"What do you mean you like living there?" – Kassel Nordstadt

The Kasseler Nordstadt. This is a point over which new residents in Kassel, Kassel natives and Kassel natives with long family histories in the city easily start to disagree about. Some think it's a useless neighborhood while others think it's an area where you can live very well. We'll explore why I belong to the ladder school of thought in this article.

So much green in the park.

But first to the facts: in comparison to other areas Nord-Holland, as Nordstadt is officially named, is a socially underprivileged area. About one in four to one in five is unemployed. At the same time, a number of large factories have moved into the area, which have left traces especially in the northernmost sections of Nordstedt. A little further south is the largest school in Kassel, the Elisabeth-Knipping Vocational Training Center. In the southern part is also the Kassel University whose large expansion project will swallow even more space than the current campus already does.

Colorful Neighborhood

Graffiti-art at theHall of Fame Liebigstraße

The mix is what makes this neighborhood attractive to me. You notice in the bars, of which there are many, that there is a variety of people here. You can really experience the multicultural flair during big events such as the spring festival at Kulturzentrum Schlachthof or during the late-summer Mind the Gap Festival in Nordstadtpark. There are many good Turkish bakeries, too. Students from all over the world come together to bring the university campus to life. There's a real sense of community in the streets and parks here in summer, the Nordstadtpark is used very often for grilling, especially by students. An active neighborhood in the truest sense of the word. 🙂

My Tips for Going Out

“Café Hurricane” has great food: cakes for a decent price and a nice outdoor area with good breakfasts. The Nordstadtpark and the Kulturzentrum Schlachthof are also directly across the way. It's nice to sit and talk late into the night here.

Art centre Schlachthof

“Café Nordpol”, located just around the corner from the university, has great breakfast. The baguettes are really worth a try.

Concerts and other cultural events routinely take place at the “Kulturzentrum Schlachthof”, as you might guess from the name. Many international and still-undiscovered artists perform here as well.

For those who like to watch soccer, check out the “Bei Ali” bar and döner shop. The owner is a St. Pauli fan and the Nordstadt locals come here to watch league games as well as to eat and drink.

Punk Rock and things in that direction can be heard later at night at “Mutter”. This cult bar/club opens pretty late and stands apart with its inexpensive drink prices and unusual decoration inside.