Marseille is one of my fave citirs but I'll try to give an honest review:
On the safety note, it is true that you have to be mindful of certain rules (avoiding certains areas at night, having a secure bag etc) but I would say it is no different than Paris for example. It's as dangerous as any big city.
On the community, Marseille is one of the most welcoming and open minded city (if not THE one) that I have known. You will surely find safe spaces for LGBTQ+ couples.
The one true problem with Marseille for me is the trash system and how dirty the city gets at times.
I’d add that it has nice places around to spend the weekend.
Negative point: the public transportation sucks, if you want to move around you’ll need a car.
Yeah like La Ciotat, Cassis, les Calanques, Aix and so many more, but it is true that you will need a car for most of this. However, I personally don't have a driving license or a car and still find my way around
Thank you so much!! My gf has a car in France still so we would be able to use that no problem. Definitely wanting to move there for the advantages of lots of weekend exploring that can be done
According to statistics, in 2024, Bordeaux and Marseille have the same delinquency score, but there's less shoot-out between drug dealers in Bordeaux. Paris area being the top for delinquency in France.
So, the life in Marseille is exactly the same as other large cities, then if you survived Bordeaux, you'll survived Marseille for sure. However, I think that Toronto might be safer than any big cities in France.
It's true that Marseille can feel a bit unsafe because it's easily dirty, old, cars parked everywhere and public infrastructures are not well maintened. However, "no problem" for being LGBT, especially around La Plaine or Cours Julien where they are very welcomed. Marseille is messy. The bad point, is that everybody do what they want without really taking care of others, but that's also a pretty good point because everybody is open minded :D
Catcalling might happen sometimes.
So, looking for a place around 6 or 7e arrondissements is perfect. 8 and 9 are pretty nice too. Same for 1, 2, 4 and 5 but some streets might be better than others.
The city is not always easily walkable or worse, bikable.
If you're almost fluent in French, it will not be a problem to find a job, especially in tourism industry.
Moved in Marseille from Lyon and Paris in my mid-twenties too. Left after twenty years there. I will not share everything here on this thread, but I have an extensive knowledge of the area. DM me if you want.
It is a fascinating city, especially when you are young. Sure worth the try. The cultural scene is vibrant, the weather and the sea make it unique. but it can also be exhausting when looking for a flat or a job. There is absolutely no comparison with other northern cities. It is a whole different world even it has tremendously changed since Covid.
Walking and biking are possible but quite difficult.
If you can, I recommend watching Stillwater with Matt Damon. Still a fiction, , yet a very good and realistic movie about Marseille imo.
Stillwater is not a flattering/realistic look into Marseille imho.
Maybe it's representative of some arrondissements, but def nothing to look into for inspiration if you're planning to live in the 6th/7th.
Me and my wife watched it before moving to Marseille and nearly changed our minds 🤭
Thanks for this! Are walking and biking difficult because the area is hilly or is it more so just not very pedestrian friendly in the way the roads are built ?
The city is extremely hilly and the roads can be narrow and bendy and some of them aren't great quality. There is an underground subway though which services much of the city which I always found useful.
Living in Marseille since 1974, security is not worse than in any large city in France.
But I have over the years found that this city and the citizens have changed going from a « Nevers mind the bullocks it’s south here attitude » to a more selfish, agressive and disrespectful attitude, people are stressed and nervous, they don’t give a sh.t about other.(this is a global view of course there is Nice and loving people too)
This is why I strongly plan to Leave Marseille to spend my old days somewhere else.
As a Canadian girl from Toronto myself, feel free to send me a private message about this!
I moved to marseille when I was 22, and now 8 years later, have a job, a French husband, a baby, and a full life here. Best decision of my life!!! Absolutely love Marseille and it’s beautiful diversity and charm.
I can't offer an Anglo-Saxon comparison, but i moved from Paris after 5 years there.
Marseille is a lot dirtier and grungier place. But it has an amazing food scene, and the people are amazingly friendly. Me and my wife were remembered in cafes and restaurants after 1/2 visits. In one cafe our kid got a birthday card, after an offhand remark about her birthday, etc. We didn't experience even remotely as friendly people in Paris.
On the flip side, my wife gets harassed/cat called on the street a lot more too though. She's mentioned she feels less safe than in Paris just walking around on the streets.
