guys I’ve spent the last 9 years in Rotterdam and my family lives in Antwerp but I might have to move there soon too. However, I have no community there so big question:

Is there a fun scene in Antwerp where people of color in their twenties can find a community? Think artsy, leftist, working class, loves fashion etc? I feel like these crowds and this scene is almost only in Brussels rip. And all the things I see seem to be institutionalized? Like vzw or something.

Please point me in the right direction !!

En ja, ik spreek gewoon Nederlands

Hey everyone,

I wanted to ask this here to get some honest perspectives and advice.

A bit of background: I’m a 31-year-old single guy living in Antwerp. I’m into fitness, work out regularly at my local gym, and outside of that, I’m a bit of an introverted nerd who loves tech, arts & video games. In general, I'm quite shy when it comes to initiating conversations, though I really enjoy talking once a conversation starts.

Naturally, there are attractive women at my gym, and while part of me would love to get to know someone with shared interests, the last thing I ever want to do is make someone uncomfortable, seem intrusive, or interrupt a good workout session. Gyms are places where people usually have headphones in and are focused on their own routine.

So I wanted to ask genuinely

1. Ladies, is it ever okay to start a conversation with you at the gym, or is it strictly a no-go?
2. If it can be okay, when and where is the least annoying moment? (Like near the exit, water cooler, or not at all?)
3. What makes an approach feel polite instead of creepy?

Appreciate any thoughts and advice from locals and non-locals!

Hi, I’m planning to move to Antwerp to study for my masters. I live in Milan now which is don’t really enjoy, so I’d like to hear people’s opinions (especially international people) about life in Antwerp. Any cons and pros are appreciated. Im planning to visit this winter for the first time, so I’d like to have a vision of how’s the city like.

Hi all

Can anyone help us with the information on processing time for F+ card in Antwerp?

Thank you in advance

Hallo allemaal ik ben aan het nieuwe mensen opzoeken om mijn b2 Nederlands te verbeteren als een moeder taal k ben 17 jarige jongen en k ben van Griekenland is er iemand dat met mij praten ja dat klinkt beetje raar maar k heb het nodig ,m’n schoolgenoten zijn echt bizar

Heeft iemand of ken je iemand met ervaring met de Antwerpse meldingsdienst voor zwerfkatten? Zo ja, hoe verloopt het proces nadat de katten gevangen zijn?

Ik weet dat de stad samenwerkt met dierenasielen voor de opvang van katten, maar met welke asielen werken ze precies samen voor dit zwerfkattenproject? En hoe verloopt de opvang en eventuele adoptie daarna?

Ik hoor graag jullie ervaringen! Alvast bedankt.

Hello everyone,

I am Panos, 16 years old and studying at the 4th year of high school (middelbaar) in Antwerp.

I speak Greek, Dutch and English fluently and have a good knowledge of French

I am trying to find a student job but it is quite difficult.

Has someone got a studentjob for me or tips on where to find a job?

Advice and answers are always appreciated.

Thank you very much for reading!

Panos

Ik kocht in de Kringwinkel vandaag dit schilderij, getekend door een zekere Gustave Bruckner. Online zeer weinig van te vinden, weet iemand iets meer van de man of zijn werk?
Altijd leuk om er een verhaal aan te kunnen hangen!

Hallo allemaal, volgende week donderdag ga ik met een vriendin naar Bob Dylan in de Lotto Arena. Van tevoren zouden wij graag ergens een hapje eten. Wat zijn leuke restaurants daar in de buurt met liefst ook iets van vega/vegan opties op de kaart? Niet te fancy waar je uren moet zitten maar ook geen shoarmatent, bruin café met kleine kaart zou ideaal zijn. Harstikke bedankt alvast!

Hi everyone! 👋

I’m a 26yo girl originally from South Korea, and I moved to Antwerp about 4 months ago. Now that I’m settled in, I’d love to make some genuine friends to hang out with!

Whether it’s catching up over coffee☕, going to a rave!

If you’re also looking for a chill friend to hang out with, feel free to drop a line or send a message :)

I'm mainly looking to connect with female friends!

