Living in Neuhausen, München

Neuhausen is the Stadtbezirk north-west of the Altstadt, between Maxvorstadt to the east, the Mittlerer Ring to the north, the Hirschgarten to the west and the railway tracks of the Hauptbahnhof southern approach. The neighborhood took shape as a planned bourgeois suburb in the late nineteenth century, with broad streets, Gründerzeit apartment blocks, and the Rotkreuzplatz (named for the Bavarian Red Cross HQ originally located here) as the daily anchor. Schloss Nymphenburg - the Wittelsbach summer palace, with its enormous Baroque gardens - sits at the western edge and gives the neighborhood one of the largest green spaces in München.

Who lives here

Among the most family-oriented resident communities in central München. Long-time Münchner bourgeois families, professionals (lawyers, doctors, engineers, BMW and Siemens senior staff), academic and research workers, couples with school-age children in the larger apartments, and a steady international expat layer (the Bayerischer Rundfunk is nearby and the various corporate headquarters attract international employees). The demographic skews older and more settled than Maxvorstadt or Glockenbach, with high resident retention. Schools (the Maria-Theresia-Gymnasium and several others) are among München's best.

What it's like during the day

Calm and orderly. Mornings on Rotkreuzplatz are a steady flow of professionals heading east to offices in the Altstadt or to BMW in Milbertshofen, parents walking children to the various Grundschulen and Gymnasien, and the cafés opening early. The cafés on Rotkreuzplatz, along Donnersbergerstraße, and around the Nymphenburger Schlosskanal - Café Vorhoelzer Forum, Café Adele, Espresso Mobile - set the daytime rhythm. The Wochenmarkt am Rotkreuzplatz on Wednesdays and Saturdays is a Neuhausen institution. The Nymphenburg gardens fill on every dry day with joggers, prams and dog walkers. Tourist density is low except inside the palace grounds.

What it's like in the evening

Subdued. Restaurants and Wirtshäuser on Rotkreuzplatz, Donnersbergerstraße and around the Hirschgarten (one of München's largest beer gardens, with around 8,000 seats and a Bavarian-traditional kitchen) draw a family and local crowd. The Augustiner-Schützengarten and the Donisl Schwabing sister venues, several modern Italian and Asian restaurants. Late-night life is essentially absent - people drift to Maxvorstadt or Glockenbach for that. The streets quiet down by 11 PM. Summer evenings at the Hirschgarten Biergarten and in the Nymphenburg gardens are a Neuhausen ritual.

Getting around

Excellent connectivity. The U1 runs through the district with stops at Stiglmaierplatz, Maillingerstraße, Rotkreuzplatz and Westfriedhof along the spine, linking the eastern edge near the Hauptbahnhof to the centre. The S-Bahn Hirschgarten stop (opened in 2009) serves the southern edge near the Hirschgarten park. Tram lines 12, 17 and 18 thread through. The bike infrastructure along Donnersbergerstraße and Nymphenburger Straße is excellent. Walking to Maxvorstadt takes 15 minutes. The München Hauptbahnhof is a 5-minute U-Bahn ride.

Eating and shopping

The food scene tilts family-and-Bavarian rather than experimental. The Hirschgarten (one of Germany's largest beer gardens), Augustiner-Schützengarten, the various Bavarian Wirtshäuser, modern Italian (Pizzeria Mama Mia sister venues), Japanese (Sushi Yoshi), Lebanese and Turkish, plus the Käfer Nymphenburg outpost. The Wochenmarkt am Rotkreuzplatz on Wednesdays and Saturdays handles fresh produce. For groceries, Edeka on Rotkreuzplatz, Rewe on Donnersbergerstraße, Aldi and Lidl on the peripheral streets, Vinzenz Murr and Donisl butchers, Schmidt bakeries. The Nymphenburger Schloss shop and bookstore. Children's clothes and toys shops are particularly well-represented on the high street.

When NOT to pick it

If you want a young creative neighborhood, central nightlife, or affordability. Neuhausen is now firmly upper-middle-class - rents are below Lehel and Bogenhausen but above Au and Sendling. The neighborhood is quietly conservative and family-oriented; newcomers from creative-leaning cities sometimes find the calm understimulating. The international expat community is present but more corporate-and-family than the design-and-media scene of Maxvorstadt or Glockenbach. The Schloss Nymphenburg tourist traffic on weekends can briefly affect the western edge.

Neuhausen works particularly well for the family with school-age children seeking München at its most settled and family-friendly, for the corporate professional with offices at BMW, Siemens or in the Altstadt, for the academic or healthcare professional, and for the long-stay international newcomer who values calm, parks and good schools. Rents sit slightly below Maxvorstadt for larger family apartments, which makes Neuhausen one of the strongest value picks for families wanting central connectivity with neighborhood quietness.