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Moving to Kronberg Frankfurt

Last activity 26 May 2021 by TominStuttgart

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harrymcanoida

Hello All

I am moving to Kronberg in next couple of months with my family (wife & 2 kids). I heard this place is 15-20 KM from Frankfurt. I am looking a accommodation where I could find good English schools.
I  am from Noida, India and generally speak Hindi and English. So any India community near to this place.

Thanks
Hari

beppi

You cannot expect an Indian "community" in a small place like Kronberg. But there is probably something in Frankfurt. However, when moving to a foreign country you should be open for social interaction with locals and other foreigners, of which there are of course far more possibilities.
Also, you must learn German. Even if you are lucky enough to have an English-speaking workplace (which are uncommon in Germany!), your private life (and that of your wife and kids, who do not share the workplace) would be severely limited without.
There is no international school at Kronberg (only several public German schools), but the Frankfurt area of course offers various choices:
https://www.international-schools-datab … rt-am-main
Please note that private schools are pretty expensive here (budget at least €1000/month per kid) and not necessarily better than public schools (which are free of charge) - the main differences, besides cost, are language of instruction (English vs. German) and location (commute by car or public transport vs. walkable neighbourhood).
Since the kids must learn German anyway (except if you plan to return to your country in a year or so), I recommend public school. Many of them offer preparatory classes where foreign kids are brought up to speed (not only in the language) to join the normal stream. Depending on their age and ability, they might lose a few months to a year academically, but it gives them other skills that will be useful later in life. In addition, having friends in the neighbourhood is irreplaceable for social integration and wellbeing.

TominStuttgart

Beppi gave a great response.

I looked at the link he gave and saw that the Eramus Frankfurter school cost a maximum of around 7000 Euros for a academic year which is clearly less than most private schools that cost 10,000+ euros. It is also fairly central in Frankfurt and within a couple hundred meters of the Ostend S-Bahn station. So one could theoretically take an S-Bahn directly from Kronberg to Frankfurt Ostend on the line number 4 to get there but it would be a minimum of 40 minutes.

For a child of 12 or older this might come in question if one is really sure a private school is the best option. I would not recommend such a journey for younger children; it would be considered out of the question in America for kids younger than say 15 or 16, if at all to make such a daily travel alone.

But like Beppi mentioned, public schools are good and free and usually the best long term option.

harrymcanoida

Hello Beppi

Thanks so much for your reply. I have started learning German and before reaching I would have have  few understanding.

Could you please help me to chose one location between Kronberg & Düsseldorf  based on Kids School  and house rent. Currently I am in USA and I am a Indian citizen.

Thanks
Hari

beppi

Sorry, I know neither the areas you mentioned nor your expectations and preferences well enough to make a recommendation.
Normally people prefer to stay near their workplace, but the area you mentioned is far bigger than a daily commute allows.

TominStuttgart

harrymcanoida wrote:

Hello Beppi

Thanks so much for your reply. I have started learning German and before reaching I would have have  few understanding.

Could you please help me to chose one location between Kronberg & Düsseldorf  based on Kids School  and house rent. Currently I am in USA and I am a Indian citizen.

Thanks
Hari


Nobody can decide for you! But if you really consider paying for such a international school then it is likely best to actually live in Düsseldorf so that the child hasn't so far to go to school. But this would mean a long commute to work. Such commutes are a nightmare in daily traffic so best done by public transportation if the connections are good. And you will have to find accommodation on your own or possibly your employer can hire someone to assist. But you should be looking for an apartment and NOT a house. One is not likely to find or be able to afford a house; most people, even well-off ones, live in apartments. Expecting to get a house would mean drastically reducing the possibilities in an already  tight housing market.

ALKB

harrymcanoida wrote:

Could you please help me to chose one location between Kronberg & Düsseldorf  based on Kids School  and house rent.


Why Düsseldorf?

harrymcanoida

my job location is there

beppi

harrymcanoida wrote:
ALKB wrote:

Why Düsseldorf?


my job location is there


Then why Kronberg???
The two of them are nearly 3 hours drive from each other (one way), even if there is no traffic jam (which, around Cologne/Bonn and in Düsseldorf itself, frequently occur), so daily commuting is definitely out.
Unless you want to see your family only on weekends, I recommend you look for a residence near Düsseldorf.

harrymcanoida

Hello Beppi

Sorry I am confused among locations. Actually my employer is giving me three locations to work and I have to chose one.

1.Düsseldorf
2. Kronberg
3. Munich

I know that Munich is expensive in comparison other two locations.   So now I am confused which location I should chose between Düsseldorf & Kronberg. I am ok with public school.

Thanks
Hari

beppi

Munich is expensive for a reason: It is popular as a cosmopolitan place with a big international community and the best lifestyle choices in Germany.
Düsseldorf is a large, industrial city with a good foreign population (many Japanese and other East Asians) and part of Germany's largest urban agglomeration, the Ruhrgebiet.
Kronberg is a small, rural town, from where you will have to travel to Frankfurt (30min drive or 20min by train) for many (especially non-German) things.
There are plenty of public schools in all three places, so that should not be a concern.

Money is not everything, but according to numbeo.com, a family of four needs (per month, on average)
- €1500 for rent and €2738 for all else in Düsseldorf (centre) - moving to the suburbs can reduce the rent to €1138
- €1414 for rent and €2906 for all else in suburban Frankfurt (Kronberg could be a bit cheaper, but is too small to feature in the statistics)
- €2232 for rent and €3082 for all else in Munich (centre) - moving to the suburbs can reduce the rent to €1693
Your decision on public or private school, or your choice of car and how much you drive it, will have a bigger impact on your finances.

TominStuttgart

Since you seem to have more or less narrowed the choice to Kronberg and Düsseldorf it would of course make no sense to live in Kronberg if you work in Düsseldorf – or practically vice versa. If you really want to spend the money for an International school then living and working in Düsseldorf makes the most sense. Düsseldorf is also much larger, international and thus more interesting. If you prefer a small, quiet, but a bit boring place and are OK with public school, then Kronberg might be the best and cheapest option.

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