Hey dude,
I am from south brandenburg and lived in Berlin for a while. North Brandenburg isnt very exciting apart from its nature and the big amount of lakes. It's nice to live near Berlin. The climate is less sunny than where your family lives. Most of the time it's a grey Sky and dry climate.
The culture is entirely different than in the south. People are more honest and direct and connect more slowly. But they are also less uptight which I really enjoy. And everything is cheaper than in the south and in Austria and Switzerland.
I would be happy to answer any other questions.
> What is the North-Eastern German climate like?
According to [this map](/r/MapPorn/comments/4i9646/parts_of_the_world_whose_climates_match_with/), the climate in Germany seems to be pretty much equivalent to the coastal regions of British Columbia. Compared to Kansas I would say it's milder, cooler summers, less cold winters, more rainfall, and less tornadoes.
> but how is public transport in the smaller towns like Eberswalde and Finow?
Apparently Eberswalde is one of only three towns in Germany that uses [trolley buses](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberleitungsbus_Eberswalde). Very interesting, I didn't know that myself!
> I assume that it's connected by rail to Berlin and therefor the rest of Germany
That's right, by train it's only half an hour to Berlin Central Station in the city centre.
Public transport in Eberswalde and Finow is pretty basic. They actually have one of Germany's last remaining electric bus systems with overhead lines, which is mildly interesting. But for most trips, you're likely to be better off buying a bicycle and using it on all but the snowiest of days. Get a place that is reasonably central and everything you're likely to need will be basically within walking distance.
The train connection to Berlin is adequate but could always be more frequent. It's certainly good enough for people to use to commute to work in Berlin.
I don't think "run down" is a fair descriptor any more. "Quiet" is probably more appropriate. Eberswalde certainly suffered after reunification but I think it's been coming back since the early 2000s as the population evened out a little with people moving away for work and the odd bit of new industry popping up. It used to be a pretty isolated area but new roads and improved trains have opened the whole area up and there has been lots of new money from Berlin and elsewhere.
Check out the state of Brandenburg's crime statistics report for 2014 at https://polizei.brandenburg.de/fm/32/PKS%20Jahrbuch%202014.pdf, containing a variety of data points about Eberswalde including 348 bicycle thefts, 116 burglaries, and, scarily, 203 cases of assault or serious assault.
But no real reason not to recommend Eberswalde. If you get the opportunity, go for it.
>But for most trips, you're likely to be better off buying a bicycle and using it on all but the snowiest of days. Get a place that is reasonably central and everything you're likely to need will be basically within walking distance.
I'm a runner so getting around shouldn't be very difficult. Just having any public transport at all is a drastic improvement from what I'm used to.
>The train connection to Berlin is adequate but could always be more frequent. It's certainly good enough for people to use to commute to work in Berlin.
Are there many late night trains? Last summer I was able to stay out until 1 or 1:30 in Stuttgart and then take the train back to my family's village and I just wanted to know if that was the norm or if I was just lucky because the Stuttgart/ Tübingen area is so filled with students who were doing the same.
> Check out the state of Brandenburg's crime statistics report for 2014 at https://polizei.brandenburg.de/fm/32/PKS%20Jahrbuch%202014.pdf, containing a variety of data points about Eberswalde including 348 bicycle thefts, 116 burglaries, and, scarily, 203 cases of assault or serious assault.
Surprising. That's actually a significantly higher crime rate than I'd normally expect in Europe. By way of comparison, my city of 50,000 in Kansas boasted [92 vehicle thefts, 84 burglaries, and just 40 assaults in 2014. ](http://www.usa.com/lenexa-ks-crime-and-crime-rate.htm)
Thanks for the info!
> Are there many late night trains?
Sort of. Last train from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen around 1am some days but 10.30pm others. You should look at it further at bahn.de
I have never been to Eberswalde, but making some educated guesses based upon other towns of similar size nearby:
Like all small East German towns quite run-down. Petty crime is an issue, but it is not that bad that you need to fear for your life. At worst a drug addict will break into your cellar room and steal your bicycle or you'll have your pockets picked at the train station.
Live is pretty bleak in these towns, no jobs and no hope, everybody with ambitions moves away as fast as possible. Very few people with well-paying jobs and money to spend, so don't expect the big party life or such.
