Appreciating My Neighborhood
Especially as the weather has been getting warmer and I’ve wanted to spend more time outdoors, I’ve been really enjoying the chance for some hyper-local exploration around my neighborhood. I live in Frederiksberg, which is technically a separate municipality from Copenhagen. One fun fact about Frederiksberg that I learned in class is that they have a law that everyone living in the municipality must be able to see a tree from their window; if you can’t see a tree from your window, you can contact the government and ask them to plant one!
Lindevangsparken
As you might be able to guess from the fun fact about trees, Frederiksberg has lots of great green spaces. On one of the first warm and sunny days of the spring, I went out on a short walk to enjoy one of the smaller parks close to my apartment, Lindevangsparken. It made me smile to see parents with strollers hang out on park benches and small children play in the grass. I was very jealous of the apartments with balconies facing the park!
Frederiksberg Have
The largest green space in Frederiksberg is Frederiksberg Have. I went there on a walk with my roommates on one of my very first days in Copenhagen, but it’s definitely become more enjoyable as the weather has warmed up. The other day, I walked around to explore for a bit before settling down in a grassy area by a stream. I wrote some postcards that I’d recently picked up and drew in my sketchbook for class while watching families of ducks splash around and various dogs frolic.
Flea Markets
Today, I met a friend at a flea market on Værnedamsvej and Tullinsgade, streets in the area I imagine as the central or “downtown” part of Frederiksberg. Many of the shops in the area had outdoors stalls, and lots of local artisans were there selling their wares. The streets were absolutely packed — the beautiful weather was definitely inspiring people to get out and about. I had gone hoping to buy a pair of sunglasses, and my wish was granted! I also ended up being tempted by a beautiful ceramic piece depicting a herring. There was also lots of lovely jewelry, but I didn’t find anything that persuaded me enough for the price. On my walk back home, I ran into another flea market! In addition to a top that I purchased from one of the vendors, I got some lemon sorbet to enjoy while wandering around.
Just Walking Around
Frederiksberg isn’t just a nice place to live because of the destinations within the area; it’s simply nice to walk around and exist here. I love seeing snippets of people’s daily lives as I pass by their buildings and see them hanging out outdoors with their families or at cafes with friends. One day, as I walked to the bakery, I saw this dog sitting in a window and watching people passing by on the street; like all of the everyday sights I see in Frederiksberg, he really made my day.
Comments