NEIGHBOURHOODS IN THE RUHR

The Ruhr Metropolis is a somewhat unusual, seemingly haphazard collection of towns and municipalities. They have been packaged together under one roof and pronounced a unified region.

Local, state and national politicians, bureaucrats, lobbyists and personalities voice their opinions on the region frequently. Yet most naturally have great difficulty in relinquishing focus on their locality to altruistically benefit the Ruhr Metropolis as a whole. 

Meanwhile, real folks and voters, have been getting on with life in their different local neighbourhoods, quartier, quarters and districts. They have created a fascinating array of opportunities for exciting places to live, work, play or visit. Generally speaking, the south of the region is more affluent while the west and north are faring less well. Improvement or decline are ongoing in many cities.

Essen

The second largest city in the Ruhr is often considered the unofficial capital by foreigners. A highly popular gem of a neighbourhood is Rüttenscheid. The district offers great quality of life due to the friendliness of the people living there. It is steeped in tradition founded upon its independent beginnings over a century ago.

Just a stones throw from the centre of Essen, with an eclectic mix of old and new, down to earth and fashionable, residential and commercial, this is a location of choice, especially the young and young at heart. The main axis offers popular bistros, excellent cuisine, delightful cafes and bars, open air markets as well as creative people.

Duisburg

With a half a million residents, Duisburg is famous for its harbour. The world’s largest inland port and accompanying industry has long defined the Ruhr’s third largest city. The redevelopment of the whole areal has also been influential to the desirability of residential homes. The scheme has included the creation of a mix of apartment buildings near the water and a mere kilometre from the city centre.

Bochum

The next most populous urban area in the Ruhr reveals a surprising number of parks, trees and green spaces dispersed among many neighbourhoods. The city also boats a large entertainment quarter with many bars and eateries.

Upscale districts are reputedly the rather expensive Stiepel and Grumme, while more eclectic and creative Wiemelhausen and Ehrenfeld are also desirable because they are more affordable.

Dortmund

The city of Dortmund is located in the east of the Ruhr Metropolis. Its fame came from several breweries, most of which have since closed. Challenging times could not be merely replaced by the success of one of Germany’s most popular soccer team alone. However, times are changing and nowadays, the city’s destiny is improving.

Favourite neighbourhoods are found in the south of the largest city in the Ruhr, below the largest thoroughfare. The area around the Phoenix lake, See, has been seen the creation of desirable homes.

As a general rule of thumb, search for the rent or purchase price index for your city of choice. Many smaller towns and villages offer delightful rural lifestyles, some of which reveal medieval architecture, such as Kettwig.

By Vincent Green, Jul 26 2021