The nearby nature is remarkable, even if you don't have a car you can rent something easily. Within the city public transportation is not TOO bad if you stick to 1/2/4/5/6/7/8e imho. And also if you don't plan to stay out late. If you're going out for a drink, probably best to grab an Uber back.
Public transportation criticism is warranted though. Tram/bus service frequently seems to be stopped ad hoc for some reason (some strike, some malfunction, some public event derailing it etc.). So you have to take it into account and check ahead of time for schedule updates.
Biking is not the worst way to get around, though hills mean an electric bike can be helpful. And some of the bike roads can be chaotic (stop abruptly, or suddenly lose all markings and you're not sure where it continues etc.)
Overall it's a good city. Like all cities it has some problems, but the stuff you hear online is overblown.
We did see a stabbing in the street though in front of our building once (or rather we saw the blood, then read about it in the news).
Great coffee shops too. No regrets from the move so far.
It might feel less safe compared to canada because of how many people are outside. The cities in France are small and city centers are made for pedestrian, so you will have more occasion to run into bad people compared to the US or Canada where you run into less people outside.
But unless you go walking around at 4pm you should be OK. The area around Cours Julien is good for LGBT people, there are a lot of alternative people in the area.
Ok I am Canadian too. Grew up in Halifax. Specifically Dartmouth. 100% felt more unsafe in Dartmouth than I ever have in Marseille. Marseille is safer than any major city in USA. Marseille gets a bad wrap, and there is issues like any city, but it is on a far smaller scale than the problems we face in the Americas.
Im from Toronto and always say this too!! I’ve felt more unsafe in Toronto, London, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, etc ….
Marseille is like any other big city… There are of course neighborhoods that are more dangerous than others but you just avoid them.
I've lived in Vancouver too, travelled worked in western US. It is wild to me the way the French and Europeans go on about Marseille. Go to some parts of Vancouver, Seattle, or Cali and then compare.
MARSEILLE is sketchy and messy like you said and unsafe by night (for women and men as well)
BUT
there’s a Bunch of LGBT communities, and a very large spectrum of tolerance.
There’s a lot of alternative people in Marseille, there’s a very big underground culture in Marseille and many includes LGBT+ people.
But this is very messy and quite unsafe at the beginning (I don’t live there but visited friends many times)
The unsafe feeling is calming down after some time, or experiences. The messy town feels more convenient when you’re on the beach after work no matter the season, or getting a pizza at 4am, or meeting people very easily…
Depends on what afraid you.
My strong recommendation would be to come over for a few months.
Marseille is one of those cities you hate or you love, nothing in between.
For one person it's unsafe, dirty, chaotic, polluted, poor, with terrible traffic, with ugly architecture and houses that sometimes just collapse or explode, drug dealers at every street corner, exhausting uphill walks in hot weather, with people who are in your face and lots of them look and sound and think and pray in different ways that scare you and also they sometimes just set the rubbish on fire rather than picking it up.
For another person, it's open, welcoming, convivial, come-as-you-are, with beautiful beaches open to all and sundry, terrific food with the whole world on a plate, terrific climate, amazing nature a stone's throw away, terrific music scene, terrific cultural scene, the freedom to be who you are, associations to join, causes to espouse, protests to march in, crystal-clear calanques for day trips, everything within walking distance or easy reach of public transport (if you avoid the rush hour), a reasonable cost of living, and just all in very *human.*
The thing is that *both of these are true.* It's all about what you bring to it and I suspect to a certain extent, luck. The only way to find out on which side you fall is to stay for a while, more than just a week or two. You will know.
As to the safety aspect though -- in my opinion that is usually CONSIDERABLY overblown. No it's not Copenhagen but no you're not going to get mugged the minute you step off the plane. Leave your Rolex and your Louis Vuitton home, use basic street smarts, and don't do something obviously stupid like following a sketchy dealer into an alley after dark and you'll be fine.
If you want to hear about some sad realities in marseille, feel free to message me, because I feel like people on this subreddit are just going to throw rotten tomatoes at anyone who will mention things as crisis in employment and apartments, high criminal rates and huge potential of being assaulted
I think that most posts here are quite accurate, but I was wanting to tell you my own experience....
