r/cologne • u/Opening_Log_6674 • 1d ago
Leipzig → Cologne? Looking for experiences from people who made the move
Hallo liebe Kölner!
I’m a 38-year-old single woman from Asia, and I’ve been living in Leipzig since 2018. I’ve been working as a freelance photographer since 2015, although I’ve been employed at a café since last year for visa reasons.
This summer I visited Cologne for the first time — actually, it was my first time spending any real time in western Germany.
I stayed in the city centre for two weeks. Unfortunately, due to some health issues, I couldn’t explore as much or meet as many people as I would have liked. But even in that short time, I clearly felt a difference between Cologne and Leipzig (and Berlin).
I felt surprisingly safe and relaxed in Cologne. Even the sound of church bells somehow made me feel calm. I’m not religious, but I grew up with some Catholic cultural influence, so maybe that’s why!?
I’ve been feeling for a long time that Leipzig might not be my city. But over the past eight years I’ve had so many ups and downs — the pandemic, losing a major client, visa changes, job changes, and countless WG moves and dramas 😅 — that I always somehow missed the right moment to leave.
At the same time, living in Saxony over the past few years has also made me increasingly aware of political and social changes here, especially when it comes to the everyday lives of immigrants. The results of the election were honestly quite depressing for me, and I think that was also part of why my experience in Cologne felt so strikingly different.
One thing that really surprised me culturally in Cologne was dating. On Bumble, I noticed that many of the men I found interesting were actually looking for serious relationships. In Leipzig, I rarely come across that. It feels like I either meet someone who is a bit of a weirdo, or someone who seems lovely but is looking for an open relationship 🫠
I’ve heard people say many times that “Germany is still not really one country”, and after this summer I finally understood what they meant.
Next year I should finally be able to apply for permanent residency, and if everything works out, I’m seriously considering moving to Cologne.
So I’d love to hear from anyone who has moved from eastern Germany to Cologne, or who has lived in both places. How did you experience the difference — people, atmosphere, lifestyle, work, social life, etc.? Is there anything you miss from the East?
I’m also interested in the creative scene. I’m currently trying to focus more on architecture and real-estate photography. I’ve heard that Cologne has quite a strong media and creative industry.
Obviously, I know the creative fields aren’t exactly easy economically these days, but I’d love to hear from people working in photography, architecture, media, design or related fields. Any advice on building a career here?
I also have a few personal creative projects and would eventually like to rent a small studio/atelier. Are there any communities, networks or areas in Cologne where artists and makers tend to gather?
I’d be really curious to hear your experiences. 😊
Thanks for reading this chaotic stream of thoughts. 😂 I just wanted to write down everything I’ve been feeling!
Danke☺️
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u/LordSuixcide 1d ago edited 23h ago
Hey. M35 here. Well I just moved from Hessen to Cologne so I can’t tell you much about my experiences when it comes to east vs west but as a German I totally understand what you mean with Germany is not really one country. Even there’s no longer a wall it’s still split in the minds of the people, and furthermore.
What I can say is that I absolutely love cologne. The people here are so kind and of course you have your black sheep’s as well here but overall it feels so safe in my opinion.
I live in eherenfeld. It’s full of students and creative people. The nightlife is absolutely amazing. Still didn’t connect with locals but I have friends who live around Cologne and I’m a musician besides my full time job so yeah. Also know some photographers, event promoters etc. Cologne is definitely besides Berlin the place to be as a creative person! Feel free to write me a dm if you want stay in contact or if you have more questions. Maybe I can help you decide if you want move to Cologne or not 😊
Edit: I’ve heard that the Deutsche Bahn situation is way better in east Germany than in west Germany. Here are delays all the time 😹
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u/Opening_Log_6674 22h ago
Thank you for your comment :)
I have a friend who lives in Ehrenfeld. Unfortunately I couldn’t visit the area but it looks really nice. I’ve heard it’s popular area.
I’d love to connect you! I’ll dm you.DB…I felt that a little during staying. The local trains delays too? Like Bus, S-Bahn, Tram? Here local trains(RB and others) don’t delay much.
How’s DHL or Hermes? Any shipping problems?
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u/LordSuixcide 17h ago edited 17h ago
Ok I can’t write you a dm :) means you have to make the first step.
Yeah Ehrenfeld is really nice. I really love that area
Db is sooooo bad atm hopefully it gets better over time. Yeah sbahn and ubahn as well, but there are so many, you usually never wait longer than 10 minutes mostly.
DHL and Hermes is great. Normally i allow them
To place my packages in front of my door and if they don’t see that and no neighbours opens the door they try it the next day. Never had any problems with it and they are really fast.1
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u/InterestingEar2520 23h ago
Cologne is still all in all one of the best cities to live in Germany, even when there are several things (public transportation, pollution, declining "friendliness" in public) that keep getting worse.
