites (easywg.ch,students.ch,wg-zimmer.ch) to
look at rental accommodation (either an apartment or room are fine).
As the job was only confirmed at the end of last week I've been delayed
in checking out suitable accommodation so may have to go to a b&b (presuming that I can get somewhere that is initially as I'm due to arrive on Saturday.
Does anyone have any recommendations as regards b&b or budget hotel
and also what are the better districts within Zurich to rent in?
I'll be working at Flurstrasse in the city.
I've noticed a place at Urdorf (which looks like it's no more than 30 mins
travel to my workplace) so does anyone know about that area i.e. what it is like etc.?

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

Kind regards,

Tom

Have you looked on homegate.ch? Sometimes you can find a room in a house/apt. and maybe it would give you an idea of an area by trying this approach. It's more fun to live in the city if you're on your own, but if you want to connect to Urdorf try a more direct post asking something like, 'Anybody live there?'

@quigs - I've moved your post here - it really wasn't an introduction - as this is where there is more information which might help you to look for accomodation. InN the Sticky at the top of the forum, there are more sites to check out. Good luck in your hunt.

I suggest you write an Intro to us again later, perhaps telling us a little bit more about yourself

We are family with a 5 year old child, moving to Zurich from New York.
We are looking to rent a house located near quick and convenient transport connection (public transport and by car) to the center of Zurich. And at the same time we want to live in area where the best public schools are (our kid is starting kindergarten there).
Can you help me with suggestions?
I have never been to Zurich before so if you can give me more details about the residential areas that will be very helpful

For a family I would choose the following postal codes in Zurich:

8049 Höngg
8002 Enge
8038 Wollishofen
8044 Zurichberg
8008 Seefeld
8032 Hirslanden
8006 Oberstrass


If costs matter: 8046 Affoltern - it's sort of a mixed area, but ok with kids.

A house?? Whats your budget?

Quick and convenient transportation is subjective: whats your maximum tolerance for commute?

Do you want to live in the city itself or are you happy to take the sbahn in? There are many places outside the city that are great for families and it takes less than 20 minutes on the s-bahn into the city.

Hello people!

I have a question regarding the areas of Zürich. What areas are "bad" (ghetto-ish, I don't really believe there are ghettos but areas where "bad" people hang out) and what are the upper class areas?

In Sweden where I'm from, we don't have ghettos BUT we have areas that are dominated by minorities (but still you can see brand new BMWs and Mercedes )

Thank you in advance!

Is this one of those joke threads I keep reading about? Is a film crew waiting in my spare room? You want to know where the White neighbourhoods are? Seriously?

There aren't any really bad areas in Zürich. Good areas are mostly the Zürichberg and other higher areas. At the more seedy end you have the Langstrasse and its side streets, but I wouldn't call it dangerous there. There are certain pockets where certain etnicities are more likely than in others, but i wouldn't call any of them ghettos.

There are a lot of foreigners living in the suburbs from Zollikon down to Meilen.

Many of them drive BMWs and Mercedes, so you might want to steer well clear.

No but seriously DB, those people he's OK with, I'm sure. "minorities" doesn't mean "French Canadian" in this context.

Well, to be fair, Wollishofen has a very high black content - Bart serves an excellent pint of Guinness at the Shamrock

I'll withhold my groan until the OP answers this question. Maybe its a misunderstanding?

The Swiss Ghetto, yesterday

Zollikon:


Kuesnacht:


Erlenbach:


Meilen:


Schwamendingen:

> Areas in the "Kreise" 4 and 5 (Langstrasse-area, Altstetten, Industriequartier, Escher-Wyss-Platz) are known as "Chreis Chaib" which roughly means the area of the Proletariate.
> Schwamendingen, not a "bad" quarter, is however, not least due to its geography, regarded as the most boring quarter available
> The "Züriberg", which means those areas from the university up the hill and over to Witikon and Zollikerberg, is regarded as the Millionaire-Hill, or also Snobbery-Centre. Enge used to be snobbery-sh also nicely into the 20th Century but now, together with areas like Leimbach, Wollishofen, Wiedikon, Albisrieden, Höngg and Seefeld is somewhere in the "middle ground"
-
Changes beside the Enge-thing ? Yes, but slow. The area around the Hardbrücke-railstation and the Viadukt in the past few years got upgraded, but its reputation is NOT. This was what pushed some shops at the Viadukt into problems as they thought that people working nearby would come over shopping, while many of those office-employees in early evening "flee" the area as swiftly as they can . Another thing is the Schanzengraben, which until some 160 years ago, together with the Fröschengraben (frogs ditch = now Bahnhofstrasse) was part of the western city fortification, and since than a kind of Canal linking the lake with the Sihl-River. Office buildings were built all along it, with the "faceless" back-sides of those buildings facing the Schanzengraben, and the walkway along it shabby and boring. Almost 20 years ago, the city improved the area, build nice walkways all along it, trying to make it a tiny bit more attractive, but up to now not to much avail.

Who said anything about white neighborhoods? I just wanted to know if there are any areas that have a bad or good reputation. I couldn't care less about people's skin colour I can tell you that right away

Do I dare to guess you can see people in large groups walking their pit bulls as well :P

Wollishofener RULES!

That's was exactly the type of information I was looking for!

Not that long ago I saw a documentary about some area in Zürich that was one of the worst areas due to drugs and things like that, I think it was Seebach (I may be way off...) but they (=construction companies looking to make francs) basically tore down the whole area and made it into a really nice place! It was on SF doku

Thanks for the answer!