Hi @BiddyPop , we lived in Brussels 2019-2021. It’s a really cool, exciting city!
For where you’ll be working, a nice (but often a bit pricey) area to live is Ixelles. It’s walking distance, probably around 20 mins depending on how fast/slow you walk. Another nice area is Châtelain.
We used a lot of UK items with adapter no problem, but yes things you use all the time could be handy to get over there.
General advice hmm…it is not the cheapest place to live (but is anywhere these days?) and it can feel a bit funny because there are a lot of expats/it’s very International. I loved it but don’t be surprised if sometimes it feels like you could be anywhere.
Since there are the two areas to Belgium (Francophone and Dutch speaking), it can be wise to remember NOT to assume someone is French if they are speaking French 🤣 we made that mistake once or twice and got quite a sharp response.
Pre-Covid there were great food markets in Chatelaine (Wednesday nights I think), Place de Luxembourg (which is right next to EU), Le Sablon (Thursday I think). Great atmosphere, good food trucks kind of thing, fruit & veg etc.
There’s a thing in Brussels amongst EU workers called “Jeudredi” which is essentially the habit of going out for post-work drinks at Place de Lux on a Thursday night (not Friday!).
I hope you enjoy it! I quite miss it sometimes and wish Covid hadn’t derailed things, we would have probably stayed for another few years otherwise.
Oh last thing, it’s VERY bureaucratic. You’ll have to apply for your residency card and they are v strict on the bins/recycling. But if you’re going via work, I’m sure they help you with all that.
Any other specific Qs, ask away and I’ll try to answer if I can. Enjoy!