Location
Quality of life
Living
“Three things are to be looked to in a building: that it stands on the right spot; that it be securely founded; that it be successfully executed.”
The ‘right spot’ mentioned by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is the Metropole Ruhr for many millions of people. It is not just the offspring of long-standing residents of the Ruhr district who settle here; people come from all over Germany to live here, having discovered the value of the region for themselves. The wide range of jobs, unique cultural landscape and high proportion of green spaces are certainly influencing the regional property market. In many areas, the Metropole Ruhr offers residents the chance to live in a beautiful and central location. Those who prefer not to live in a large city need not forgo the benefits of the region: the healthy employment market has had an impact on the outer-lying areas which are home to some very high quality housing. The optimal infrastructure also means that large-scale events and cultural activities are within quick and easy reach.
- [+] Timbered houses in the old town of Hattingen an der Ruhr
Modern or traditional, cool design or cosy – the Metropole Ruhr offers something to suit every accommodation taste. Hattingen and Wetter, for example, provide a friendly small-town feel with half-timbered architecture right at the heart of nature. The four largest cities offer a touch of urban flair with more than 350,000 inhabitants, not forgetting the region’s five cities with over 150,000 residents. Europe’s third largest conurbation offers everything from affordable detached homes to lofty flats in former industrial buildings.
The Metropole Ruhr is home to over 572 kilometres of canal and river banks. More and more cities and communities in the region are starting to realise that their water locations are perfect for leisure activities and that many people would love to live by the water. One of the many examples of urban water locations in the Metropole Ruhr is the Dortmund-based Phoenix artificial lake which, with a water surface of 24 hectares, will be larger than the Binnenalster lake in Hamburg once complete. Excavation work began here in 2005 and the new lake will be completed at the end of 2009. The urban areas will incorporate living, working and leisure. Families, individuals and OAPs will all feel at home in the peaceful residential areas on the North side of the lake as in the lively harbour area. The residential construction area covers approx. 26 hectares of land.