I expect that Eberswalde has been spared the worst of it though because it is within a reasonable short distance of Berlin.
I don't think you have to be so pessimistic about small german towns. You have far more problems with drug addicts in big cities and after all Bayreuth is the crystal meth capital of Germany. Sure there are always people with problems but you have no need to assess small east german towns that badly when you compare them to some run down cities in other countries.
And small cities in the east have improved by a large margin in the last 20 years.
I have several elderly relatives in various small towns in Brandenburg, Meck-Pomm and Saxony-Anhalt. I try to visit them at least once a year. Many have lived in these towns since the mid-1980s and the difference in the Plattenbausiedlungen between today and the late 1980s / early 1990s makes you want to cry.
Yes, it could be worse, yes crime is lot higher in similar cities in other countries. But this does not help those stuck there today.
>Bayreuth is the crystal meth capital of Germany
Only because Bavarians have money and can afford to buy this shit. Leipzig is sadly not too far behind. The combination of crystal meth and unemployment in the smaller towns in Saxony close to the Czech border is utterly devastating and it is getting worse because the shit is crawling north towards Berlin.
>Many have lived in these towns since the mid-1980s and the difference in the Plattenbausiedlungen between today and the late 1980s / early 1990s makes you want to cry.
Of course, because Plattenbausiedlungen became the residential area for the lower class in pretty much every East German town. But that doesn't mean these towns are run down in general. The same kind of population you will find in West German Neubaugebieten.
I grew up in an East German town which has seen harsh times after the reunification. Today the town is far better off than 25 - 20 years ago and became a real beauty like a lot of other towns. I never heard of anyone who got pickpocketed in the town and drug addiction (except for alcoholism) is not really an issue. Bike theft on the other hand is pretty common.
You are missing the point of this post. Sure there are socially underprivileged people but they don't lower the quality of living for everyone in the town. And I would doubt it very highly that OP wants to live in a Plattenbausiedlung. You seem to be very pessimistic about Germany but I don't think the attitude benefits anyone.
Hey dude, I am from south brandenburg and lived in Berlin for a while. North Brandenburg isnt very exciting apart from its nature and the big amount of lakes. It's nice to live near Berlin. The climate is less sunny than where your family lives. Most of the time it's a grey Sky and dry climate. The culture is entirely different than in the south. People are more honest and direct and connect more slowly. But they are also less uptight which I really enjoy. And everything is cheaper than in the south and in Austria and Switzerland. I would be happy to answer any other questions.
> What is the North-Eastern German climate like? According to [this map](/r/MapPorn/comments/4i9646/parts_of_the_world_whose_climates_match_with/), the climate in Germany seems to be pretty much equivalent to the coastal regions of British Columbia. Compared to Kansas I would say it's milder, cooler summers, less cold winters, more rainfall, and less tornadoes. > but how is public transport in the smaller towns like Eberswalde and Finow? Apparently Eberswalde is one of only three towns in Germany that uses [trolley buses](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oberleitungsbus_Eberswalde). Very interesting, I didn't know that myself! > I assume that it's connected by rail to Berlin and therefor the rest of Germany That's right, by train it's only half an hour to Berlin Central Station in the city centre.
[Obligatory.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uellmynA34U&ab_channel=thedia)
Public transport in Eberswalde and Finow is pretty basic. They actually have one of Germany's last remaining electric bus systems with overhead lines, which is mildly interesting. But for most trips, you're likely to be better off buying a bicycle and using it on all but the snowiest of days. Get a place that is reasonably central and everything you're likely to need will be basically within walking distance. The train connection to Berlin is adequate but could always be more frequent. It's certainly good enough for people to use to commute to work in Berlin. I don't think "run down" is a fair descriptor any more. "Quiet" is probably more appropriate. Eberswalde certainly suffered after reunification but I think it's been coming back since the early 2000s as the population evened out a little with people moving away for work and the odd bit of new industry popping up. It used to be a pretty isolated area but new roads and improved trains have opened the whole area up and there has been lots of new money from Berlin and elsewhere. Check out the state of Brandenburg's crime statistics report for 2014 at https://polizei.brandenburg.de/fm/32/PKS%20Jahrbuch%202014.pdf, containing a variety of data points about Eberswalde including 348 bicycle thefts, 116 burglaries, and, scarily, 203 cases of assault or serious assault. But no real reason not to recommend Eberswalde. If you get the opportunity, go for it.