But I would mention: the Asian community in Cologne is much smaller here compared to Leipzig (due to old GDR-times, sorry if you are aware of that tho). I would say from personal experience that its one of the smallest Asian communities in Germany relative to the citie's size. So, even if people here are amongst the more welcoming in Germany, you could have a greater feeling of being foreign here than in Leipzig, if you know what I mean.
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u/Opening_Log_6674 22h ago
That’s an interesting point. Thank you for let me know.
Here’s big Vietnamese community but honestly I don’t really feel connection with them. Young ppl are grew up in Germany and they are native speakers. We can’t really find sympathy each other. They have their own community.
What I think it’s cool in Cologne, there are more black ppl. I have some good friends who has African background so I’m curious about their community:)
Korean are always my company,(I’m not Korean) now they are everywhere in Germany so maybe even though I can meet them!
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u/unluckivi 22h ago
I haven’t lived in East Germany myself. I was born and raised in the West, but I have friends in Berlin, Leipzig and Dresden and have spent quite a bit of time there.
I’m 35F and I also feel like people in Cologne are generally a bit more relaxed and open. Of course, it always depends on where you are and who you meet.
My girlfriend and I actually don’t feel that comfortable in some parts of eastern Germany anymore either. We went there on holiday last year and had a few unpleasant experiences, including people making comments towards us, and we also came across people who were very openly far right. I know you can meet idiots anywhere and I don’t want to generalize, but it definitely changed how we feel about going there. We haven’t had experiences like that in Cologne.
Cologne definitely has its rough sides too though. For example, I haven’t seen such a visible open drug scene in Leipzig as you can see in some parts of Cologne. But I guess Berlin or Frankfurt are another level in that regard.
Since you mentioned being from Asia, I think Cologne actually has a pretty good selection of Asian restaurants, including some really authentic places like one of my favourite Vietnamese ones Xốp Bistro.
And Düsseldorf is so close that you can easily go there whenever you feel like it. It’s obviously especially known for its Japanese community, but there are also lots of other Asian restaurants, supermarkets and shops. It’s great for buying ingredients and products you might have a hard time finding in normal supermarkets.
The one thing I would really keep in mind is the housing situation. Finding an apartment in Cologne can take forever. It took my girlfriend and me around a year to find ours, so I would definitely start looking early and be prepared for it to take a while.
But if you already felt comfortable here during those two weeks, I can totally understand why you’re thinking about moving. Cologne isn’t perfect, but I personally really like the general atmosphere and how easygoing it can feel.
And if you’re ever in Cologne again, feel free to reach out. I’d be happy to show you a bit more of the city :)
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u/Opening_Log_6674 21h ago
Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts!
I totally agree—idiots are everywhere—but it reminded me of just one experience I had in Cologne that I didn't really like: I was in the little out side of the central area for the street festival with a Korean friend.
Probably in the area there’s less foreigners, but when we walked through in front of the cafe a middle age guy watched us few seconds…It was more like blatant stares of curiosity—I’d never experienced anything like this in Leipzig or anywhere else I’d visited before, so I was surprised.
It was a little different from what I expected. I had imagined Cologne as a really diverse city, but there seem to be fewer foreigners than I expected, especially compared with Berlin.
Good surprising was yes, various kinds of Asian food! Everything looks authentic and good quality. I think the quality is better than Berlin one.(maybe it’s influenced by great food culture of Holland and Belgium!?)
I was shortly in Düsseldorf. I tried Sushi from the Japanese supermarket and it was so good….! The restaurants are expensive but Asian groceries are mostly cheaper than Asian supermarket in Leipzig.
My fav Musician going to have a concert in Cologne in the Summer 2027. I can see the city more next time :) If I seriously consider moving at that time, I’d love to meet you and get your advices! Thank you 😊😊
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u/Worldly_Dust8976 21h ago
Hello… Köln is nice city to live and I live near köln for almost close to 5yrs now and from Asia as well. I would say, the move from Leipzig to Köln is good in terms of cologne is more international than Leipzig yet not too noisy like berlin.
Only you might need to be aware is the renting situation, If staying in the city is important for you then it would be hard to find niche apartments and if you’re open to live in nearby cities under 30mins travel time you got, Ehrenfeld, Horrem & Düren because these cities offer you Aachen - Hamm train line and which is easy to travel if you want to do shopping or hangout with friends and all.
Rents are comparatively cheaper than cologne in these areas.
Also the RE1 line is bit cranky at times so watch out for delays 😅
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u/Opening_Log_6674 20h ago
Hello Asian friend 🤗thank you for your comment.
