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Living in POZNAN in the Eskulap dormitory - big deal? [47]
I hope you'll like Poznań. I've been studying there for 4 years now, without ever being there earlier and I felt at home after a few months. It is different than other Polish cities and Poznań people pride themselves on being from Poznań - I bet you'll notice that quickly :) They are used to foreigners (lots of them working there in multinational corporations) so I guess you won't feel like a pioneer there.
Transportation is quite well organised - all the most important places are near the centre, and the city is easy to move around. I'm not sure about the area where you're going to stay but normally you can choose between buses and trams (the latter run more often). The Medical Academy is in the very centre and there is a tram stop in front of the building, one more nearby, and a two bus stops round the corner. That's one of the easiest places to get to and from.
There's plenty of interesting pubs and clubs in Poznań (there's even one in Eskulap building), make sure you test most of them while in Poznań - they're really worth visiting. And I'm sure you'll find nice company as well, especially among students - they are curious about foreigners and if you ask them for help, you won't have to ask again.
When it comes to safety, I tend to consider it a safe place, eventhough you can hear about some nasty things happening once in a while. (I even lived for 3 years in a quarter that's considered to be one of the most dangerous and nothing ever happened to me, even if I came home late at night. No terrible stories from the neighbours either. But maybe I'm just lucky? ;)
The city itself is very cosy - it's big but you don't really feel it; after a few months you'll know where the main districts are and the public transportation system. There are several nice parks in the city, including Cytadela - considered to be the largest urban park [can I call it like that?] in Europe. You can find lost of old and interesting places that you probably don't see very often in the US.
Food is easy to find:) You can choose from many cheap restaurants offering traditional Polish food, others - a bit more expensive - with international cuisine, but you simply have to visit at least one Bar Mleczny (Milk Bar)! Once you've done that, you'll know what I mean;) Food is dirt cheap there and, if not very good, than at least good - I recommend Smakosz (on a corner down from Marcinkowskiego Str
There are music pubs that invite famous international musicians - you can try the pubs in Stary Browar or Blue Note (for jazz mainly). If you feel like going to the movies, you can choose one of the many cinemas - the biggest one has got 20 screens (so I've heard).
I guess you'll have enough time to discover all that on your own. I hope you feel more encouraged now.
Enjoy your stay in Poznań! Good luck!
