Etterbeek and the EU Quarter

This area to the east of the city centre is home to most of the European institutions and is the obvious choice for Eurocrats prepared to forgo the tranquillity of the suburbs. Two vast parks, du Cinquentenaire and Leopold, provide the area with more than adequate green space. Expats choose to live predominantly in one of three desirable addresses, depending on their tastes and salaries. The top end of the Parc du Cinquentenaire offers luxurious and spacious 19th-century townhouses, as do the four picturesque squares, Marguerite, Ambiorix, Marie-Louise and Gutenberg. The area around Place Jourdan is a more affordable and atmospheric option, as well as housing Antoine's Fritkot, which famously offers the best frites in Brussels. Theatre and dance are well-served by cultural centre l’Espace Senghor, Théâtre St-Michel and Théâtre Yvan Baudouin-Lesly Bunton, while painting and sculpture exhibitions are on show in the l'Espace Entrée Libre. The commune also has a beautiful modern swimming pool (replacing the old one which burnt down in 1996). Two international schools are found here: the British Junior Academy of Brussels and the Prinses Juliana Dutch School. The area offers good clothes and food shopping around Rue des Tongres and La Chasse, while a Sunday morning market takes place on Place Jourdan. As you would expect, the area is extremely well-supplied by trams, buses and metro.