Berlin - Post Report Question and Answers
What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Family embassy housing can be good, but the commute to the downtown chancery is somewhat long. It takes anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes depending upon whether you're driving, biking, or taking public transportation. - Aug 2023
US Mission housing is pretty spread out. Most without kids live closer to the embassy and those with families live in the Stadtvillas (far from the city center) or even further out. If you live in the Stadtvillas or further your commute time will range from 30 minutes (driving with no traffic) to 1 hour plus with traffic or on public transport. Most family housing is in shared units with other embassy families. If you don't like constant dog barking and dog poop filling your shared yard, you might have a hard time here. - May 2018
Housing is OK and generally large enough. People tend to live in government owned properties towards downtown, at "duck pond", or in the Stadtvillas. Also, the government leases properties around the city, including in far-out suburban housing. You're either surrounded by Americans (Stadtvillas) or completely alone (suburbs).
If you work at the main Embassy compound, commute to Stadvillas or duck pond is about an hour, one way. It's a huge source of unhappiness with people working long hours topped by a long commute, but no real solution. However, if you're at the Consulate, these properties are just a 5-minute drive, 10-minute bike ride.
The random properties in the suburbs can be very isolating, with only German neighbors, long commutes, nothing interesting in the area. If being around other Americans is a priority, indicate so on your housing survey. The Stadtvilla and duck pond properties are large, nice, with access to a lot of outdoor space. However, MGMT is putting new fences into the Stadtvillas which are pretty disruptive. Fences block views of yard (no sight lines to watch kids play), create awkward and unequal spaces between neighbors, remove space for grills, etc. Fencing in Stadvillas and shared backyards is a major issue and solutions thus far are far from perfect. - Feb 2018
Housing is furnished by the embassy from a housing pool. Our flat is approximately 1000 sq ft with additional outdoor terrace space. We are very fortunate to be in a modern building with two bedrooms, two baths. The kitchen is not large enough for eating in, but there is a small dining room that could seat a table for four people. One of the bedrooms can only comfortably accommodate a twin bed, but that works for our needs.
Commute time varies throughout the housing pool from walking distance to a 40+ min commute via personal vehicle. Again, here we feel fortunate to have an easy 20 minute walk from our flat to the embassy. - Jan 2018
Embassy housing is either apartments in the city, or Stadtvilla townhomes in the suburbs near the grunewald. - Jul 2015
Housing is usually apartments, though embassy staff may get duplex spaces. - Aug 2013
Housing is in two main areas- apartments downtown near the Embassy and houses, townhouses, and apartments in the western suburbs near the old Consulate. Families are usually in the suburbs, but there are not enough apartments downtown for everyone who wants them so people without kids have been placed out of town as well. Downtown commutes are usually 10-15 minutes walking or by public transportation. Commutes from the suburbs are an hour by public transport or 30-40 minutes by car. - Dec 2011
