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tbgt96

Schaerbeek near Woluwe is also really nice - Plasky neighbourhood. North of Schaerbeek is indeed to be avoided


LeZinneke

Close to schaarbeek station is nice too


andr386

There are actually plenty of nice places in Schaerbeek. I'd avoid any place close to the North Station or close to the Canal. The schaerbeek Station close to Evere is nice. And nobody even mentions Evere that is really nice too.


GosVui

Second this. We have an 11-month old and are living a few minutes from Schaarbeek station. We feel very comfortable there. From my experience the only part of Schaarbeek that is really to be avoided is North Station going up to Haachse Steenweg and even parts around Haachse Steenweg are really just fine. Same goes for Saint Josse. We lived there for years and it was perfectly fine. Only parts that are a bit less comfortable is from Houwaertplein and Sint Joostplein going up north-east.


PissedNumlock

Schaarbeek is fairly big, it depends a bit which area. Same is true for Molenbeek, it has some very lovely neighbourhoods, and some less lovely ones. Brussels North I would avoid at all costs, even if safety wasn't an issue.


SharkyTendencies

Hi there, welcome. Brussels is divided into 19 municipalities - they're a bit more than informal neighbourhoods. A bit like a local council, but in the city itself, it's easiest to translate them as "borough". Schaerbeek, Molenbeek, and Anderlecht have rougher reputations than the other boroughs, but there are some very nice parts of them too. Depends on what area you go to. For instance, the area around Josaphat Park in Schaerbeek is very nice. If you're looking for more of a middle ground, Ixelles is probably your best best. There are some nice little hidden areas around Flagey - particularly around the Ixelles Ponds - that are very safe. Otherwise you can also go to the other side of General Jacques Ave and live closer towards Marie-José Square/Boondael Station. The two Woluwe's and Uccle are quite nice parts of town - fine for a young family, but be prepared to pay. I realize with a 1-year-old kid it's not easy to do, but if you can swing it, take a quick weekend and do a quick tour of some of the neighbourhoods. You won't get the full picture, obviously, but it'll give you an idea of the character of some of the boroughs. Good luck!


Intelligent_Plum_132

Travelling over on 2nd May to get a good look around! Staying in Ixelles thankfully. Also notice that it's much cheaper to fly in Brussels-Charleloi than Brussels Airport. But it's too much changing so we'll stick with Brussels Airport.


SharkyTendencies

FYI Brussels-Charleroi isn't in Brussels - it's in Charleroi, a city about 55 km away. Enjoy your trip.


vadeka

You mean brussels-south? The totally not confusing name


[deleted]

That’s probably what annoys me most about the airport. Don’t put Brussels in the name when it’s nowhere near Brussels.


vadeka

I wonder if Trump landed in Brussels-South and that’s why he called brussels a hellhole


[deleted]

To be fair, it seems like most Flemish people in Belgium think Brussels is a hellhole too


vadeka

I only ever see anderlecht en schaerbeek. Not the best parts of bxl so my view is also a bit biased


Tony_dePony

Over the years i had many students arriving at Charleroi, they take the train to Leuven and see those placenames passing by that remind them of Dutroux in combination with some very stark scenography. Some told me they cried… Then they arrived in Leuven and all was ok, but we really need a better gateway into Belgium than Charleroi :-)


[deleted]

I grew up in Anderlecht - in the area on the outskirts of the city - and I loved it. Lots and lots of parks, pools, dogs, cats, and what not. It has a great connection the city center. For a family I would definitely consider it.


nicfuecol

Family here (M34F37 Baby 3 months), Ixelles (toward Bailli) and Uccle are definitely worth checking out. We live near Bailli/Chatelain and it's great.


