#MyGermany: 'Nordend has been my love since I moved to Frankfurt'
We regularly ask readers to take over The Local Germany's Instagram. Recently, Vishal Shah from Mumbai, India, showed us his Frankfurt.
Where are you from?
I am from the city of Mumbai. It might be the most populated city, but that is what makes it the best Indian city to live in – its people. The warmth in its people is sometimes even stronger than its tropical weather. This is where you also find the best street food (which is what, sometimes, I miss more than my family).
How old are you and what do you normally spend your days doing?
I'm now 32. In the year 2017, when turning 30, there were a lot of things I was contemplating in my career until this opportunity worked out. In the past two years, I have been in Frankfurt, I have done many things that I never imagined back then.
When I am not being Digital Marketing Manager-EMEA for my company, I like to spend time going to meetups; interacting with people from different cultures (and explaining that not all Indians in Germany are into IT business).
I also enjoy walking by the Main river sipping the heavenly beer, visiting the fitness studio (might seem a norm here, but I never did that back in Mumbai after renewing the membership for 5 years), watching a lot of thriller TV shows and exploring restaurants in and around the city while trying to find vegetarian options.
When and why did you move to your city/neighbourhood?
First few days when I was in Frankfurt, I ended up seeing a lot of great apartments in different residential areas. A lot of apartments caught my fancy, but my criterion was mind boggling for the agents and the landlords in this part of the world.
A simple statement was far beyond the understanding of many, and I quote myself – ‘I love the apartment, but the surrounding area seems very quiet’. I could see their eyes twirling and the expression on their face of seeing a dumb-natured person standing in front of them. Of course, those who have never been to Mumbai don’t realize the importance of noise to get a sound sleep.
What do you love the most about your city/neighbourhood?
Nordend-west has been my love ever since I moved for all the right reasons. I found an apartment right opposite the ‘U-Bahn’ station (some call it a tram station, don’t know why).
I love how there are a lot of great restaurants and wine bars, a stone’s throw away (a stone would literally hit the restaurant owner, if I aimed it from the apartment balcony). It took me more time to get out of my office building in Mumbai than it takes to reach my workplace from home in Frankfurt.
Nordend has the right mix of green and grey. A lot of buildings that have retained the Gothic architecture and are an absolute delight to look at or walk by and a lot of green areas.
Supermarkets are so close that one can reach them even in a tipsy state. The bar right below my apartment serves more beer than I could count with my fingers and toes combined. Bonus – two shops are open seven days of the week (I know, it still surprises me whenever I pass by these shops on a Sunday).
What annoys you the most about your neighbourhood?
Really difficult to point fingers but I would go out on a limb to say, it is the rent (landlord, are you listening?). Other than that, I really cannot think of anything that annoys me in Nordend.
How should I spend a day in your neighbourhood?
It is an area which no one will tell you to visit when in Frankfurt because it is not touristy. However, if I was your tourist guide, I would tell you the following – start your day with some delightful breakfast at Glauburg Café or Milch und Zucker, then take a walk by a street that gives you the feel of old-town charm yet modern architecture.
Experience some of the best falafel in town at Aromas, visit the Holzhausen park, don’t forget to try the lip smacking ice-cream at Eis Christina and end your day at one of the many bars in the area.
What's a fun fact not everyone knows about your neighbourhood?
Seven minutes is all it takes to reach the Nordend area of Frankfurt. Why do I mention this here, you ask? Internet search engines usually succeed in showing you the right route to reach you destination, but they have something personal towards my neighbourhood and they fail to show the shortest route.
It does not take 26 minutes to reach Nordend from the centre – only seven minutes.
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Where are you from?
I am from the city of Mumbai. It might be the most populated city, but that is what makes it the best Indian city to live in – its people. The warmth in its people is sometimes even stronger than its tropical weather. This is where you also find the best street food (which is what, sometimes, I miss more than my family).
How old are you and what do you normally spend your days doing?
I'm now 32. In the year 2017, when turning 30, there were a lot of things I was contemplating in my career until this opportunity worked out. In the past two years, I have been in Frankfurt, I have done many things that I never imagined back then.
When I am not being Digital Marketing Manager-EMEA for my company, I like to spend time going to meetups; interacting with people from different cultures (and explaining that not all Indians in Germany are into IT business).
I also enjoy walking by the Main river sipping the heavenly beer, visiting the fitness studio (might seem a norm here, but I never did that back in Mumbai after renewing the membership for 5 years), watching a lot of thriller TV shows and exploring restaurants in and around the city while trying to find vegetarian options.
When and why did you move to your city/neighbourhood?
First few days when I was in Frankfurt, I ended up seeing a lot of great apartments in different residential areas. A lot of apartments caught my fancy, but my criterion was mind boggling for the agents and the landlords in this part of the world.
A simple statement was far beyond the understanding of many, and I quote myself – ‘I love the apartment, but the surrounding area seems very quiet’. I could see their eyes twirling and the expression on their face of seeing a dumb-natured person standing in front of them. Of course, those who have never been to Mumbai don’t realize the importance of noise to get a sound sleep.
What do you love the most about your city/neighbourhood?
Nordend-west has been my love ever since I moved for all the right reasons. I found an apartment right opposite the ‘U-Bahn’ station (some call it a tram station, don’t know why).
I love how there are a lot of great restaurants and wine bars, a stone’s throw away (a stone would literally hit the restaurant owner, if I aimed it from the apartment balcony). It took me more time to get out of my office building in Mumbai than it takes to reach my workplace from home in Frankfurt.
Nordend has the right mix of green and grey. A lot of buildings that have retained the Gothic architecture and are an absolute delight to look at or walk by and a lot of green areas.
Supermarkets are so close that one can reach them even in a tipsy state. The bar right below my apartment serves more beer than I could count with my fingers and toes combined. Bonus – two shops are open seven days of the week (I know, it still surprises me whenever I pass by these shops on a Sunday).
What annoys you the most about your neighbourhood?
Really difficult to point fingers but I would go out on a limb to say, it is the rent (landlord, are you listening?). Other than that, I really cannot think of anything that annoys me in Nordend.
How should I spend a day in your neighbourhood?
It is an area which no one will tell you to visit when in Frankfurt because it is not touristy. However, if I was your tourist guide, I would tell you the following – start your day with some delightful breakfast at Glauburg Café or Milch und Zucker, then take a walk by a street that gives you the feel of old-town charm yet modern architecture.
Experience some of the best falafel in town at Aromas, visit the Holzhausen park, don’t forget to try the lip smacking ice-cream at Eis Christina and end your day at one of the many bars in the area.
What's a fun fact not everyone knows about your neighbourhood?
Seven minutes is all it takes to reach the Nordend area of Frankfurt. Why do I mention this here, you ask? Internet search engines usually succeed in showing you the right route to reach you destination, but they have something personal towards my neighbourhood and they fail to show the shortest route.
It does not take 26 minutes to reach Nordend from the centre – only seven minutes.
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