The Vienna Community

The first thing that struck me about Vienna is how I felt like part of a community as soon as I came here. I arrived a few days before the final game of the FIFA world cup and the city was buzzing with chatter about the tournament. Even though Austria wasn’t in the game (or in the world cup at all for that matter) thousands of people turned out to various places around the city to watch the game.

I met with some friends I had just made at work at Copa Beach, which has since become one of my favorite places in Vienna. Coming from America, I knew that people outside of the US were really into soccer, but I was blown away by the magnitude of people who had come to watch the game. There was a huge TV set up by the Donau River, and around it sat thousands of fans cheering for both teams.

Seeing everyone bought together for the game was amazing to me. The comradery and outpouring of support really showed the kind of place that Vienna is. It’s a place for anyone to fit in, find their group, and have a fun time.