There are a lot of American GI's and their families that did the Wiesbaden 'tour' in their life, and this is my listing of what really changed since 1982....if you tried to imagine it today:
1. The train station is basically unchanged. Oh, they added a McDonalds, KFC, and a Dunkin's shop....but the station remains mostly as it looked in 1982.
2. Dealers and drugs? If you stand in front of the station (facing it) and put your left arm out....to walk five minutes, it's what I'd call a drug zone. Same can be said for Bebrich area and that 'English-garden-park' that they have. I won't say it's bad, but it's simply trending that way.
3. Restaurants that were existing in 1982? Probably 10-percent are still around....most of the rest have moved on or been replaced. If you wanted an international theme....there's probably forty different cultures to test out. The top rated place in town today? A Turkish shop over by the old bus station in town.
4. Thugs, fights, assaults? I would just say that the city council made a no-weapons zone for the walk-platz area, and have gotten serious about police patrols. I'd offer the advice that after 10 PM, you probably need to end your visit to town and take the bus home.
5. The demographics for non-German, non-American and non-Turks for the city population? I'd say that about 10-percent of the population (293k) fit into that category.
6. Traffic? The city tried to hustle up enthusiasm for a tram....but it failed miserably on the vote-business. Most people would argue that traffic in the rush-hour is now a problem....finding parking is a chaotic mess....that if you did find parking, it's fairly expensive.
7. The structures left around the American hospital and the AF post? Building-wise, most everything is still standing. The ballpark and gym stand as well. They probably threw up another twenty-odd buildings, so it looks pretty 'filled-up'.
8. E-scooters having become a problem? You started to notice them five years ago, and today.....it's added to the chaos of the city.
9. Bar and public district? I'd still rate what exists today as five-star, and probably better than what existed in 1982. The Big Apple Disco? Long gone.
10. Fests. There's hardly a month that goes by today....where some fest is not occurring in the city. This is probably one of the three big positives.
11. Break-ins and petty crime. Probably twice as much as existed in the 1980s.
12. Winos? At the Luisenplatz, probably by 9AM, the 'gang' gathers, and they sit around for most of the day. The city put a porta-potty up and clear it every other day....so things don't smell like urine in the park.
13. Beggars? On an average day in the city shopping district....if you paused for a coffee or ice cream.....it's a 25-percent chance you will be approached. I'd go and suggest at least thirty full-time folks on the walk.
14. The Perfect Day coffee shop is still the best coffee shop in town.
15. An all-day bus ticket today? Cost in the range of 6 Euro.
16. I would still say the bulk of Wiesbaden is safe enough to dump a 8-year old kid out and let them roam the city in daylight hours.
17. City Bowling burgers are still where they were 1982.
18. The old American Arms Hotel? Gone. Condo situation today.
19. Number of pizza establishments in the whole city today? I would put the number up around seventy.
20. If you were looking for a New York type city park, with decent walks and benches....they've retained that image and it's a magnet for afternoon walks.
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