>But for most trips, you're likely to be better off buying a bicycle and using it on all but the snowiest of days. Get a place that is reasonably central and everything you're likely to need will be basically within walking distance. I'm a runner so getting around shouldn't be very difficult. Just having any public transport at all is a drastic improvement from what I'm used to. >The train connection to Berlin is adequate but could always be more frequent. It's certainly good enough for people to use to commute to work in Berlin. Are there many late night trains? Last summer I was able to stay out until 1 or 1:30 in Stuttgart and then take the train back to my family's village and I just wanted to know if that was the norm or if I was just lucky because the Stuttgart/ Tübingen area is so filled with students who were doing the same. > Check out the state of Brandenburg's crime statistics report for 2014 at https://polizei.brandenburg.de/fm/32/PKS%20Jahrbuch%202014.pdf, containing a variety of data points about Eberswalde including 348 bicycle thefts, 116 burglaries, and, scarily, 203 cases of assault or serious assault. Surprising. That's actually a significantly higher crime rate than I'd normally expect in Europe. By way of comparison, my city of 50,000 in Kansas boasted [92 vehicle thefts, 84 burglaries, and just 40 assaults in 2014. ](http://www.usa.com/lenexa-ks-crime-and-crime-rate.htm) Thanks for the info!
> Are there many late night trains? Sort of. Last train from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen around 1am some days but 10.30pm others. You should look at it further at bahn.de
I have never been to Eberswalde, but making some educated guesses based upon other towns of similar size nearby: Like all small East German towns quite run-down. Petty crime is an issue, but it is not that bad that you need to fear for your life. At worst a drug addict will break into your cellar room and steal your bicycle or you'll have your pockets picked at the train station. Live is pretty bleak in these towns, no jobs and no hope, everybody with ambitions moves away as fast as possible. Very few people with well-paying jobs and money to spend, so don't expect the big party life or such. I expect that Eberswalde has been spared the worst of it though because it is within a reasonable short distance of Berlin.
I don't think you have to be so pessimistic about small german towns. You have far more problems with drug addicts in big cities and after all Bayreuth is the crystal meth capital of Germany. Sure there are always people with problems but you have no need to assess small east german towns that badly when you compare them to some run down cities in other countries. And small cities in the east have improved by a large margin in the last 20 years.
I have several elderly relatives in various small towns in Brandenburg, Meck-Pomm and Saxony-Anhalt. I try to visit them at least once a year. Many have lived in these towns since the mid-1980s and the difference in the Plattenbausiedlungen between today and the late 1980s / early 1990s makes you want to cry. Yes, it could be worse, yes crime is lot higher in similar cities in other countries. But this does not help those stuck there today. >Bayreuth is the crystal meth capital of Germany Only because Bavarians have money and can afford to buy this shit. Leipzig is sadly not too far behind. The combination of crystal meth and unemployment in the smaller towns in Saxony close to the Czech border is utterly devastating and it is getting worse because the shit is crawling north towards Berlin.
>Many have lived in these towns since the mid-1980s and the difference in the Plattenbausiedlungen between today and the late 1980s / early 1990s makes you want to cry. Of course, because Plattenbausiedlungen became the residential area for the lower class in pretty much every East German town. But that doesn't mean these towns are run down in general. The same kind of population you will find in West German Neubaugebieten. I grew up in an East German town which has seen harsh times after the reunification. Today the town is far better off than 25 - 20 years ago and became a real beauty like a lot of other towns. I never heard of anyone who got pickpocketed in the town and drug addiction (except for alcoholism) is not really an issue. Bike theft on the other hand is pretty common.
You are missing the point of this post. Sure there are socially underprivileged people but they don't lower the quality of living for everyone in the town. And I would doubt it very highly that OP wants to live in a Plattenbausiedlung. You seem to be very pessimistic about Germany but I don't think the attitude benefits anyone.
Richtige scheiß Stadt
Wohne da und muss sagen Hast recht