Zurich is one of the top places to live in Switzerland. The high life quality, minimal to no crime, cost of living and schooling can be well matched to meet your desired choice. This is the case since you have a wide variety of neighborhoods to choose from.
Zurich city center
It has trendy loft apartments, high cost of living and is best suited for singles or couples without children. Seefeld and Enge are preferred by bankers and lawyers while older locals prefer Fluntern and Zurichberg.
The city has 12 districts called Stadtkreise. They are simply numbered from 1 to 12; each one of these districts may contain anywhere between 1 and 4 neighborhoods. There are a total of 34 neighborhoods here are some of the most well-known: Niederdorf, City/Lindenhof, Seefeld, Langstrasse, Zurich West, Enge & Wollishofen, and Zurich Nord.
Surrounding cities and towns
If you want lower living costs, its neighboring cities and towns are worth considering. They include:
- Greifensee (18km from the city center): it is popular with runners and cyclists, has proximity to international schools and is best for families.
- Zurcher Unterland (18km north of the city center): it is the best place to own property, live on a smaller budget and raise a family. It has English-speaking services on offer as well. However, it suffers from noise pollution to the nearby airport.
- Pfannenstiel and Albis regions (20km southeast of the city center): it is close to international schools. The place is pricey but cheaper compared to Greifensee.
- Zurcher Oberland and Weinland (each 25km from the city center): it has beautiful architecture, good-value properties and is the best place to integrate into the Swiss lifestyle fully. However, it lacks English-speaking expats and is best suited for those who understand some German.
Other cities include:
- Thalwil (12km from the city center)
- Herrliberg (15km from the city center)
- Horgen (15km from the city center)
- Mannedorf (20km from the city center)
- Baden (25km from the city center)
Zurich surrounding areas
If you don’t fancy the bustle and hustle of the city, these cities will impress you and make your stay worth the while:
- Aarau – it is popular with commuters, offer a pleasant change of pace and pedestrianized areas.
- Zug – it has more companies than its population can suffice, is exceptionally beautiful and offers an excellent skiing opportunity.
- Winterthur – it’s the most beautiful commuter town with stunning architecture and natural beauty.