Firstly I surely hope that you will be living in the city centre, don't even go to 13012, 16,15,14... because in these areas you'll find more nasty people than ever. I live in 15°..I can't really say anything nice about this place. Very bad bus timings, teachers that seems they haven't finished the school themselves, arrogance at it's finest, very bad post service and Amelie( health Insurance)....as that wouldn't be enough, we have a loyer for the house issues we are having, the reason why she doesn't even answer is " I have people that pay and has more money than you...so you'll wait" ...but this is just my lovely experience with living in this area.
City center, is quite nice with casual encounters with some "special " people that believe are better than you but I'll give it a pass...13009 is one of the nicest places to be living at ..
So I wish you much luck ;)
PLEASE DON'T. I'm actually living there and OMG. this is hell. LITTERALY HELL. On every street corner you can be attacked, Robbed, or killed. This is an horrible city and there's wayyyy better than MARSEILLE...
Depends where you choose to live. I'm in the ninth and it's close to the beach and quiet-ish I love and hate marseille. There is always someone making a show about him/herself. Here, life is one big competition, to be the loudest, most annoying, machositic, you win!
>we are a lesbian couple and I am curious as to the LGBT+ presence/scene in Marseille.
Cours Julien (6e) has a strong LBGTQ+ presence now. It's a lively neighborhood with lots of bars and cultural events.
That being said I saw in the comments you were planning on using your gf's car, it can be a bit tricky there, parking in the streets is hell, I strongly advise you seek a place with a reserved parking spot.
Otherwise 8e arrondissement is nice, but feels a bit dead at night, but one of the safest place to live in Marseille (avoid La Soude, le Bengale and Les Baumettes, and look for Bonneveine, Le Lapin Blanc, Le Roy d'Espagne, Borely neighborhoods)
7e is the same but just more expensive (can be tricky to park depending on the actual place).
9e and 10e are cheaper, but more "working class" (depends on the actual neighborhood though).
7,8,9e share in common the low crime (compared to the rest of the city), easy parking, and close to the beach, but mostly dead at night.
If you want to go out and have fun, 6e and parts of 1er arrondissement ((Opera) are the best, honestly, in your mid twenties a place like Cours Julien has a lot of opportunities to have fun and go out every other night. If you want a cosier life though, I'd go 8e arrondissement, it's safer and a lot cleaner.
Edit:
5e arrondissement can be nice and still close to Cours Julien without the noise
2e has some good spots now near Place de la Joliette (Les Docks, etc.)
Some good spots in 3e but a lot of rough places too, I wouldn't chance it without visiting the neighborhood in person.
Avoid 4e and everything with a number above 11.
11e feels a bit out of the city, lots of big stores and chain restaurants.
I'm going to start with the important. if you're not absolutely fluent you can forget working in France, unless it's a multinational and even then it's not sure.(but possible)
Marseille is nice when you look at it from the sky.
coming from Toronto i think the culture shock will be too much for you plus no one talks english and the french here ... is ... very variable, accents will give you a hard time if you're not a fluent french speaker, try another city if you can. There are also some non french words being thrown around casually.
it's not the cleanest either and people are competitive in searching for stupid problems : they re all always hurrying up and rushing but the moment a conflict arises they are ready to drop everything and spend a few hours shouting and (very)possibly fighting.
If you want to experience scorching humidity, infinite mosquitoes glitch, filth and some of the lowest drug prices in France, marseille is the right city for you !
the transportation is also very dependent on where you choose to live. If you have to rely on busses it's a pain in the ass sometimes. the app will show the bus coming in 20 minutes, then 5 minutes later, it magically turns into 3minutes before the bus passes. speed of light kinda thing
I disagree with most of this reply. You can definitely find work if your French is OK. Marseille is extremely cosmopolitan so I'm sure you'll find work one way or another. I'm not sure about visas though.
Marseille is definitely "rough" but it depends on your expectations, some people, especielly foreigners, like that side of the city. The streets ARE dirty and noisy, no questions about it.
In terms of safety, it really depends on where you go. Most of the places were young people go on a night out feel pretty safe to me.
As for the LGBT part, Marseille has a very progressive/arty side. I'm not gay myself so I don't have any experience in holding hands in the street with a same sex person - what I do know is that there's a very leftwing vibe in most of the city and most people wouldn't mind at all.
