Unterstrass

Living Between Park and Lecture Hall

Unterstrass is the western part of District 6 – and one of Zurich’s most underrated residential neighbourhoods. While the city centre is only ten tram minutes away, life here is remarkably calm: residential streets lined with turn-of-the-century houses and well-kept housing cooperatives, dotted with local shops, cafés and plenty of green. The neighbourhood is shaped by the University of Zurich Irchel: the campus with its science institutes sits right by the quarter and brings students, doctoral candidates and researchers from all over the world to Unterstrass. Most people looking for furnished apartments in Unterstrass do so for exactly that reason – a semester, a research year or a project in Zurich, without the effort of furnishing a flat of their own.

Irchelpark: Zurich’s Campus Park

The green heart of the neighbourhood is Irchelpark – at around 32 hectares one of the largest parks in the city. Meadows, a pond with water lilies, sculptures and jogging paths stretch between the university buildings; in summer the slopes fill with people grilling and studying, in winter the park belongs to walkers. For anyone living and working in Zurich, that is a rare luxury: a park of this size right on the doorstep, without moving to the edge of the city.

Schaffhauserplatz and Milchbuck: Short Everyday Distances

The everyday centre of Unterstrass is Schaffhauserplatz: bakeries, cafés, restaurants and shops for daily needs cluster around the square where the neighbourhood’s tram lines meet. A little further out lies Milchbuck, one of the most important transport hubs in Zurich’s north – from here, Oerlikon, the university hospital and the city centre are all a few minutes away. At the upper edge of the quarter sits Bucheggplatz with its striking pedestrian bridge and views over the city; this is where the bus lines towards Höngg, Oerlikon and Wipkingen come together.

Ten Minutes to ETH, the Main Station or Oerlikon

Few residential neighbourhoods combine calm and connectivity as well as Unterstrass. Trams 7 and 14 run via Schaffhauserplatz and Milchbuck straight to the main station, while trams 9 and 10 link the Universität Irchel stop with ETH and the university in the centre – in around ten minutes you are in the lecture hall or at the main station. Heading north, Oerlikon with its offices and railway station is a few minutes away, and tram 10 continues without a change all the way to the airport. If your work takes you between the city centre, Zurich North and the airport, this is a strategically ideal place to live.

Furnished Living in Unterstrass

Unterstrass is a classic newcomers’ neighbourhood: the start of a semester at the Irchel campus, a research stay, a project assignment in Oerlikon or the transition period after moving to Zurich – what is often needed is a temporary home that works from day one. That is exactly what our furnished apartments are made for: fully equipped, utilities and Wi-Fi included, from one month upwards. Our current apartments are located in Districts 3, 4 and 5 and in Altstetten – thanks to trams and the S-Bahn, the Irchel campus is 15 to 25 minutes away from any of them. Get in touch without obligation: we will check temporary housing options to match your dates and budget.

Perfect for: Anyone studying or working at the Irchel campus or in Zurich North who wants a quiet, green neighbourhood with fast access to the city.

Character

• Atmosphere: Calm, academic, family-friendly
• Restaurants: Local eateries and cafés around Schaffhauserplatz
• Shopping: Everyday shops nearby, bigger shopping in Oerlikon or the city centre
• Nightlife: Quiet – the going-out districts start one tram ride away
• Peace and quiet: Residential streets are very quiet, almost park-like towards Irchelpark

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Header image credit: Zurich panorama from Uetliberg (placeholder until an Unterstrass image is available) – Heni2000, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.