Where to Live

Living in Düsseldorf

This city guide provides essential information for moving to the German city of Düsseldorf, a key business location with a high quality of living.

Düsseldorf
writer

By Expatica

Updated 4-1-2024

North Rhine-Westphalia’s capital city, Düsseldorf, has turned itself into one of the best places to live in Germany, as well as a key business location. Find out everything you need to know about living in Düsseldorf as an expat with Expatica’s city guide on Düsseldorf.

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Where to live in Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf’s rise in quality of living rankings can be put down partly to its excellent international schools, but also to its superb infrastructure, beautifully remodelled city centre and cosmopolitan attitude. The city is full of banks, industrial offices, international headquarters and also has a thriving media district which is home to some of the world’s largest advertising agencies.

The city covers an area of 217km2 and has a population of 573,585. Düsseldorf spreads over both sides of the Rhine, with the largest part on the right. There are 49 ‘stadtteile‘, in the north Angermund sits on the border with Duisburg and Ratingen, and in the south Hellerhof borders onto Kreis Mettmann.

Neighborhoods

Stadtmitte is a melting pot of cultures, and a mixture of rich and poor. It’s where Düsseldorf’s banking district is located and also its famous shopping street, the Kö. Apartments are pricey and houses hard to find, but if you want to live where it’s happening, this is the place to be.

Pempelfort is popular among singles. With the Altstadt and Stadtmitte right on the doorstep it has easy access to both business and pleasure opportunities. With a mixture of architectural styles, the area also has a diverse cultural scene, is home to museums and galleries and also antique markets, unusual shops as well as quirky cafes and restaurants.

The Hafen is Düsseldorf’s boomtown – no other part of Düsseldorf has changed so much over the last few years. The architecture is new and exciting and the area is full of media companies, bars, restaurant and clubs, so it attracts young residents; the average age of a Hafen dweller is 34.

Bilk is the most populated part of Düsseldorf; here you’ll find lots of foreigners and also students, as the university is nearby. There’s a great underground scene, plus nightlife as well as lots of green. The desired location in Bilk is Die Karolinger, a street lined with trees with a small canal running down its centre.

Oberkassel is well known for its wealth of art nouveau architecture and is perhaps the most attractive part of the city. On the left side of the river it has lots of green, is close to the river and is full of beautiful old buildings. It’s only 2km from the city centre and connected by a couple of bridges, bars and restaurants abound and so prices are quite high.

Where to find rentals in Düsseldorf

There are a number of options for finding rented accommodation but you’ll need to move fast as most well-located houses and apartments are snapped up quickly. You can find rentals aimed at internationals on sites like Homelike and HousingAnywhere.

Remember that most prices quoted are ‘kalt‘, which means they cover the basic rent, water and electricity. ‘Warm‘ prices also include heating, but always ask to be sure. You can also use an agent, but you’ll have to pay a fee that can be as much as three months’ rent in advance.

Where to register in Düsseldorf

To arrange your Polizeiliche Anmeldebestätigung, go to the municipality’s official website for a complete list of bürgerbüros and information about what you need to bring along to register.

Where to arrange a residence permit in Düsseldorf

Kommunale Ausländerbehörde
Willi-Becker-Allee 7, 40227 Düsseldorf
(0211) 89 21020
E:[email protected]

Where to arrange a driver’s license in Düsseldorf

Fahrerlaubnisbehörde
Höherweg 101, 40200 Düsseldorf
[email protected]

Both the British Consulate and the US Consulate in Düsseldorf offer a wide range of useful information about moving to and living in Düsseldorf; a list of doctors, dentists, lawyers and information about the US and British communities in the city.

Health and recreation in Düsseldorf

There aren’t many green areas in the city centre, although the city has quite a green feeling due to the abundance of trees and water features. The city’s main green spaces are the Hofgarten right in the city centre, the Nordpark located to the north of the city, and the Grafenberg Forest to the southeast.

For joggers the best place to run is the Rheinufer; stretching for 10 miles from the Hafen to the Yacht Club and further, it’s a beautiful place to give your body a good workout. On the other side of the river in Oberkassel you’ll find more of an off-road track, and a great view of the city.

For a list of swimming pools around the city, go to Düsseldorf Bädergesellschaft; here you’ll find pools with sauna and massage facilities, outside pools (freibäder) as well as pools with kids entertainment, such as wave machines and water slides.

Düsseldorf’s gyms

Holmes Place has two gyms in Düsseldorf, on Provinzialplatz and on the Königsallee. Both offer state of the art work-out and weight machines, classes, massage, sauna and much more in wonderful surroundings with beautifully designed interiors. The pool in the Provinzialplatz gym is situated on the top floor of the building with a glass ‘window’ on the bottom.

Other Düsseldorf gyms include The Fitness Centre and Future Sports both on the Königsallee. For a list of gyms in Düsseldorf visit www.fitnesswelt.de and select D under ‘Fitness Studios’

Golf courses in Düsseldorf

The Rhine area is particularly rich in golf facilities and plays host to the Linde German Masters in Pulheim every year. Some of the closest golf courses are:

For a list of local golf clubs visit: www.golfportal-duesseldorf.de