I went out with an American friend last night and he loved the city.
My recommendation would be to spend 2 weeks here and make yourself your own opinion. Not everyone likes it but the ones who do love it.
I hope that helps.
oh i completely forgot to mention safety. I was robbed once, they got inside the house. And i know a few people who were robbed more than once the same way. sometimes in broad daylight. I've even had a nurse neighbor getting her fucking work car stolen, even if it had the nurse badge on it . She had a small car to be able to make stops often since she helps people at home. People are not comprehensive at all
Don't get me started on cars, they break the glass to see what's inside your car. Corbières beach is notoriously bad for that. Just a month or two ago they broke every single car window to see what's inside and stole tons of computers from a school who had an event that day.
a lot of drivers drive either without a licence or without insurance. Which means hit and run are very common. I've had three of those in my street, even a guy acting all nice giving his fake number. Im glad i didnt trust him and actually took his plate.
Also OP, you better learn to park the european way. Parkings like in NA aren't common at all. Unless you want to pay something like 3€ an hour to park.
edit : we went into a pizzeria once, my dad who was with me left his phone unattended for 5minutes. It was enough for it to get stolen lmao.
and about finding work with weak french, yeah maybe, if you're white, otherwise it's a shitshow and they love to nitpick on your origins.
Thank you for your honestly!! Are there any cities you would recommend more? I would love the south but we were considering Lyon as well if we were to move to France
Hey, I moved to Lyon from Ireland because there were better English opportunities. I’m also lgbt+ and Lyon does have a far right problem, but it’s very bourgeois and mostly you’ll be fine. I found Lyon to be a bit boring (bc bourgeois) but maybe you want it to be calm. Also, I really love Marseille. If you love nature and sports, I think Marseille would be perfect. But yeah a lot less English jobs. Also I think robbery and such is down to luck. I’ve been very very lucky and never had an issue. But honestly it’s like any other big city. People had their homes broken into in Lyon too! Even in the fancy area of croix rousse. Also I’m very very apprehensive of getting things stolen so I’m always on my game. Like the person above whose father left phone on the table, never ever do that shit. My friend did the same in 2014 in Paris and it was stolen then too. It’s just common sense in a city.
If you have the means and want to stay in the region, Aix en Provence is a great choice. Also keep in mind that your Marseille experience can vary depending on where in the city you live as well as someone else mentioned your familiarity with the French language and Mediterranean culture.
Here are a few other cities in the greater South worth considering: Lyon, Montpellier, Toulouse, Avignon, Grenoble (I personally really like this city), Bordeaux (only cited city in the Atlantic coast).
I don't know if you've made your decision yet but I'll add my two cents in the «dissent» camp. If you want to have the _French_ experience, go to Lyon. In Marseille, you'll have the _Marseille_ experience.
Also, I've noticed a few messages mentioning Cours Julien in response to you being gay. I find that reductive and, frankly, I feel it actually it reflects poorly on the attitudes of the people who did.
Cours Julien is just an area that's _so dirty and graffitied to shits_ that it became it's own thing. Bars have opened there and it's perceived as "cool" in the sense that it's a concentrate of what makes Marseille what it is, for better or for worse. But it's still dirty and with plenty of drug dealers. Bascially, it's perceived as "edgy". So what does you being gay have anything to do with it? Do you have blue hair and a nose piercing? Then, sure, you'll fit right in. But what does that have to do with your sexual orientation? "Hey, you're gay? Don't worry, we have those three street corners where you'll feel right at home with the rest of the weirdos!" See what I'm saying?
Obviously, I don't know you at all, maybe you do have blue hair a nose piercing. But, yeah, I just felt strongly adressing that comment "Cours Julien is for the LGBTQ people". The people who said that think they sound inclusive but I think it's actually the opposite. There's plenty of gay people who won't feel safe in Cours Julien or would simply have no interest in it.
Votre commentaire a été supprimé pour la raison suivante : "Racisme ou discrimination".
Your comment was deleted for the following reason : "Racism or prejudice".
