The catch for now: In Starosta’s quarters, many houses are still dilapidated. It will probably be years before Ückendorf – as hoped – really shines in new splendor.
At least half of what the urban renewal company had planned has now been rehabilitated, says Mario Hofmann, the responsible team leader from the city of Gelsenkirchen. And the project is successful.
“We notice that we can also attract young people from neighboring cities.”
Mario Hofmann, City of Gelsenkirchen
Newcomers from Essen, Bochum and Dortmund now also live in the renovated Gründerzeit houses.
Rents are often noticeably higher there, as shown by a comprehensive evaluation of apartment advertisements that NRW.Bank made available to WDR.
The example of Ückendorf cannot be transferred to expensive cities such as Münster, Düsseldorf, Bonn and Cologne. But it shows that you can escape the tense housing market in NRW if you are willing to commute or Homeoffice and apartments without their own garden.
Above all, you can feel it in Ückendorf “departure”enthuses Anabel Storasta. “A lot happens here.” There are new cafes, art galleries, concerts. “It’s an oasis of gentrification.”
On March 6th, 2023, the “morning echo” on WDR5 and the “current hour” on WDR television also report on this topic.