My wife and I are planning on moving to Zurich at the end of June, and we are trying to decide where to live. We are expecting our first child in october, so we would like to be around other expats. Does anyone have any recommendations about where to live? any expats have a baby abroad in Zurich, and have any suggestions what to do and when?

any feedback is greatly appreciated

I would suggest looking around Thalwil, Horgen areas. There are a lot of expats in these areas and it's still convienent to get into Zurich and the airport etc.

I just had a baby here, what do you want to know?

is there an expat ghetto or something? never seen that.

please read those sticky notes, because they are sticky as they contain (maybe but mostly) the answer to your question.

http://www.englishforum.ch/housing-g...rich-city.html


another point about finding a place is that zurich and as well the sticks are hard searched after from expats that want to live here. so you better check what flat you can get, where and at what price. then you check back the sticky thread what people have said about the area/kreis of zurich.

expats do live all over the canton, country. so this wont be a prob to live close to someone.

Check this thread for having babies in Switzerland.

And best place to live in Zurich city.

More info all over the forum, if you use the search function.

Hope your move goes well

[quote=flow23;446250]is there an expat ghetto or something? never seen that.

I was offering my opinion on the question, there is no need to be rude.

rude? adn i wasnt referring to you, but to that "where do expats live..."

My opinion would be that your limitations will be budget, size and availability...

We quite like living within zone 10 of zurich...there's no reason why you *need* to go as far as Horgen or Thalwil...really depends also exactly where the job is...

My experience so far is that there are expats all over the city - if you did a survey of the people here on the forum I get the feeling you'd get a sense of them being mostly in the Thalwil/Horgen/Oerlikon/Alsetten areas - but this is probably more because that is where there is lot of housing...

With the consideration of having a small baby, my advice would be to consider whether you want to live with or without a car...

Essentially, you can't drive around central Zurich, and parking in the city is a nightmare, so if you live, work and travel in the city centre, consider relying on trams, buses and the occasional train - about half the trams and buses have low floors which make it easy to get a pram on/off - and I have to say in 9 months of pushing a pram on and off the trams (no car)...someone has offered help *every time*!

Another expat with a small baby is living in a house down the lake and she said getting on/off the trains with a stroller is a *nightmare* - partly because the commuter trains have two enormous steps to get on and off, the trains don't necessarily wait for you (they might not notice if you have a problem), and often you are getting on/off and other people are not there to help - at least with the trams/buses there is usually at least a dozen people around to help if needed....

Have you lived in an apartment before ?

Living in one with children can be quite a challenge...BUT we find it a lot more 'efficient' in terms of cleaning, heating, and cost - and as a mum who is home a lot, I feel safer in an apartment block where I know there is the old lady downstairs if I have any major emergencies (like when I misplaced my keys and she let me in out of the snow!)...it can feel very isolating at home on your own, especially in a foreign country...

Sorry to rave on...feel free to PM me if you want any more 'baby tips' and you'll find quite a few other expat mums around too!

I am living in Staefa on the right hand side of the lake, and I have a 16 month old daughter. Staefa is right on the lake and has lots of facilities including Migros, Coop, Aldi, doctors, schools, train station (20 mins to Zurich roughly), great english speaking playgroup where I have been meeting lots of other expat mums and their children of varying ages, lakeside bathing at the Badi.......

We have one car and are getting on fine with that at the minute. Certainly no plans for a second car.

If you would like any other info, please send me a PM!

Hope you find somewhere you think you can make home!!

EnglishRose

Depends what you are looking for... Many people want to live in posh areas which cost and arm and a leg and they tend to be just residential without any facilities.

I live in Oerlikon. It's not picturesque but you have all you need to make your daily life easy. The shopping area is Great. It's very near the airport. Transport to town is fantastic. You have many green areas at walking distances Two great hills...

Prices here are a lot cheaper than other areas. Considering how everything is so expensive here. If you can save some pennies in the rent then all the better.

Good luck.

Al.