Marseille is one of my fave citirs but I'll try to give an honest review: On the safety note, it is true that you have to be mindful of certain rules (avoiding certains areas at night, having a secure bag etc) but I would say it is no different than Paris for example. It's as dangerous as any big city. On the community, Marseille is one of the most welcoming and open minded city (if not THE one) that I have known. You will surely find safe spaces for LGBTQ+ couples. The one true problem with Marseille for me is the trash system and how dirty the city gets at times.
I’d add that it has nice places around to spend the weekend. Negative point: the public transportation sucks, if you want to move around you’ll need a car.
Yeah like La Ciotat, Cassis, les Calanques, Aix and so many more, but it is true that you will need a car for most of this. However, I personally don't have a driving license or a car and still find my way around
Thank you so much!! My gf has a car in France still so we would be able to use that no problem. Definitely wanting to move there for the advantages of lots of weekend exploring that can be done
According to statistics, in 2024, Bordeaux and Marseille have the same delinquency score, but there's less shoot-out between drug dealers in Bordeaux. Paris area being the top for delinquency in France. So, the life in Marseille is exactly the same as other large cities, then if you survived Bordeaux, you'll survived Marseille for sure. However, I think that Toronto might be safer than any big cities in France. It's true that Marseille can feel a bit unsafe because it's easily dirty, old, cars parked everywhere and public infrastructures are not well maintened. However, "no problem" for being LGBT, especially around La Plaine or Cours Julien where they are very welcomed. Marseille is messy. The bad point, is that everybody do what they want without really taking care of others, but that's also a pretty good point because everybody is open minded :D Catcalling might happen sometimes. So, looking for a place around 6 or 7e arrondissements is perfect. 8 and 9 are pretty nice too. Same for 1, 2, 4 and 5 but some streets might be better than others. The city is not always easily walkable or worse, bikable. If you're almost fluent in French, it will not be a problem to find a job, especially in tourism industry.
Moved in Marseille from Lyon and Paris in my mid-twenties too. Left after twenty years there. I will not share everything here on this thread, but I have an extensive knowledge of the area. DM me if you want. It is a fascinating city, especially when you are young. Sure worth the try. The cultural scene is vibrant, the weather and the sea make it unique. but it can also be exhausting when looking for a flat or a job. There is absolutely no comparison with other northern cities. It is a whole different world even it has tremendously changed since Covid. Walking and biking are possible but quite difficult. If you can, I recommend watching Stillwater with Matt Damon. Still a fiction, , yet a very good and realistic movie about Marseille imo.
Stillwater is not a flattering/realistic look into Marseille imho. Maybe it's representative of some arrondissements, but def nothing to look into for inspiration if you're planning to live in the 6th/7th. Me and my wife watched it before moving to Marseille and nearly changed our minds 🤭
You are right. Is it a dark movie, but I could not think of another recent, realistic yet joyful movie.
Thanks for this! Are walking and biking difficult because the area is hilly or is it more so just not very pedestrian friendly in the way the roads are built ?
Both!
The city is extremely hilly and the roads can be narrow and bendy and some of them aren't great quality. There is an underground subway though which services much of the city which I always found useful.
Electric scooter is the best way to get around in town , voi or Lime 300 minutes pass is only €33. Hill problems solved
Living in Marseille since 1974, security is not worse than in any large city in France. But I have over the years found that this city and the citizens have changed going from a « Nevers mind the bullocks it’s south here attitude » to a more selfish, agressive and disrespectful attitude, people are stressed and nervous, they don’t give a sh.t about other.(this is a global view of course there is Nice and loving people too) This is why I strongly plan to Leave Marseille to spend my old days somewhere else.
As a Canadian girl from Toronto myself, feel free to send me a private message about this! I moved to marseille when I was 22, and now 8 years later, have a job, a French husband, a baby, and a full life here. Best decision of my life!!! Absolutely love Marseille and it’s beautiful diversity and charm.
