Pros and Cons of Moving to Brussels
Brussels, like any big city, has its share of low points, but overall, from those who live and work here, there is more to praise than pan. Brussels Expert Kimberley Lovato polled a handful of expat friends and here were the most noted pros and cons in each category.
Pros:
- Multicultural and multilingual society
- Excellent variety of foods, restaurants, ethnic food shops, and markets
- The choice of housing accommodation in varying sizes and price brackets
- Access to top-notch health service, from doctors to hospitals, at reasonable prices
- Excellent access to other European countries by train or plane
- English is widely spoken, if you're shy about speaking or haven’t yet learned the local language
- Language schools are ubiquitous. No excuses, except that English is widely spoken
- The people are mostly friendly, no matter where you're from, and are used to foreigners
- Lots of green space in and around the capital for biking and walking
- Thriving art and music scene
- Good schools for children and adults
- Safe to walk around by yourself (common sense applies)
- Reliable phone, internet, utility services at ok prices
- Not as crowded as Paris or London in the summer
- One of Europe's best kept secrets
Cons:
- The obscene rates of tax and the cost of employing staff
- The absolutely dire standards of customer service (when you can even find it)
- The weather
- Public transport to the airport may take longer than the flight itself
- Aggressive drivers and the idiotic “priority from the right” rule
- The architecture in some parts of the city makes East Berlin look like a charming fairy tale land
- The constant underlying battle between the Flemish and French speakers
- Parking and parking fines
- City could be cleaner, with facades polished up and graffiti erased
- Landlords. Some take advantage of expats. Be attentive and get everything in writing