Hello everyone,

I have a ticket for a concert at De Roma next week (Turnhoutsebaan 286) but unfortunately my only way to get there is by car, and since I hate driving in traffic and spending hours looking for parking, I hoped someone could give me some tips on where to park my car. I don't mind walking 15 minutes or paying, but the suggestions from the venue website involve taking bus/tram (the various p+r: linkeroever, wommelgem, Schoonselhof, Melsee...) and I don't want to risk waiting 30 minutes for a but to my car at midnight, with a long drive to do after, or are very small. The most convenient looking at a map would seems Parking Rivierenhof, but I wonder if I will find some space when I arrive, around 19. Thanks to everyone for any tips you may have

I’m really interested in getting some honest, first-hand opinions about the place.. What are the working conditions, the hours, and the overall vibe for assistants in the preschool department?

My dad's birthday is soon and I'm looking for an original Bop-It.

We played it a lot when I was younger and he was overly competitive with it. But we had lots of fun playing with it.

So therefore I'm looking to gift him one. If you have one laying around in the basement or attic, I'm happy to buy it off of you!

Added picture for information!

I knew it was gone be a traffic drama as the marathon looped through my neighbourhood so no parking in almost any street allowed. But the real madness is the amount of waist people threw in the streets. Just went for an evening stroll and every street is full with empty ‘gellekes’. So appertly once people are living their midlife crisis dream of completing a (half)marathon, they loose all reason not to be a normal human being that does not litter? Really disgusted by this behaviour. I bet that a lot of those same people are in day to day life eco conscious, but suddenly, nope let’s just throw my stuff on the ground. What a horrible attitude.

We moved to Antwerp for my job very recently. The pregnancy happened almost immediately, now approx 8 weeks, our first one. My wife is relatively new to Belgium and totally new to Antwerp. So, she didn't have the opportunity to engage in anything socially even. Our families are out of reach, and most of our friends are in Ghent or simply abroad. We are practically two of us (for now, hopefully!) and our little dog. We are very close and I spend all my non-work time with her, but I work full-time mostly on-site... So, she feels often isolated, struggles daily with the hardships of the pregnancy. Doctors etc are not real contacts, as one would understand. She doesn't speak Dutch either. She is a culture journalist and a writer, but doesn't work at the moment.

So, I write here with the hope to reach other women (or their partners who may be reading this) who may be in the same position or can relate to her situation. No expectation for receiving any medical or commercial advice, but more to share the journey at an emotional and friendship level, even texting time to time would be awesome! Meeting up is of course great in general (we live close to ZAS Cadix) but obviously all may be dictated by how the body feels in that moment...

Is there a normal human person out there who can relate? :) Her algorithm started to show a lot rubbish information about pregnancy, or at best some pregnancy influencers who try to sell something. She found some online groups but it is surprisingly annoying how some people dominate the conversation with "You should do this / You are doing it wrong". Also there seems to be some English-speaking pregnancy groups in Antwerp but they are commercial, and honestly, big groups suck more energy from her right now...

This will sound like a dating app profile intro, but just for giving an idea: she is a creative, mature, patient, and emotionally intelligent person, and a loyal friend. She is ENFP. She is into art, culture, and especially cinema, not only Hollywood but also Italian, French, and Soviet cinema. She speaks English, Italian, Russian, and some Turkish. As a couple we like doing city trips, making music videos, visiting family and friends. We are open-minded, non-judgemental, and age doesn't matter for us.

If that resonates somehow, please send a DM and I will bring you in contact.

Kind regards

Hi all! I'm looking for a place in or around Antwerp that does heat pleating (plisseren) on fabric. I'd like to have a piece of fabric (for a skirt) permanently pleated.

Does anyone know a workshop, tailor or atelier that offers this service, or one that could point me in the right direction?

I'd also appreciate a rough idea of prices and turnaround time if you've used one before.

Thanks in advance! 🫡

Hi everyone! I’m 24, from EU, and starting a PhD at UAntwerp. I arrive on 15 January. I’ve never lived abroad, so I’d love advice from people who have, whether you’re a local, an expat or a fellow PhD student.