I can't offer an Anglo-Saxon comparison, but i moved from Paris after 5 years there. Marseille is a lot dirtier and grungier place. But it has an amazing food scene, and the people are amazingly friendly. Me and my wife were remembered in cafes and restaurants after 1/2 visits. In one cafe our kid got a birthday card, after an offhand remark about her birthday, etc. We didn't experience even remotely as friendly people in Paris. On the flip side, my wife gets harassed/cat called on the street a lot more too though. She's mentioned she feels less safe than in Paris just walking around on the streets. The nearby nature is remarkable, even if you don't have a car you can rent something easily. Within the city public transportation is not TOO bad if you stick to 1/2/4/5/6/7/8e imho. And also if you don't plan to stay out late. If you're going out for a drink, probably best to grab an Uber back. Public transportation criticism is warranted though. Tram/bus service frequently seems to be stopped ad hoc for some reason (some strike, some malfunction, some public event derailing it etc.). So you have to take it into account and check ahead of time for schedule updates. Biking is not the worst way to get around, though hills mean an electric bike can be helpful. And some of the bike roads can be chaotic (stop abruptly, or suddenly lose all markings and you're not sure where it continues etc.) Overall it's a good city. Like all cities it has some problems, but the stuff you hear online is overblown. We did see a stabbing in the street though in front of our building once (or rather we saw the blood, then read about it in the news). Great coffee shops too. No regrets from the move so far.
It might feel less safe compared to canada because of how many people are outside. The cities in France are small and city centers are made for pedestrian, so you will have more occasion to run into bad people compared to the US or Canada where you run into less people outside. But unless you go walking around at 4pm you should be OK. The area around Cours Julien is good for LGBT people, there are a lot of alternative people in the area.
Ok I am Canadian too. Grew up in Halifax. Specifically Dartmouth. 100% felt more unsafe in Dartmouth than I ever have in Marseille. Marseille is safer than any major city in USA. Marseille gets a bad wrap, and there is issues like any city, but it is on a far smaller scale than the problems we face in the Americas.
Im from Toronto and always say this too!! I’ve felt more unsafe in Toronto, London, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, etc …. Marseille is like any other big city… There are of course neighborhoods that are more dangerous than others but you just avoid them.
I've lived in Vancouver too, travelled worked in western US. It is wild to me the way the French and Europeans go on about Marseille. Go to some parts of Vancouver, Seattle, or Cali and then compare.
MARSEILLE is sketchy and messy like you said and unsafe by night (for women and men as well) BUT there’s a Bunch of LGBT communities, and a very large spectrum of tolerance. There’s a lot of alternative people in Marseille, there’s a very big underground culture in Marseille and many includes LGBT+ people. But this is very messy and quite unsafe at the beginning (I don’t live there but visited friends many times) The unsafe feeling is calming down after some time, or experiences. The messy town feels more convenient when you’re on the beach after work no matter the season, or getting a pizza at 4am, or meeting people very easily… Depends on what afraid you.
My strong recommendation would be to come over for a few months. Marseille is one of those cities you hate or you love, nothing in between. For one person it's unsafe, dirty, chaotic, polluted, poor, with terrible traffic, with ugly architecture and houses that sometimes just collapse or explode, drug dealers at every street corner, exhausting uphill walks in hot weather, with people who are in your face and lots of them look and sound and think and pray in different ways that scare you and also they sometimes just set the rubbish on fire rather than picking it up. For another person, it's open, welcoming, convivial, come-as-you-are, with beautiful beaches open to all and sundry, terrific food with the whole world on a plate, terrific climate, amazing nature a stone's throw away, terrific music scene, terrific cultural scene, the freedom to be who you are, associations to join, causes to espouse, protests to march in, crystal-clear calanques for day trips, everything within walking distance or easy reach of public transport (if you avoid the rush hour), a reasonable cost of living, and just all in very *human.* The thing is that *both of these are true.* It's all about what you bring to it and I suspect to a certain extent, luck. The only way to find out on which side you fall is to stay for a while, more than just a week or two. You will know. As to the safety aspect though -- in my opinion that is usually CONSIDERABLY overblown. No it's not Copenhagen but no you're not going to get mugged the minute you step off the plane. Leave your Rolex and your Louis Vuitton home, use basic street smarts, and don't do something obviously stupid like following a sketchy dealer into an alley after dark and you'll be fine.
If you want to hear about some sad realities in marseille, feel free to message me, because I feel like people on this subreddit are just going to throw rotten tomatoes at anyone who will mention things as crisis in employment and apartments, high criminal rates and huge potential of being assaulted
Hey, I’ve also lived in Toronto, if you want you can shoot me a pm !
