Zehlendorf stands for quality of life par excellence. This is the heart of the southwestern Berlin ‘mansion ring,’ where academics, German celebrities, nouveau-riche entrepreneurs, and a large community of Anglophone expats live in stately homes surrounded by vast lawns, parks, and pristine lakes. Here in one of Berlin’s slower-paced corners, leisure activities tend more towards swimming and sailing than exciting nightlife. Many find the atmosphere of Zehlendorf refreshingly down-to-earth for a place with such a concentration of wealth; residents often remark that there’s no overbearing ‘schicki-micki’ (posh and trendy) vibe. Dahlem, home of the Freie Universität, is particularly popular among expat families from English-speaking countries.

Zehlendorf is a wealthy district overall, but some areas are much posher than others. The most exclusive enclaves are found in Dahlem, Nikolassee, and Wannsee. The premiere properties are those with lake views, including a cluster of estates around Schlachtensee. Many of these mansions and estates date from the late nineteenth century; many are now protected historical landmarks. Some large houses, especially near the centre of Zehlendorf, are divided up into flats, but most accommodation is owner-occupied single-family homes, including plenty of houses more modest in size and style than the high-profile lakeside villas.

The average rent in Dahlem is €9.29 per square metre, which is very high for Berlin. Houses for purchase in Dahlem cost an average €3,400 per square metre. The average rent in Zehlendorf is €7.28 per square metre, and homes for sale in Zehlendorf cost an average €2,650 per square metre.

supermarkets; gourmet and speciality food shops; bakeries; banks; chemists; shoe, clothing, gift and book shops and hairdressers. Zehlendorf is also good for locally grown farm produce such as berries and mushrooms, sold in season around the train station. There’s a small cinema in Zehlendorf, and Dahlem has several cinemas. In good weather, you can swim and sail in the many lakes of Zehlendorf, or visit Domäne Dahlem, a working open-air farm museum. In bad weather, the cultural attractions of Dahlem await: the Brückemuseum, an extensive collection of expressionist art, and the ethnological museum, with astounding collections from Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America, are especially worth visiting. In December, Dahlem hosts a popular child-friendly Christmas market with a petting zoo.

Zehlendorf town centre has a great selection of quick on-the-go food, both imbiße and fastfood chains, and a cluster of cafes. Proper restaurants are tucked into residential areas throughout Zehlendorf and Dahlem, many of them – and especially many of the better ones - are Italian, including Il Nuovo Cristallo (030 815 6609, www.cristallo-berlin.de). The constant flow of students through Dahlem has given rise to cafes and beer gardens, especially around the Dahlem-Dorf train station, though hardly any students actually live in Dahlem and you won’t really find student-style nightlife here. If you’re looking for a lot of nightlife, you’re in the wrong part of Berlin.

The presence of international schools in Zehlendorf and Dahlem is one of the main reasons so many expats settle here. The American-German JFK School (www.jfks.de), with grades 1 to 13, is the best-regarded of the tuition-free state-governed international schools in Berlin. The Quentin Blake School (www.quentin-blake-schule.cidsnet.de) is a tuition-free English-German primary school, and the Berlin International School (www.berlin-international-school.de) is a private primary and secondary school. The Berlin-Brandenburg International School (www.bbis.de), in nearby Kleinmachnow, is a private primary and secondary school that offers boarding for grades 9 to 12.

Good connections to the S1 and U3 make it possible to reach the centre of western Berlin by public transport from Zehlendorf and Dahlem within 20 minutes. Car ownership is, however, recommended here, as there are holes in the transport connections, especially at night. The X83 bus provides a good connection to Steglitz, and the A115 motorway is easily accessible. Zehlendorf is also well equipped with bike paths, and set up for children to cycle safely.

Residents sometimes complain that the commercial centre of Zehlendorf, and especially Teltower Damm, is loud and stressful – true when compared to the rest of Zehlendorf, but not in comparison to Berlin as a whole.