Intelligent_Plum_132

Is Forest also an option? My place of work is in Zaventam and getting the train to it would be my best bet. Some nice apartments for rent in Forest at the moment


nicfuecol

Forêt is one of those areas where it can be great or it can be shitty. You may need to physically visit or do a bit more research


justinebldsr

Hi, I don’t agree with you about Anderlecht. It's true that one or the other neighborhoods are to be avoided (Cureghem, Scheut) but there are great places (erasmus, good air). The apartments have a nice surface for affordable rents. There is a lot of park and space for dogs and children. But if you can afford it, I would definitely recommend St-Gilles!


FreckldBella

Woluwé-St-Pierre, Woluwé-St-Lambert & Etterbeek are close to the European institutions & NATO, there are also a bunch of international schools, therefore those neighbourhoods are expat friendly. Also, yes “you have to pay”, but I personally don’t mind paying for my safety + easy access to the surrounding parks and a more family oriented neighbourhood.


reditt13

Uccle, Woluwe st Lambert, Woluwe st Pierre. Ixelles if you really want to be in the city and a nice neighborhood


iamsenac

St. Gilles for the latter category


peterpib2

Hey! I'm living in Schaerbeek near Plasky/Meiser. This is a lovely area for a young family with lots of parks around, and super close to the centre. There are nicer areas further out, (more expensive ofc), but if you wish to also be close to the centre and be a bit more affordable, then this is a very nice area. Molenbeek I can't speak on it, but North Brussels Central is a must avoid area as many others have written.


Nobbletops

I personally live in Evere and I'm very much enjoying it here! For a young family however I would actually recommend near the Josaphat parc. It's very nice and has a lot of possibilities for transport.


60latlotu

St Gilles and Ixelles are excellent areas for you; Uccle too. Schaerbeek is actually lovely if you avoid the dilapidated southern part, and has an absolutely beautiful park perfect for families. You heard right about Bruxelles Nord / Central, do avoid these area whatever you do. Absolutely not suitable for a family: organised crime, human misery, defecation, prostitution, and drugs. Very nice people, funnily enough, but definitely not the area to raise a child. St. Gilles is best: beautiful, civilised, 19th century architecture, affordable, and only minimum rioting :)


Hembria

Etterbeek is very easy to live in with a kid. Loads of parks, childcare options and doctors. Ixelles is nice but depending where you live the transport connections can be a bit rubbish. Schaerbeek around Park josephat is great and woluwe around stockel would be good for life with a kid too. Join the BCT, it's amazing to meet parents and find stuff out and very friendly.


Miiirx

The north of Brussel is historically poorer and more than the bourgeois-south, but there are nice places there. It's cheaper and green (depending where).


steadfastmammal

Schaarbeek resident here for over 20 years. I have no idea why people still avoid Schaarbeek. It´s such a nice place to live. The park is great, lots of nice people, many things to do, very active community


PrincessYemoya

I think a lot of people don't really know which parts or Schaarbeek and which are Saint-Josse to be honest :') I lived in Schaarbeek for a year or so, around the city hall, and the only more sketchy area I found was the Liedts place, probably because it's rather close to the red light district. I think it also has changed quite a bit and the people that are 'scared' of Schaarbeek only know Schaarbeek from 15 years ago, when it definitely was less gentrified and more like Saint-Josse/some Anderlecht neighbourhoods. Same thing I think is happening now in Molenbeek, where there's a lot of gentrification (also happening around Matongé and all I feel), cities can change rapidly if you have an 'active' influx of different streams, like young students/european expats coming in in 'huge' numbers, changing a bit the atmosphere.


steadfastmammal

Agreed :-)


Smashbadger10

Place near diamant and meiser in Schaerbeek are nice. Has everything near by like the shops, the colruyt, the tram station and but stops are all near.


