SwanOfKennet
Reading

A question about this place:
I'd love to live in or around Brussels. What's the best way to find a job and somewhere to live?

Answers:

Lin Mei
Los Angeles

check this out:
http://www.expatriates.com/classifieds/bru/

good luck

Batfink2001
Brussels

Hi

Brussels is an easy place to live if you only speak English, but jobwise it helps if you speak French or Dutch. Having said that there are jobs advertised on jobserve.com and the usual websites for jobs here. Put Brussels in their search criteria and see what comes up. It’s cheaper to live here than the south of England

qaminari
Brussels

I’m wondering why you want to live in Brussels, and what sort of job you want to do, for example is it because of the EU or for some other reason? This might help people to advise you. I can only remind you that many Belgians speak good English in addition to French and/or Dutch, so you are in competition with locals even for English-speaking jobs e.g. in Irish pubs (of which there are plenty in Brussels), if you are looking for something unskilled. Local jobcentres in the UK are supposed to be able to give information on jobs in the rest of the EU, you can also look at the xpats website (run by the people who publish an English-language weekly magazine called The Bulletin), which has a jobs section and lots of useful information under “Newcomer”, as well as a Q&A section for anything you might want to ask about coming to live in Brussels that isn’t covered in the general information: http://www.xpats.com/cgi-bin/interactive/qa.cgi

Brussels is a nice place to live in if you have enough money (like everywhere), if you live in a nice area which aslo usually requires enough money (Halles St Gerry, Sablon, Etangs D’ Ixelles or in more residential areas such as Woluwe St Pierre if you like that).

For the rest of it, brussels has a nasty weather (300 days rain).

The main reason people usually want to move in Brussels is because they were hired there or they hope to have better chances of getting into the EU money stream (or torrent i should say).
Nevertheless you will probably find your next job within the EU institutions online, and you will have to work very hard to get passed these exams.
http://www.europa.eu/epso/index_en.htm

Living in Brussels is expensive, especialy if you want to live in the nice places that i mentionned before.

Living in the poor degraded areas of Brussels (there are many …) can be really depressing and sometimes insecure.

I would say find you job first, make sure it pays, then move to Brussels …

If you are looking for unskilled work … (even though using 43places means you already have some!) I would definately go to a place wher the living is easy in any case ! Sun and sea would be my favourites … think of southern Spain or Greece, or the Canary Islands!

Hope this helps

AidaM
Valencia

Hello I really like living in Spain but due to my job I must move to Brussels, I liked your description, is it possible to have more hints about Brussels life please? ...

Thnx ;-)

yep sure!

just tell me what you need to know

A list of questions would help get you the right answers

Cheers!

AidaM
Valencia

Hi thanx!

Well since I cannot travel to Brussels at this moment, I would like to know where should I look for a flat if my working area will be around the North Station, what districts/areas would you recommend me to search?

And my second major concern is that I also need to train, so maybe my living area should be also around any sports complex/swimming pool, do you have an idea? ;-) ..maybe?? ... having a swimming pool close my job/house is very important.

ohhh! .... thank you very much!

aida!

Well first of all stay away the North Station District … It has been Sanitised a bit but still remains the Red District of Brussels (quite unsafe at nights and unpleasant at days)

there are quite few swimming pools in Brussels
http://belgium.wikia.com/wiki/Piscines_%C3%A0_Bruxelles

The areas i prefer are 1040 Etterbeek, 1050 Ixelles – Louise, 1000 Center of the city (Sablon, Close to Grand Place etc) , and then further away from the center 1150 Wolluwe, around the Stockel Metro station or in the South watermae boistfort and Uccle etc…

You should avoid North and Midi Train stations areas, Molenbeek, Anderlecht (some parts) Schaaerbeek (some parts) St Josse (some parts) (West – North parts of Brussels and some parts of the Center.

Prices will vary quite a lot depending of the region you go to
I would recommend staying not too far from a metro station as it is a convenient way to get around in Brussels

Try and see which areas with a swimming pool are in areas you might like …

the best site to look for a flat is www.immoweb.be

My experience says that you need to stay a week in a hotel to visit the flats you have spotted (through immoweb) having made appointments with the owners or real estate experts.

best of luck

AidaM
Valencia

Hi!

Many many thanks for your answer, it has been a great help to locate the areas where I can look for flats.

It’s shame the North is not conveniet as some others.

Also thanx a lot for the swimming pool list! ;-) That’s so cool

You have been a great help,!
(Hope to say hi at some point in the city!)


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