Living in Aarhus

Here follows an expat view of Aarhus, for someone contemplating coming to live here from outside Denmark.  Aarhus is a small town.  This has advantages: it means that it's manageable, feels cosy, is cyclable, has a great road system, isn't stressful, has gorgeous countryside within close reach.  It cannot be said to have any kind of vibrant life and isn't what I would call a city.  Aarhusians would probably disagree. As to cultural life, there is a good concert hall and music programme, but tickets are so expensive you can't go, quite unlike London, eg.  There are restaurants, but good and reasonably priced ones do not seem to exist.  Perhaps because people in Aarhus just don't seem to have the habit of going out. 

The only social life visible is bars, of which there are some nice ones, and some students at the university and other youngs go. 

As to making friends as a foreigner, it is hard to do.  In residential neighborhoods people are very busy and just don't have time. It is not just a question of national shyness.  Danish society isn't very open unless you are very young.  This tendency is more pronounced here in Jutland. 

So it is important to be clear what you want in the place you plan to live.

hi,
would you please inform me which city of Denmark is good to live in aspect of having low living cost, find job easily , and make new friends?
As i am planning to come to Denmark on 2012 to continue my life there, i have to gather information as much as i can.
thkx
sarden

LucySW wrote:

Here follows an expat view of Aarhus, for someone contemplating coming to live here from outside Denmark.  Aarhus is a small town.  This has advantages: it means that it's manageable, feels cosy, is cyclable, has a great road system, isn't stressful, has gorgeous countryside within close reach.  It cannot be said to have any kind of vibrant life and isn't what I would call a city.  Aarhusians would probably disagree. As to cultural life, there is a good concert hall and music programme, but tickets are so expensive you can't go, quite unlike London, eg.  There are restaurants, but good and reasonably priced ones do not seem to exist.  Perhaps because people in Aarhus just don't seem to have the habit of going out. 

The only social life visible is bars, of which there are some nice ones, and some students at the university and other youngs go. 

As to making friends as a foreigner, it is hard to do.  In residential neighborhoods people are very busy and just don't have time. It is not just a question of national shyness.  Danish society isn't very open unless you are very young.  This tendency is more pronounced here in Jutland. 

So it is important to be clear what you want in the place you plan to live.

LucySW can read minds, at least she wrote what i thought
i haven't tried the pubs so much, (only once)
it is quite difficult to go out, when u don't have "contacts" enough...
i've been to a few danish parties, but the drinking culture here is a bit too much for me, and then u dont have anyone to talk, because everyone is so drunk, at leat that what i've experienced, might be fun for the youngers though...

there is a restaurant i would like to recommend, it is a italian restaurant near the "havn in århus. good food (i'm very picky) and reasonable prices. i think it is called restaurant italia.


about low cost life in Denmark???? hm.... maybe in vestjylland, but u only will get smaller cities

Many thanks for your information

As posted formerly I find it pretty hard to find a room as a foreigner. If you're a student, then the university does a good service in finding you a room,. but if not, its quite difficult. Plus its really expensive as you have to pay the website Boligportal plus a lot of deposit money.

Additionally finding a job in Aarhus is not that easy since there are no known webpages which have valuable student job offerings.... So, those two things could be ameliorated in the longterm.

Best,
Kim