An Expat Talks about Living in Vienna , Austria

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Vienna

How long have you lived there?

6 years

What activities, clubs and organizations would you recommend to newcomers to help them meet others?

Going to discos, opera or joining a hiking club are great ways to meet Austrians.

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In terms of religious, racial, economic and cultural diversity, are the people of this city or town diverse? Are they accepting of differences? Describe.

Vienna is as diverse as any large city in Western Europe nowadays is. The people might seem insular in so far as you do not make an attempt to behave as they do and try speaking their language. In general it takes a while to make friends here, but once you make them friendships are not as superficial as they are in the USA, for ex.

What are the main industries in this city? What types of career opportunities commonly exist? How do most people find new jobs?

Service, banking and retail as well as some industry, mostly high tech firms such as Siemens. A lot of businesses cater to the lively tourist trade.

In general, what are peoples' priorities in this city? For example, do lives revolve around work, family, socializing, sports, etc.?

Lives evolve around work during the weekdays and relaxation on the weekends, some people are also fans of the Rapid Austria and Wien soccer clubs.

If a friend of yours was thinking of moving to this city or town from far away, what other advice would you give them.

Try to accept the local way of life and learn the language. This is perhaps the country in the whole world where speaking the local language and imitating local customs makes the difference between being truly "in" and just getting by.