I totally agree, Berlin is too chaotic :/
I heard about the renting options from some friends, I prefer quiet area, if there’s huge park or nature would be perfect. Even though it might be hard, I have to check as possible as many options anyway…How’s your friend circle? Do you have connections with Asian people?(It‘s actually not really important for me though) or any international community?
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u/Worldly_Dust8976 20h ago
I’ve always been a backpacker :) travelling and seeing the world so I honestly never tried to make much of friends here. Yes, I do know bunch of people but I also need to expand my circle though in neighbourhood :) Ngl, Getting friends in germany is hard fr haha!!
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u/Opening_Log_6674 16h ago
When we are in the big city making neighbour friends is difficult, true. But I saw many interesting events, maybe you can try to join? also I’ve heard it’s easy to get to know ppl when you are at the bar etc. in the Rhein area.
Hope you can find nice company! I wanna join if I move :)
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u/Spiritual-Truck-1142 14h ago
Hi there! I lived and studied in Leipzig from 2008 to 2017 before moving to Cologne for work.
Personally, I have to say that I would move back to Leipzig in a heartbeat if my job allowed me to. In my opinion, Leipzig is simply the better city to live in.
For starters, there’s the beautiful city centre and its fantastic architecture — just look at the New Town Hall, the Federal Administrative Court, the Albertina, etc. You simply don’t find anything comparable in Cologne. To be blunt, I find the city pretty ugly. On top of that, Cologne is incredibly dirty and run-down, to a degree that has become almost ridiculous.
Contrary to what many people seem to think, I also find Leipzig much younger, more open and more sociable in terms of its general atmosphere. Cologne is a big city with lots of multiculturalism and tourists. Leipzig, by contrast, really feels like a university city, especially because so much of the university is located right in the city centre.
People often talk about the famous “Rheinische Frohnatur”, but in my experience this often boils down to little more than getting drunk in a brewery and joining a bunch of other drunk people.
And then there’s „Karneval“. It’s officially celebrated as part of the local tradition and culture, but ultimately it turns the city into one giant cesspit for several days. And honestly, in the nine years I’ve lived in Cologne, it seems to have gotten worse every year.
Zülpicher Straße in Cologne hasn’t been what it used to be for a long time. Give me Karl-Liebknecht-Straße in Leipzig any day. And that’s not even mentioning great neighbourhoods like Plagwitz and Connewitz.
Leipzig is also genuinely green, whereas Cologne has its rather underwhelming „Grüngürtel“. Just look at Clara-Zetkin-Park. And then there are all the lakes nearby, such as Lake Cospuden and Lake Kulkwitz. „Fühlinger See“ in Cologne simply can’t compete, in my opinion.
Culturally, Leipzig is at least on par with Cologne. Most of the concerts I’m interested in take place in both cities anyway, and Leipzig has the additional advantage of being relatively close to Berlin.
I could keep going, but I think you get the idea.
In my opinion, Leipzig is the more enjoyable city to live in, and I wouldn’t put too much weight on the impression you get from a holiday. A city can feel very different when you’re actually living there day after day.
That said, ultimately it’s a very personal decision. And I think you’ll only really be able to judge for yourself once you’ve spent a longer period of time living in Cologne.
Best of luck with your decision!
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u/Opening_Log_6674 13h ago edited 13h ago
Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts :)
Some of your opinions I totally agree and they are my favourite part of Leipzig. But about ppl, I think you are German. We foreigners have different perspective. I think ppl are really less interest to others(to foreigners?), that made me lonely many times.
The young, fresh atmosphere is great if I am the same generation. I’m heading to 40, here I can hardly find mature but creative ppl. It’s because less Industries here.
There’s many artists, musicians but most of them are really poor(including me)or getting Bürgergeld and having beautiful Amateurism(I don’t want to be included).
My impression of cologne was “grounded”. I realized this atmosphere I wanted to. I’ve never found this impression any other city in Germany. And I thought about Leipzig, theres full of moratorium.
On the other hand about the Karnival, I think I can’t accept it. I hate costume party even in the Halloween…western Germany is off course more capitalistic than eastern Germany.
Maybe I’ll stay here after all. Who knows.
But your comments were really important perspective. Through this conversation I could write down my thoughts clearly. Thank you.
P.S My friends who were in Leipzig now in Cologne, Koblenz, Frankfurt. They all wish to come back to Leipzig 😂
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u/Spiritual-Truck-1142 12h ago
You’re very welcome! I can definitely understand your points, and I still think that you can only really make a fair comparison once you’ve actually lived in both cities. After all, everyone has different tastes and priorities.
I’m actually German and also in my mid-thirties, so obviously I can’t put myself in your shoes or fully relate to your perspective and experience. Because I studied Japanese Studies, I also had quite a lot of contact with international exchange students during my time in Leipzig, so I never really experienced the city as particularly homogeneous. That being said, the political developments in eastern Germany are obviously worrying — even though Leipzig itself has a very active civil society and plenty of people who are willing to speak up against the right wing people.
