Avoid Floor2...? I love this place, but if you dont like trendy places with an excellent view, this is definitely a place to avoid ;-)

Apart from that, welcome to Geneva in February - unless your work is taking care of the accommodation it is probably a good idea to start looking already.

Best,

Caroline 

Geneva is definitely not boring... I have just arrived this summer and I am convinced that boring people say that.  It's just that you have to actively look for things to do (there are tons) versus having everything in your face like in London.  This site is a great place to start.  After that, simply try a few places out and you are sure to find your groove. 

Also, listen to Caroline... find a place to stay first, its a tough market especially if you want to live in the city, which I suggest you do, especially if your office is in the city.  If it is not, then consider staying close to your office and venture in often via public transport, Mobility, or your personal ride. 

Cheers, Todd

Thanks for the tips guys.  Definitely not adverse to some cocktails in a place with an excellent view so will be trying that out.  Moving over with a work colleague.  We spun a coin and they lost the call so they are sorting out the accommodation while I research the night life :)

Hi, im French and going out in Geneva sometimes...As said above, Geneva is not a boring city, i have found that there is 2 types of poeple living there : the proper inhabitants ....and the foreigners ! :)

As a personal opinion, I have found that the foreigners are way more outgoing and funky than the Genevian's... :o)

The places are not many but you can find your selected one once you settle.

Here are some:

You can find down to the main train station, in the town center, at the end of the paquis, a cool and chilled out pub for foreigners and sport lover's called "Club House".

Also there is a "Pickwick's" where odwnstair there is quite often small concerts and expositions.

In Carouge, "le chat noir" (the blak cat) is a little but active bar where music bands or other different "artists" plays salsa or rock tunes... for nothing too fancy! :)

Otherwise, the night clubs part is very selective and can be boring. For me the best for the moment would be Moaclub but I haven't been for ages..

Keep seeking and for sure you will find other cool tips! Enjoy

Geneva is definitely what you make it! There are all possibilities of socialising and going out and Glocals is a great aid in the process. For me it took a while before I was ready to socialise, as I needed to sort out the accommodation first which took three months and 6 moves and all my energy was allocated to that in the beginning.

But when first you are settled there are all possibilities in front of you. You are also very lucky to arrive in the middle of the ski season (that is if you ski).

In regards to the social scene it all depends on your own style and preferences. 

Pickwick and the Clubhouse are very laid back places that often showfootball and that is probably where you go for a pint or a "not fancy" meal of fish and chips or burger and fries :-)

There are many nice wine bars if you like those sort of places, Soleil Rouge, Demi Lune etc. 

To go out other clubs worth mentioning would be Java (located right of the lake, rather "exclusive" clientele) and Le Sip (in Plainpalais, more laid back clientele).

If you are into nice food there are several Michelin Restaurants in and around Geneva.

I personally do not think Geneva is "THE town" to play tourist in, I am not too into museums etc., however I would definitely suggest you visit the cathedral and check out the view from the tower. I also think it is worth taking a little trip to Saleve to have a lunch at the panoramic restaurant there - very nice french food, reasonable prices and an amazing view (go in good conditions only). Other things I see as a "must" - have a vin chaud at Bourg de Four and have a Rösti at Café du Bourg de Four!

Have fun and enjoy!

Are your friends gay LOL

Hi.  Sorry - not to my knowledge they aren't - but I can show them your profile pic and check if you like.  

Great stuff. Many thanks !

Thanks!

Welcome Ben ;-D

No thanks. Considering their taste in clubs you can keep them :D

Don't forget:

- Shakers

- Charley O'Neils

- Mulligans

- Seven Arts

I'm not a big fan of the draught Guinness in Mr Pickwick's. As an overall observation, avoid drinking draught beer if it's not an Irish/ English place, There's a nice Portuguese restaurant on the Rue de Lausanne that does a good steak Cafe de Paris style (as well as Piri Piri chicken).

There's also a Cuban bar down Plainpalais way, Lady Godiva's English pub not too far from that, that's good for football as well.

I don't venture out for posh evenings too much, as Geneva can be hideously expensive. Going for cocktails at Hotel Kempinski is punitive on the wallet.

There's also an American-style pool hall just off Rue des Alpes, very cool.

That's all off thee top of my head. It's probvably made me sound very unsophisticated, but I'm trying to work to a budget ;-)

It's pretty safe to walk around at night, but watch for pickpockets down the Plainpalais.

This is my first post on here, so hello all ;-)

@bryan howdy bryan and welcome to the forums. Thanks for the good contribution. This place runs because of input like yours.