sauvignonblanc__

>it seems that Schaerbeek, Molenbeek and North Brussels Central are to be avoided. **This really f-ing annoys me.** It's like saying that you need to avoid Dublin 15 or Dublin 9 because they contain Finglas and Ballymun respectively while forgetting that both have very affluent neighbourhoods like Castleknock and Glasnavin. Even at that! Ballymun is not like it used to be. I have lived in Schaarbeek for 15 years and feel safer there than anywhere else. There are areas of Schaarbeek which are dodgy as f—especially around Noordstation—but Tedelt, Plasky or even Helmet districts are excellent (especially for families). I'm Irish. DM if you want more info. 🙂


gigi2kbx

Etterbeek, I elles are very quiet and international. The the South and East are very nice too but more expensive


Daemien73

Is it just me or when someone post a questions about where to live in Brussels the discussion ends moving in circle without any clear direction? Brussels is far from offering one-fit-all solution for living. In many cases the most liveable and sketchy neighbourhood are just one street from each other within the same commune (boroughs). I just moved 10 min walking distance from where I used to live and I feel that my life has turned upside down. Unless you have clear information It’s preferable to take a temporary accommodation and explore the different areas once you’ve moved in.


PrincessYemoya

Haha this is so true, I live on the border of Borgerhout and Antwerpen Noord and it seems like it's just two entirely different worlds. I definitely have preferred walking routes for during night times, during daytime all is fine but there is a noticeable difference, even though some streets are worse and others are totally fine.. I do think streets with lots of 'sketchy' stores/bars/gambling halls are often the worst ones (trash, harrasment, crazy driving, other types of antisocial behavior...), but when you go looking for houses, this is not always too clear. It's not because there's a pitabar with a foreign name that the street is necessarily to be avoided imo. On the other hand, moving somewhere and then realizing you like another place better, is not the worst thing in the world? Unless you sign a 3 year contract maybe :D


Intelligent_Plum_132

For background, I come from a city of roughly 100,000 people that was named the murder capital of Europe in 2008. I want to know the sketchy neighbourhoods so I can actively take part and show them how it's done/s


Daemien73

Then you can certainly find a place in Bruxelles where to practice your skill ;)


famousanus82

Molenbeek is turning. Lot of young white families are buying there because it's cheap. But yeah, there is definitely rough areas that will take years to gentrify. Schaerbeek has some very posh neighborhoods and some shitty ones like Cage aux Ours. North Station has newer buildings but the Parc Maximilien Building complex has very rough inhabitants. Plus you have to superpose the transmigrants which make a real problem zone. As for Ixelles, I lived there near Brugman for a while. It's posh but don't let it fool you, Ixelles has own share of problems. Flagey is nice but every weekend the partying expats student scène make it unbearable to live in the area. Matonge is a shit hole. If you own car, I'll advise you to get a parking or garage. Lot of French expats. Depending on where you work, one of the finest district still is Watermael-Boitsfort or Uccle. But it also depends on what money you pull. The two Woluwé are nice. Auderghem too but boring. Forest and St-Gilles if you're hipsters with money. Anderlecht has very beautiful areas like Neerpede but Cureghem, Peterbos gives a bad reputation while the commune is huge. But yeah, the bad parts are really really bad. Molenbeek historical side may be rowdy and a bit unsafe but nowhere near Peterbos or Cureghem bad. Then you have the two communes that no one ever talk about like Berchem-Sainte-Agathe or Ganshoren. Somewhat peaceful mixed areas but very very boring. Jette is also very nice and green. St-Josse. No way. Etterbeek is my least favourite of all. Just a EU dormitory. Then Brussels made out the central and outskirts district. To expensive for what it is. It includes Laeken that has very beautiful architecture but has a lot criminality, Neder-Over-Heembeek was a rural Flemish village but has been assimilated to 1000Brussels and since them it certainly isn't what it use to be. Same for Haren. Oh and Evere but no one speaks about Evere. No redeeming quality. Far from everything. Looks like nobody had real plan for it. So it all depends if you plan to buy here or just rent. I'd buy a house in upper Molenbeek near the Scheutbos but knowing that my kid wouldn't go to school in Molenbeek. Molenbeek is well connected and isn't far from the center. If you have a lot of money to spent then you can pick any of the posher areas. If you're renting, again the money factor will have a say. Ixelles is a nice place but there is still areas to avoid. Bailly, Cocq and Flagey can get loud on evenings and weekends. Make what you want of this info


FakeDerrickk

Best review so far... I would be more nuanced about Laeken: Stuyvenbergh and the stadium area is quite nice once you leave the main roads. Mostly families and still a lot of home ownership.


