I first came to Dresden as a study abroad student in the summer of 2007. It was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life and I made a few great friends. I went home, finished studying and moved back to Dresden. I've lived here, for the most part, since February of 2009 and I have to say that it really is an amazing city. It's full of history, art and beautiful buildings. I think one of the reasons that I fell in love with it is that, although it's a city of more than half a million people, it operates more like a small town. Whether that's good or bad, I'm not sure. It reminds me of all of the medium sized cities in the States, except that the public transportation system is a lot better here. The trains and buses run every ten minutes during the weekdays and even if you find you've stayed out too late and had one too many there's always a way to get home safely without having to drive yourself.
You may ask, then, what's not to love? One thing is the number of people who speak English. There is definitely a lack of that here. The people who were born here were taught Russian in school, although most of them can't speak it now. More importantly, they don't really want to speak English because they don't think that they need it. There also seems to be a very low tolerance for other cultures. If you speak English in public, you generally get a curious look from people around you. The only places to go when you need a little respite from the daily German lifestyle are in Neustadt and most of them aren't open late.
The consolation prize is the beautiful city itself. If you take the time to get to know her, there is no doubt that you will love her. The people who came to Dresden thousands of years ago were amazed by the beauty of the Elbe and built a royal community here. The royal palaces and homes that still stand along the Elbe are breath-taking. So, although the people of Dresden aren't the friendliest it's still a great city to live in and enjoy.
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