Hello

I moved to Basel-Stadt almost a year ago, and as i have been told, i managed to make ZERO actual friends. Yes, i have coworker "friends", but it's not the same. Most don't even live in Basel, are in relationships, and don't really have the same vibes as me.

I was never the guy to take the initiative and invite people out. I was lucky enough to always have someone in that role. Now here in Switzerland i feel that if i don't do something, i'll end up like Gus from Breaking Bad when he got his car wired, going house-job-house every day.

Maybe by writing an above average length Reddit post i can find people similar to me.

A bit about me:

I'm a student, 28M. I don't even know how to describe myself. To be objective and write less, imagine a mixture of Spike (Cowboy Bebop), Rust (True Detective S1), Harry Potter, Jorah Mormont and Tyrion Lannister. In summary, i'm just living life, playing our species social rules while trying to enjoy my time here before dying anyways. My only rule: do whatever you want as long as you don't bother other people.

I like trying different things, especially adventures. Small rant: i have to be careful with adventures now because Swiss healthcare is a joke. If i fall, i break both my legs and my bank account. Anyways, i'm learning piano, like pretty much any sport, have a skateboard that i'm now thinking twice of using, and kinda enjoy hiking. Not the walking itself, but the adventure, like sleeping in the woods without a blanket in winter.

I feel writing this text. Maybe is just my genetic code being expressed, and i am just a puppet, and feels like destiny. Or maybe is just me getting old and realizing that in the future i won't have the same body and energy to do some of the things i would like to. Maybe both.

What am i looking for?

For me, friendship is something like Peter, Joe, Quagmire and Cleveland from Family Guy. You don't have to pretend to fit in (at least not too much), you can have good and bad times together, and just be comfortable. Even if we don't see each other for 10 years, meeting again would feel like the old times.

If you get offended by Family Guy or South Park jokes, we probably won't match. Nothing personal, everyone has their own tastes. It's more about the mentality of understanding that humor is a break of expectation. After hearing too many jokes, someone has to come up with something atrocious to make you laugh.

I've had friendships like this before, but everyone eventually goes their own way. Nothing lasts forever, and i moved countries.

For example, last Christmas we spent the day collecting trash from the streets because someone randomly decided we needed to do a good action to make God happy (we're all atheists btw). Then we went clubbing on Christmas night and got drunk the next day. We also used to go clubbing every Friday. Eventually i stopped going, but they kept inviting me. I regret not going.

Believe it or not, i kinda miss clubs and parties, getting 0 game and promising that next time will be different (it won't). Even though i can't dance, don't particularly like clubs, and don't drink much.

So, what could we do?

Pretty much anything. Grab some food or drinks (not necessarily alcohol), sit by the Rhine watching people passing by, talking or not talking at all, just enjoying the flavor of orange juice. Play soccer, volleyball, or whatever sport. I feel the cheapest hangouts are usually the best.

Travel somewhere by Flixbus for 10 hours just to realize Ryanair would've been cheaper. Even go to McDonald's (i'm tired of Big Macs, but i like the vibe there). We'll figure it out.

You guessed it, i'm not Swiss. I'm not even a Redditor, but the "are you a Redditor and Discord admin?" meme always cracks me up.

If this sounds like the kind of friendship you'd like to have, let's get in touch.

One last thing: i'm a diurnal person. By 9-10pm i'm sleeping, so don't get mad.

Ich denke an Buchclubs, Strick/Häkeltreffs, Poetry etc? Selbstverständlich offen für anderes, hoffe aber der Vibe ist nachvollziehbar :D Hab kein Problem damit, wenn Männer dabei sind, aber ich will nicht immer „auf der Hut” sein müssen, angebaggert zu werden, bin glücklich vergeben. Expat Treffs sind natürlich fein, aber ich hab davon auch genug und darf gerne einfach deutschsprachig und heimisch sein…

Gruezi all,

I am moving to Basel in January and will be on a very limited budget.

I have very graciously been offered an apartment by some friends for what I believe is a very good rent. I would like to jump at the chance but my hesitation is that it is in Klybeck (near to the Holzpark).

I will have my two boys with me 50% of the time. They are 11 & 14. The younger goes to school near petersplatz. I am wondering if that is incredibly far by Basel standards? He is comfortable taking buses independently and uses a trotti around town. Would people think I’m strange for taking an apartment so far away from his school?

The boys would also need to pass by the Dreirosen sports park (and maybe the red light area?) regularly. I am not very familiar with Basel but my boys have grown up in gross Basel, spalentor / schutznematt area and seem to have the impression that dreirosen is dangerous or unseemly. I don’t know if this is a well founded fear or just kids reacting to their mothers snobby views of other parts of the city.

If I wait and try to rent an apartment from a stranger in gross Basel, it will undoubtably be smaller and more expensive than the offer in Klybeck. It will also be more stressful as I would be applying from abroad.

Any advice for a future Basler would be greatly appreciated!