Sometimes you need to leave your hometown and move away. Whether you’ve decided on your own that you want to see a new place or the circumstances forced it. A new job opportunity, family, boyfriend/girlfriend… there can be many reasons, but it doesn’t matter if it is wanted or unwanted, now you have to deal with the situation and figure out how to find happiness in a new city.
Nearly 4 years ago I moved from Berlin to Munich to study in the Bavarian capital. I wanted to move, mostly to escape the extravagant lifestyle Berlin is famous for (non-stop Partys, Drugs etc.). But at the same time, I love Berlin and was mentally blocked for a long time that Munich will never ever be as cool as my hometown. With all the cliches about Bavaria in my mind, it took me a long time going out and forming my own opinion.
Looking back the first two years it seemed as I didn’t live in the city. Sure I had friends, went out occasionally but I was mostly stuck in my daily routine between the university, sports and chilling at home. Additionally, Munich, by comparison, is expensive and I thought I couldn’t justify it to myself being out a lot — and that’s where I was wrong.
Being on a budget is no excuse for just sitting at home doing nothing!
Especially in a bigger city, there is so much to do for a very small amount of money or even for free. My recommendation is to check out the facebook pages of your local museums and art galleries. They often post interesting events there like free tours or openings of new expositions. Also checking out meetup can bring you some benefit by finding group activities you might enjoy.
If you are a student in your city you literally have no excuse. There are so many free or reduced activities you can attend, it is incredible. Just as an example I will list some stuff in Munich:
- Student sport — 7.5€ for 6 Month including dancing, martial arts, football, gym, swimming and much more
- Theater — 8€ per screening with great seats (usually 2–4th row)
- Philharmonic Orchestra — 12€ per gig best seats possible
- Museums — nearly all have a student discount
And that’s only a small number of examples. Also with some tricks, you can take advantage of these options as a non-student. If the Theater or Orchestra isn’t sold out(usually seen online) just get some cheap tickets and reseat. For sports, there is also an option to participate even if you aren’t signed in at a university. Often it is enough to browse their website or make a call to find out those things.
Two huge Gamechangers
Apart from the realization that money is not very important two things completely changed my ability to interact with the city.
First of all, I went old-school and got a Nokia phone. No internet, no distraction.
The reasons I ditched my smartphone aren’t related to my wish of exploring a new city. Still, after the abstinence of Social Media out of boredom you automatically start looking around left and right noticing cafes, bars, galleries or just architectural nuances you’ve never noticed before.
You are much more free to just stop, take a close look and say to yourself:
I want to check out that place!
A very positive side effect is that your orientation will improve a lot. No google maps often result in using either analog maps, asking strangers or memorizing streets and spots. I use the subway stations as orientation points within the city. And don’t be afraid of getting lost. It might take a minute longer to get to your destination, but strolling around also gets you away from your usual path and “forces” you to see new places.
The second brake point for me was getting a bike. I know that not every city is bike friendly and if you are in e.g. NYC you should decide for yourself if you are enough of a risk taker to ride a bike through traffic. But if your city is slightly calmer and maybe even has an option to rent bikes you shouldn’t miss out on this chance.
Basically, it is the same thing as with my no-smartphone proposition from above. You will stroll around clueless, but faster than by foot. Just start in a familiar place like in front of your apartment or office and go wherever your feeling is taking you. That way I discovered a ton of great cafes, restaurants, and boutiques. I just memorized where they were and went back later with friends or by myself to check them out. Also riding bike keeps you fit and is fun ;)
There are way more possibilities to dive deeper into your new city. Finding friends and building a social circle are definitely some essential steps. But those take a long time, even ages to build and maintain. It is not smart to rely solely on friends and hope, that people who were born in your new city will show you some secret spots. Find those by yourself. It is much more enjoyable and quicker. In theory, you can apply the stuff I told you tomorrow and truly discover the city you live in within a couple of weeks. I wish I would have come to this realization earlier, but it took me two years to accept Munich and finally enjoy it. My social life has also improved since I am always out and doing interesting stuff. When I am in the mood I ask friends to join me and they know that they can rely on my knowledge of interesting bars, clubs, and events.