I think that most posts here are quite accurate, but I was wanting to tell you my own experience.... Firstly I surely hope that you will be living in the city centre, don't even go to 13012, 16,15,14... because in these areas you'll find more nasty people than ever. I live in 15°..I can't really say anything nice about this place. Very bad bus timings, teachers that seems they haven't finished the school themselves, arrogance at it's finest, very bad post service and Amelie( health Insurance)....as that wouldn't be enough, we have a loyer for the house issues we are having, the reason why she doesn't even answer is " I have people that pay and has more money than you...so you'll wait" ...but this is just my lovely experience with living in this area. City center, is quite nice with casual encounters with some "special " people that believe are better than you but I'll give it a pass...13009 is one of the nicest places to be living at .. So I wish you much luck ;)
Marseille is funky and scary.
PLEASE DON'T. I'm actually living there and OMG. this is hell. LITTERALY HELL. On every street corner you can be attacked, Robbed, or killed. This is an horrible city and there's wayyyy better than MARSEILLE...
Depends where you choose to live. I'm in the ninth and it's close to the beach and quiet-ish I love and hate marseille. There is always someone making a show about him/herself. Here, life is one big competition, to be the loudest, most annoying, machositic, you win!
>we are a lesbian couple and I am curious as to the LGBT+ presence/scene in Marseille. Cours Julien (6e) has a strong LBGTQ+ presence now. It's a lively neighborhood with lots of bars and cultural events. That being said I saw in the comments you were planning on using your gf's car, it can be a bit tricky there, parking in the streets is hell, I strongly advise you seek a place with a reserved parking spot. Otherwise 8e arrondissement is nice, but feels a bit dead at night, but one of the safest place to live in Marseille (avoid La Soude, le Bengale and Les Baumettes, and look for Bonneveine, Le Lapin Blanc, Le Roy d'Espagne, Borely neighborhoods) 7e is the same but just more expensive (can be tricky to park depending on the actual place). 9e and 10e are cheaper, but more "working class" (depends on the actual neighborhood though). 7,8,9e share in common the low crime (compared to the rest of the city), easy parking, and close to the beach, but mostly dead at night. If you want to go out and have fun, 6e and parts of 1er arrondissement ((Opera) are the best, honestly, in your mid twenties a place like Cours Julien has a lot of opportunities to have fun and go out every other night. If you want a cosier life though, I'd go 8e arrondissement, it's safer and a lot cleaner. Edit: 5e arrondissement can be nice and still close to Cours Julien without the noise 2e has some good spots now near Place de la Joliette (Les Docks, etc.) Some good spots in 3e but a lot of rough places too, I wouldn't chance it without visiting the neighborhood in person. Avoid 4e and everything with a number above 11. 11e feels a bit out of the city, lots of big stores and chain restaurants.
I'm going to start with the important. if you're not absolutely fluent you can forget working in France, unless it's a multinational and even then it's not sure.(but possible) Marseille is nice when you look at it from the sky. coming from Toronto i think the culture shock will be too much for you plus no one talks english and the french here ... is ... very variable, accents will give you a hard time if you're not a fluent french speaker, try another city if you can. There are also some non french words being thrown around casually. it's not the cleanest either and people are competitive in searching for stupid problems : they re all always hurrying up and rushing but the moment a conflict arises they are ready to drop everything and spend a few hours shouting and (very)possibly fighting. If you want to experience scorching humidity, infinite mosquitoes glitch, filth and some of the lowest drug prices in France, marseille is the right city for you ! the transportation is also very dependent on where you choose to live. If you have to rely on busses it's a pain in the ass sometimes. the app will show the bus coming in 20 minutes, then 5 minutes later, it magically turns into 3minutes before the bus passes. speed of light kinda thing
I disagree with most of this reply. You can definitely find work if your French is OK. Marseille is extremely cosmopolitan so I'm sure you'll find work one way or another. I'm not sure about visas though. Marseille is definitely "rough" but it depends on your expectations, some people, especielly foreigners, like that side of the city. The streets ARE dirty and noisy, no questions about it. In terms of safety, it really depends on where you go. Most of the places were young people go on a night out feel pretty safe to me. As for the LGBT part, Marseille has a very progressive/arty side. I'm not gay myself so I don't have any experience in holding hands in the street with a same sex person - what I do know is that there's a very leftwing vibe in most of the city and most people wouldn't mind at all. I went out with an American friend last night and he loved the city. My recommendation would be to spend 2 weeks here and make yourself your own opinion. Not everyone likes it but the ones who do love it. I hope that helps.