Hey Ben and welcome to our community :)) Even though one can consdier Genevas party life to be rather boring I still believe its a great place to live. During the week its just about finding out the good places to go where you can dance whereas I prefer to go to nice restaurant for dinner (plenty around - one that I can absolutely recommend is LeFloris a bit outside of Geneva (with an awesome view of the sunset over the lake and also Le Cheval Blanc with its beautiful ambiente. But even Geneva downtown offers many good options. You can probably get the best pizza in town at the Espresso Bar, but be on time as it is a tiny little restaurant with amazingly thin pizzas.

For the weekends there are many options available, Java Club (probably the best in town), WNS, Funkey Monkey Room, Sip, and dozens more. Just get to Geneva and you will quickly discover them.

What I love with Geneva is that it is so close to the ski resorts. 30 mins to 1 hr and you can be skiing in the worlds largest connected skiing area 'les portes du soleil' with plenty of different little villages and different charm. In summer you can go for hiking, climbing, biking (motobiking especially ;)) ) and for me the highlight in summer is the lake. Rent a boat or get invited by a friend who has a boat and sail to Montreux over the weekend. Beautiful.

Having said all this, welcome again to our community. I have no doubts that you will enjoy the city and its plenty options.

Best

Christos

Excellent.  Thanks very much everyone

Hey Ben,

 I'm from Geneva! Welcome :)

So if you have any question or need other tips that the ones mentioned above do not hesitate...

Best,

Jenny

hi , im just moved here. i would like meet more friends, if you like, maybe we can chat on line first . im from china bj. my name is michelle . [email protected] , looking forward your news. have a nice day.

I'm moving to Geneva in March- I can't wait! Good luck with your move! :)

Hi Ben,

Don't forget that Geneva is NOT boring! And here you can see how much activieties and parties people organised!

You HAVE to go to SIP to dance, eat at Brasserie s des Bastions (chic) or La Pignata (real italian atmosphere), have adrink (with me?) at Tabernak (canadian bar) and have a wonderful time in one of the wine bars I know.

We cannot absolutely forget about Halle des Iles, the place I'm crazy about!

So? Any questions?

Cheers,

Martyna

Hi again... just in case it help, I am looking for a house mate...

If interrested, i am in the Classifield section and the object of the ad is :

looking for a male/female housemate (can you do more simple... :) )

If questions or want to meet up, feel free to ask.

Otherwise... see you all folks in the night life!!

Greg

If comparing to London, then yes, Geneva is a little boring... but it has it's own unique charm! Look forward to a more laid back life, but as already mentioned you do have to be proactive in your socialising. Good luck with the move!

p.s. recently moved here from London myself and have found these comments really useful- thank you everyone!

Ale, do you have the rope that comes along with the article?

Please provide the full package hey :)

For Ben, without joking now: yes Geneva is special because for the first time of your life maybe (especially if you come from London), you will be the one pulling the city soul of itself - whereas in general in big metropoles, it is rather the city soul that pushes and nurtures your own one.

Now, you also have the mountains here. And they are a universe in themselves. Very demanding, but very true in return.

Geneva is a challenge for your own self I would tell. You will have to explore all your richness inside yourself. And you might discover unexpected things.

So come and try.

Good luck, and wisely avoid having any access to ropes / knifes / weapons for the first weeks.

(Geneva optimism)

lol

I moved here last month... so far so good, although I have yet to find a bar that strikes the right balance between being fun/exciting and not too exhorbitant! Early days so I will keep up the hunt...    Welcome to Geneva though!

Here are some websites  that may assist you in your move and in getting settled in...

http://genevalunch.com/

 http://www.worldradio.ch/

 http://www.englishforum.ch/

 http://geneva.angloinfo.com/

Besides sorting out accomodation, I would recommend you get a monthly bus/tram pass as  well as the half-price train pass to help you get around the area and the country.

If you can, it's best to start learning a little bit of french, if you don't already speak it.  It helps open doors that are sometimes somewhat closed to expats.

Dismissing the ignorant, homophobic comments about the Palais Mascotte, it's best to get out and get to know the different places and neighborhoods for yourself.

Welcome to Geneva!

Craigslist appts at that price are a guarantee scam.. watch out.

here are two sites that will help.

www.immostreet.ch

www.homegate.ch

As to "bars"/ "pubs"... if u need advice let me know... I know a few of them here.

For starters .. here are some expat hangouts:  Clubhouse, 7 Arts, Mulligans, Pickwicks, Lady Godiva, Charlie O'Niells....

Hi there, As already posted, i am still looking for a housemate (m/f) for a period of 2 month. Location is in France in a very cosy place, 20mn by car to Geneva...

Contact me if interrested.

Cheers

Greg.