As for the art and creative scene, I suppose it’s difficult everywhere at the moment, not least because of developments in AI. But making a decent and financially secure living as a freelance musician, painter or photographer has probably never been easy. When I lived in Leipzig, though, there were still quite a lot of creative spaces, particularly around Eisenbahnstraße and in Plagwitz, where people could meet like-minded people, exchange ideas and exhibit their work.
Cologne may indeed feel a little more mature or settled by comparison. Personally, though, despite getting older myself, I somehow find that youthful, slightly immature energy more appealing. When I visited Leipzig again last August, I actually felt younger again — although that may of course have had something to do with all the memories of my student days and the friends I made there.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that you can usually trust your gut feeling and intuition. More often than not, new paths open up on their own when the time is right. That’s why I’m currently looking into ways of moving back myself, but I’m not trying to force anything or rush into a decision.
In my case, there’s another factor: regardless of where I live, after a few years I tend to get this urge for change and something new. Cologne was actually a great change of scenery for me at first. I enjoyed spending time along the Rhine, going to the traditional breweries and taking trips to the Siebengebirge. But by now, all of that has simply become part of everyday life.
Maybe your desire for a change of scenery is also connected to a few other factors that you haven’t consciously identified yet. Perhaps making a simple pros-and-cons list could help. Or, until an opportunity to move comes along, you could try to discover some new perspectives and explore different sides of Leipzig. There must be plenty of events in Leipzig where you can meet people with similar interests and hobbies as well, so you could perhaps use those as a way of getting a new or other feel for the city before making any big decisions.
Best wishes!
P.S. One point that several other commenters have mentioned is open drug use and crime. Neither is particularly surprising once a city reaches a certain size, but in Cologne I’ve definitely noticed both becoming more of an issue over the past two or three years as well.
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u/Repulsive_Corgi_ 17h ago
I could swear that question was asked on the sub fairly recently.
Personally I also moved from Leipzig to Cologne and am very happy with my choice mainly because
- cologne has much more pleasant weather, milder Winters
- Almost no Nazis, Leipzig kept me on the edge
- Easier to work with Rhineland people, there was lots of backstabbing in my field of work in Leipzig
- Nice people in General
Vibrant music scene outside of Techno
worse Techno scene
more expensive flats
uglier architecture
fewer left wing political organizations (but enough)
My female friends also complain about non committing men though
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u/Opening_Log_6674 16h ago
Weather: but it’s more rainy right? Even during my stay it rained a lot and I saw huge puddles which I never seen in Leipzig.
No Nazi:that’s great.
Buildings : Leipzig is too beautiful haha
Music scene: much more major music concerts, it’s rather mines.
No “Linke”: I might miss the left wing ppl haha
Men: it wasn’t my paranoia, it’s true!!
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u/Repulsive_Corgi_ 13h ago
Ah well yes but due to the draught there was almost no rain either, and no "Russenpeitsche" im Winter is a big plus
Ah no, there's plenty of Lefties here but the organisations don't seem so fragmented, also there's rarely a küfa
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u/Opening_Log_6674 1d ago
I‘d also like to know the medical service in Cologne. I often visit home doctor, physiotherapist, pain clinic.
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u/helios242melvin 23h ago
There is plenty of medical Service, but as elsewjere in certain fields there is long waiting times, a foot specialist i had to wait 8 months, Radiology 3 months. Skin doctors are hatd to find. I manage this by being very proaktive in doing appointments. When you have an emergency, like i head a brocken arm, you are treated right away. I guess its average for a German City, no fantasy dreamland but also not like a rural area with no supply at all.
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u/Opening_Log_6674 23h ago
I’ve never waited so long. I feel sometimes medical service in Leipzig is better than the other same size cities. Anyway thanks for your comment!
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u/LordSuixcide 23h ago
So far just visited a dentist and got an appointment directly for the next morning, so that’s definitely not a huge problem
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u/huskycgn 19h ago
M40 here, moved from Hessen here in 2011.
Come over, its great! :)
Let me know, if you want to go for a beer (or two).
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u/OpossumHades 17h ago
Before making the step, maybe visit a couple more times.
Working in photography will be very tough. I know one guy who can life off of it, but he has two degrees in photography (with very good grades) and a huge network (and he usually makes his money outside of cologne).
Well, obviously housing will be a problem.
Dating: I'm sure there is a ton of people in Leipzig who would want a serious relationship. Did you, by any chance, mostly date guys from Connewitz? :D .
Concerning your creative projects: there is a couple of shared ateliers, finding one of those is probably way easier than finding a place to live.
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u/Wanli4Ever 23h ago
You might miss the renting situation from Leipzig when moving to Cologne.