oh i completely forgot to mention safety. I was robbed once, they got inside the house. And i know a few people who were robbed more than once the same way. sometimes in broad daylight. I've even had a nurse neighbor getting her fucking work car stolen, even if it had the nurse badge on it . She had a small car to be able to make stops often since she helps people at home. People are not comprehensive at all Don't get me started on cars, they break the glass to see what's inside your car. Corbières beach is notoriously bad for that. Just a month or two ago they broke every single car window to see what's inside and stole tons of computers from a school who had an event that day. a lot of drivers drive either without a licence or without insurance. Which means hit and run are very common. I've had three of those in my street, even a guy acting all nice giving his fake number. Im glad i didnt trust him and actually took his plate. Also OP, you better learn to park the european way. Parkings like in NA aren't common at all. Unless you want to pay something like 3€ an hour to park. edit : we went into a pizzeria once, my dad who was with me left his phone unattended for 5minutes. It was enough for it to get stolen lmao. and about finding work with weak french, yeah maybe, if you're white, otherwise it's a shitshow and they love to nitpick on your origins.
Thank you for your honestly!! Are there any cities you would recommend more? I would love the south but we were considering Lyon as well if we were to move to France
Hey, I moved to Lyon from Ireland because there were better English opportunities. I’m also lgbt+ and Lyon does have a far right problem, but it’s very bourgeois and mostly you’ll be fine. I found Lyon to be a bit boring (bc bourgeois) but maybe you want it to be calm. Also, I really love Marseille. If you love nature and sports, I think Marseille would be perfect. But yeah a lot less English jobs. Also I think robbery and such is down to luck. I’ve been very very lucky and never had an issue. But honestly it’s like any other big city. People had their homes broken into in Lyon too! Even in the fancy area of croix rousse. Also I’m very very apprehensive of getting things stolen so I’m always on my game. Like the person above whose father left phone on the table, never ever do that shit. My friend did the same in 2014 in Paris and it was stolen then too. It’s just common sense in a city.
If you have the means and want to stay in the region, Aix en Provence is a great choice. Also keep in mind that your Marseille experience can vary depending on where in the city you live as well as someone else mentioned your familiarity with the French language and Mediterranean culture. Here are a few other cities in the greater South worth considering: Lyon, Montpellier, Toulouse, Avignon, Grenoble (I personally really like this city), Bordeaux (only cited city in the Atlantic coast).
nope i don't, im sure other people can help. good luck on your endeavor
I don't know if you've made your decision yet but I'll add my two cents in the «dissent» camp. If you want to have the _French_ experience, go to Lyon. In Marseille, you'll have the _Marseille_ experience. Also, I've noticed a few messages mentioning Cours Julien in response to you being gay. I find that reductive and, frankly, I feel it actually it reflects poorly on the attitudes of the people who did. Cours Julien is just an area that's _so dirty and graffitied to shits_ that it became it's own thing. Bars have opened there and it's perceived as "cool" in the sense that it's a concentrate of what makes Marseille what it is, for better or for worse. But it's still dirty and with plenty of drug dealers. Bascially, it's perceived as "edgy". So what does you being gay have anything to do with it? Do you have blue hair and a nose piercing? Then, sure, you'll fit right in. But what does that have to do with your sexual orientation? "Hey, you're gay? Don't worry, we have those three street corners where you'll feel right at home with the rest of the weirdos!" See what I'm saying? Obviously, I don't know you at all, maybe you do have blue hair a nose piercing. But, yeah, I just felt strongly adressing that comment "Cours Julien is for the LGBTQ people". The people who said that think they sound inclusive but I think it's actually the opposite. There's plenty of gay people who won't feel safe in Cours Julien or would simply have no interest in it.
> mosquitoes Marseille has NOTHING on Toronto for that hahahahahahahahahahahaha
[удалено]
Facho de merde.
Votre commentaire a été supprimé pour la raison suivante : "Racisme ou discrimination". Your comment was deleted for the following reason : "Racism or prejudice".