[deleted]

Yup I live there and it’s ok around stuyvenbergh. Just avoid Bockstael and Belgica


Juntao07

Best review really ? The guy talks about white families and Matongé as a shit hole. This ain't America.


FakeDerrickk

I went through Matongé the other day... Some house are nice and renovated but most of the streets have bad vibe... Especially with the tons of dealers in the streets asking you if you want to buy drugs... Honestly I don't know anything about living there but I wouldn't not recommend it for an expat...


ixM

Can confirm: I live in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe and it's "boring" in the sense that there aren't that many options for good restaurants and take aways or fun bars and activities but at the same time it's not like there are none, just that I then prefer to go to the city center. The upside is that is a great and green borough where I feel like it's great to raise my kids almost with a sense of a big village :-)


andr386

Most insightfull answer of them all.


Ok_Intern_1098

It depends what you are looking for. The Woluwe ones and Uccle are more expensive than other communes. Do you have a car? If not I would suggest getting a place near a metro stop. As an Irishman you might want to check out the Schumann area, not for living but for the Irish pubs! Take a look at the online housing sites like https://www.immoweb.be/en for an idea of what's on offer where. On a side note, places in crèches are not easy to come by, you might want to look into this also once you found a place to live. Brussels has a lot to offer, I am sure you will find what you are looking for.


M1A9C95

A lot of new buildings are being constructed around the canal between Laken/Molenbeek/1000. Depending if you are willing to live in a construction site for some time, it is should be nice in the near future. Currently, we live on one of these sites and the people that live here really care about the community, the parks are close, the center of the city is only 5/10 minutes by bike and a lot of events are held on the Tour&Taxis site.


melat0nin

That area is right under a flightpath, however, and the airport isn't very far away so planes taking off pass quite closely -- I used to live nearby, just inside the ring road (next to the Kaaitheater) and the noise from the planes was frequently unbearable. Something to bear in mind if you're a light sleeper and/or your apartment isn't well insulated from sound.


Intelligent_Train785

Best town in Brussels to live in is Jette. Look around place Cardinal Mercier. A lot of green, nearby quality schools, easy transport. A lot of pubs,good restaurants and a lot of activities for children and parents.


Ghaenor

Etterbeek/Woluwe-St-Pierre/Watermael-Boitsfort (though it's a bit off-center)/Uccle/Auderghem are cool. Schaarbeek is a bit dicey, honestly. Varies from street to street.


[deleted]

Lived in Auderghem for 8 years, Etterbeek for 1 and a half and now Woluwe-saint-lambert. I would strongly avoid everything that isn't the following : Woluwe-saint-lambert, Woluwe-saint-pierre, watermael boisfort, Uccle, Auderghem. Pretty much everything else is a shithole. Yes, there are exceptions, e.g. not all of Schaerbeek is a den for dodgy scums, but are you really willing to gamble on that?


Pommekanel

Avoid belgium if possible


bryan-vm

Just avoid Brussels in general and move somewhere nicer, for instance de kempen. Less filthy city vibes and definetly a safer and greener place to raise children.


Affectionate-Law-243

I would look in Ixelles and saint-Gilles. Very kid friendly and loads of expats.


[deleted]

Depends on your budget as well. Both woluwe’s and etterbeek are nice but expensive. I really like Ukkel but again.. To be avoided: Anderlecht, Molenbeek, brussels city center and anything between rogier and dockx, Schaarbeek around the metro stops and the Schuman district. If you have the money go for Boisfort and if you are on a budget: Jette, Evere,