Living in a city center or near it has obvious advantages: the proximity to infrastructure (medicine, education, shopping), cultural and social life, even simply the aesthetic pleasure of being able to walk through streets etc. Let’s put it aside =)
The aspect I am curious about is the following one:
do people living in Zurich City have more empathy towards other inhabitants of Zurich City, i.e. “we are in the same boat” kind of feeling as compared to those who opt to leaving in nearby cantons?
does living in Zurich City/Zurich proper make it easier to make connections and find opportunities? I.e. in practice, is there any difference in a long run as compared to commuting from Zug or other nearby cantons?
I know it’s very subjective, and a bit of an odd question overall, but it’s kind of a strange thought that has been on my mind for a while so.
Maybe. On the one hand you are in the city, so you have more time to meet people in the city and can easily make events etc. On the other hand, a base outside the city gives you another community where you can meet people and you can also meet people on the train when commuting.
The thing is they want to force all poorer people out of Zurich. Then Zurich will become a city of boring yuppies and social climbers. Is that for you?
#1: there is a Zurich German dialect. If you don’t speak it, it will be really hard that experience that feeling of belonging. Welcome to the outsider life
Also first time in Switzerland? You should get used to the Swiss Stare
At the same time, there’s a bunch of immigrants in Zurich and it will be much easier to fit into that group. And there’s also a bunch of what people call “woke”, that are quite welcoming to immigrants. And in the end all we need is a group of friends, not being loved by the whole city.
I’ve also met people with some kind of pride of living in Zurich city. This pride is seen in the rent they pay. Just compare the rents, quality, furnishing and comfort offered by apartments in Zurich city and 30 min around by train and make your own conclusions.
What omtatsat says is also true. It’s not something we expect in Switzerland, but there’s people who complain about gentrification of Zurich and how foreign workers displace poor people from the city by driving rents up. That’s another thing that happens.
#2: It depends on your long term plans. Some cantons as ZH have simpler terms for naturalization, other cantons have much higher requisites.
Also about #2: I don’t know what you do in life but networking is an international thing. At least in my line of work we export services, sorry for the bsurd example but if I network in Switzerland it’s almost sure I will talk to a competitor and not with a potential paying customer
With all that said, I’m 40+ YO. If you’re early in your career, live in city center, find mentor(s) at your job, make the connections you mention, and party until sunrise.
