April 2006
The Big Question Is...
should I stay or should I go?
It’s inevitable. Go out with a bunch of expats and the conversation always gets around to future plans—namely, whether to stay in Munich or not. Such a discussion tends to start with a mutual rant about our latest grumpy encounters in shops / restaurants / public transport and the like, before moving on to the sort of Munich admiration session that born-and-bred Bavarians would struggle to uphold. Littering the conversation with various takes on the sentence “where else in the world…,” we gush, merrily, for hours. “Where else in the world can you go to a world-class football match in the afternoon, watch world-class opera in the evening, then enjoy a night cap in a world-class jazz bar afterwards?” “Where else in the world do you have anything like the Viktualienmarkt?” “Where else in the world is beer considered a form of nutrition?” And so it goes on. Patting ourselves on the back for having chosen to live in such a damn fine city, we struggle to find things to swing the argument in the other direction—the best a friend of mine could come up with is that Munich is far too safe. She misses the big, bad world, the grit, the smoke… So we try to balance things out by considering the cost of living in Munich. Are we paying above the odds for this wonderful lifestyle? But, even there, it seems there’s little München can do to offend. Ok, so renting a glorious
Altbau apartment with high ceilings and wooden floors might not be cheap, but that’s about the only thing. “Where else in the world can you get a cracking, filling meal for less than € 10 than in a Bavarian pub?” we ask. “Where else in the world can you get delicious, local fresh fruit and vegetables on every street corner, cheaper than in the supermarket?” Munich may have a reputation for being expensive but, as cities go, it doesn’t fare too badly. Indeed, this month, we’ve looked into whether Munich really is as expensive a place as its critics (whoever they may be) make out. Check out our findings on page 20 before you decide to pack your bags and head home. Another criticism of the city is its conservatism. But, even here, things are moving in the right direction. Check out our food pages (pp. 16–17) to discover how traditional Bavarian food is undergoing a bit of a makeover to bring it into the 21st century. Nor is Munich a lame duck when it comes to the entertainment scene. We’ve been sniffing out some of the city’s hottest live music venues, which have been attracting top acts from around the world for years. No doubt you can think of many more fabulous things about Munich—and we’d love to hear from you! We’re planning a special feature on what we love about the city for our summer issue, so send us your thoughts now, either by e-mailing me (
jill@munichfound.com) or by sending a fax ([089] 480 88 70). Of course, Munich isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, as our reporter discovered when she invited her vegan Mom to come and visit (read her account in “The Last Word,” p. 50). Difficult though it is to believe, it seems Schweinshaxe for breakfast, dinner and tea is not everyone’s idea of paradise….
