City Review: Copenhagen (København)

View of the square between Norregard, Vestergade and Stroget.

Now I lived an hour south of Copenhagen for roughly 5 months.  Meaning I know a lot about this town, and I know more of the ugly than your average tourist, but I also know a lot of the good.  So here is the run down.

1.  This is an expensive ass town.  

Do not be fooled by how little 1 kroner is worth compared to US Dollars or Euros or Pounds.  You can't buy anything for 1 kroner.  A coffee at 7/11 will run you around 22 kroner, which is about 5 dollars.  So, realize, when coming here that shitty coffee is 5 dollars, and a good one is closer to 10.

I've seen more 7/11's in Denmark then I have in the USA.

Where the delicious 10 dollar coffee lives...

Now, don't get me wrong, even though the most expensive shitty beers you will ever by are in Copenhagen, does not mean it is not a cool town. Alcohol in stores, though not as cheap as Berlin, is a lot cheaper than in the US.  Plus there are no open container laws, so you can literally just walk down the street, bottle in hand, and no one gives a shit.

Nightlife in Copenhagen really gets going around 1am and then continues till the morning light.  Also--- get outside the city center for bars.  Nørrebro and Vesterbro have some of the best clubs/bars.  Though my favorite bar is Floss, right in City center.  Check it out.

2.  These are the quietist metros and trains you will ever ride.  

Denmark's train system is clean, well-maintained, and for the most part,
DEAD SILENT.

I'm not sure, why, but for some reason Danes tend to keep to themselves on public transport, and if they do talk, they keep it to a whisper.  This is GREAT for getting homework done.  Personally I think this is a plus!


3. Christiania----

I could do a whole blog post on Christiania by itself, and I think I might, but to sum it up. It is a large-ish hippie commune near the Christianshavn metro stop, that has gorgeous art, a beautiful lake, awesome housing, great food, they sell weed, and no cameras are allowed inside.  Somehow, Copenhagen and Christiania now live peacefully side by side, despite the fact that marijauna is not legal in Denmark....

4.  Winter vs. Summer- the shifting sun.

So Denmark is very far north, meaning that in the winter they have terrifyingly short days and in the summer sunset can be as late as 11pm.  It's not Norway with its midnight sun, but its still pretty cool.

5.  Bikes.

Now I'm not the best person to talk about this since I fell off my bike and broke my wrist my first week in Copenhagen, BUT in Denmark, biking is considered a viable mode of transport, year-round  even on the icy  snowy roads in January...  *cough* where people fall and break bones *cough*....

However, its cheap, eco-friendly, and when it warms up and you are finally out of your cast, kinda fun....




So this is my quick take on the city I've called home for the past 5 months.  I don't know if I've given this impression properly, but I really like it here.  Despite the expense it is a really livable, adorable city.