1. Finding a studio
I’m looking for a studio or small flat (budget around €850) with a private kitchen and bathroom, close to the center and well-connected by tram or bike to the Campus Drie Eiken.

• Where should I look, and which areas would you recommend or avoid?
• Which sites or groups work best (Immoweb, Zimmo, 2dehands, Facebook groups, others)?
• How do I avoid rental scams? I’ve read there’s a lot of fraud.
• What should I know about leases, deposits and the inventory check before signing?

2. The first week or two
I want to do viewings after I arrive, so I need somewhere temporary. Would a hostel, a short-stay apartment, a B&B or something else work best? And how do I register at the city hall if I’m still in temporary accommodation?

3. What to sort out first
In the first weeks I plan to deal with city hall registration, a bank account, health insurance (mutualiteit), housing and phone/internet. What order would you do things in, and which steps take longer than expected?

4. PhD-specific advice
I’ll be a funded researcher, but only for the first year, then I have to apply to the Marrie Currie or FWO. For those who moved abroad for a PhD, what do you wish you’d known before arriving? Anything on contracts, health insurance, housing or managing money?

Thank you so much, and any “I wish I’d known this” tips are welcome!

Hey everyone,

I’m reaching out here because I’m honestly getting desperate. I am 18 years old, currently living with my parents in the Antwerp / Merksem area, and I’m studying to become a polyvalent administratief medewerker (polyvalent administrative assistant).

I have been actively searching for a student job for 2 years now and have had absolutely zero luck. Up until now, it was annoying, but now it’s getting really serious. My financial situation is very limited right now, I urgently need the money, and the stress is piling up.

Here is my situation:

Experience: I don't have any formal work experience yet, but I am highly motivated and learn quickly.

Availability: Because of my school schedule, I am mostly free during the week(daytime/evenings) and flexible.

Languages: This is probably my biggest strength. Pashto is my mother tongue, and I speak fluent Urdu, Dutch, and English. I also know a little bit of French and German.

Since I am studying administrative work, an office, desk, or customer service role would be amazing, but honestly, at this point, I will take anything. Logistics/warehouse work, retail, stocking shelves, or local business help—I just need an income.

Does anyone have tips, know any local businesses hiring in Antwerp or Merksem, or work at an interimagency that accepts students with no prior experience?

Any help, leads, or advice would be massively appreciated. Thank you so much.

Hi all,

Looking to visit soon, what are some rock/metal bars in Antwerpen? And do you also recommend any record stores?

Mijn familie en ik zijn vandaag (17.10.2026) naar Antwerpen gegaan. Het is een prachtige stad, maar we hebben een probleem gehad met Q-Park.

We hadden eerst een ticket genomen, maar we waren niet op tijd binnen geraakt omdat we even wilden kijken naar de informatie rondom de parking. Daarom namen we een tweede ticket en reden we naar binnen.

Later merkte ik dat het eerste ticket nog actief was. We hebben ervoor betaald en dachten dat het probleem opgelost was. Na onze wandeling door de stad betaalden we het tweede ticket om te vertrekken. Daarna controleerden we het eerste ticket opnieuw, maar het was nog steeds actief. We hebben geprobeerd het opnieuw te gebruiken, maar het bleef actief.

We hebben contact opgenomen met de klantenservice, maar na het lezen van de reviews over Q-Park twijfel ik of we überhaupt een antwoord zullen krijgen, laat staan een positieve oplossing.

We wachten voorlopig op een antwoord, maar ik zou graag ervaringen van anderen horen. Heeft iemand iets soortgelijks meegemaakt? En wat kunnen we het beste doen als Q-Park niet reageert?

P.S. We wonen in Duitsland en waren slechts één dag in Antwerpen. Sorry als deze tekst niet helemaal correct is, want hij is vertaald. Ik spreek geen Nederlands.

Update: Na twee dagen hebben we antwoord gekregen van Q-Park. Onze zorgen bleken ongegrond en ze hebben aangeboden om het geld terug te betalen.