Living in Stockholm

Hello Friday!

A few weeks ago Victoria of Vmac and Cheese wrote about her experience living in New York for one year. I love reading about other people's city experiences (especially of NYC as it's such a diverse interesting city) so I found her post very entertaining. (Public nudity, gee wizz!) I've been living in Stockholm for well over 6 years but I've never really done any sort of yearly recap which is kind of a shame. (Would have been fun to go back to re-read.) Since I really like Victoria's setup of a quick Q&A instead of a long drawn out essay I decided to fill out her questions for my Stockholm experiences.

Best Meal I've had in Stockholm:

I kind of feel like I haven't had it yet as there are so many amazing restaurants in this city that I haven't had the pleasure of eating at yet (got to save my pennies). The meal we had at French restaurant Le Rouge to celebrate our 5 year anniversary would be a contender though. Usually when Johan and I go out we kind of feel cheated, like the meal was a waste of money as we could easily make the same or better at home. Definitely for a lot less money! But the meal at Le Rouge, though costing what we spend on half a month's groceries was so worth it. The food was something we'd never make at home, and the meat was so tender we still talk about it.

Favorite Place I've been for Drinks:

Drinks? Who can afford a $24 vodka cranberry. I stick to beer or wine as it's at least a little bit more affordable. So I don't ever go anywhere specifically for the drink selection but rather just for the atmosphere or my friends. I really like Mosebacke's outdoor terrass in the summer months. It's a relaxed environment and has a gorgeous panorama view over Stockholm.

Thing I would Miss Most about Stockholm if I Moved:

I would surely miss this gorgeous city so so so very much if I were to move. Stockholm has fast become my home and I truly love living here. I love being able to navigate the different bus and train lines, and streets as walking has become one of my favorite forms of transportation in this city. The city is stunning and makes me feel elegant and very happy!

Favorite Neighborhood:

I'm definitely a South Stockholm Södermalm girl. This is the more relaxed, "hipster", area that I feel most at home. Think farmers markets, second hand stores a plenty, and coffee shops every 10 steps. You can be who ever you want to be too, while in other parts of Stockholm I feel you have to dress a certain way or be a certain way or have a certain job to fit in. I love all the little shops, and cafes here as well. I'm starting to especially really like the areas around Maria Torget and Hornstull.

Places I like to Visit that Never get Old:

I never get tired of Gamla Stan, Stockholm's Old Town. I know some places are very touristy but I just can't get enough of it's charming wonky cobblestoned narrow streets and history.

Most Expensive Cab Ride to Date:

Every cab ride is expensive therefore I steer clear of taxis. On some occasions though when there is a 30 to 60 minute wait for your train, or sometimes after a night of too much fun you just have to get. home. right. now. Since we don't live in the middle of the city (about 15 minutes outside in the suburbs) a cab ride home costs about 260:-SEK nearly $40, eek!

Weirdest Thing I've ever Seen:

Nothing as weird as some of the craziness that I've seen in The Untied States has ever come close to happening in Stockholm. I'll let you know as soon as something surprises me!

Most Awkward Stockholm Subway Experience:

For the most part people are rather well behaved on the subway in Stockholm. People sit quietly and mind their own business, usually reading or on their phones. The subway is also clean and well taken care of and there are guards often on board. But even so, once in awhile the weirdos really come out from where ever they normally are and add some spice to the public transport experience. They are of course usually drunk, high or sadly mentally ill. One experience really sticks in my mind as I feel so guilty of not stepping in. I witnessed a rasist Swedish woman (who was either incredibly high or mental ill, or both) harass an english speaking African woman. The Swedish woman claimed that the cut she had on her arm would be infected by her presence and that she should move away from her side of the train, which sickened me. I truly hope the African lady couldn't understand Swedish, and am also completely embarrassed that I didn't do anything nor did anyone else on the train. :(

Best Stockholm Subway Experience:

One time during a Girl's Night Out we hopped on the train at the same time as a fun group of friends and their portable speaker which was blaring ABBA's Dancing Queen. We of course joined in on the singing and disco moves. Best 5 minute subway ride of my life!

Favorite Place to Shop:

I'm not much of a shopper so I don't really have any exciting favorite places for shopping. For clothes I go to H&M for the most part, or wait until I'm in the States to buy some new things as the prices are so much better. For window shopping I love the department store PUB. They house lots of Swedish designs, great home wares, and even vintage. As for food I am completely smitten with our local grocery store ICA in Liljeholmen (I sound so incredibly boring). The store itself is pretty large, and fresh plus they seem to constantly update their assortment with exciting things. 

Thing that Annoys Me the Most about Living in Stockholm:

It's soooooo EXPENSIVE! Everything is 2x 3x or even 4x more expensive than what I'm used to in The States. I'm especially sad how expensive it is to eat out. There are so many interesting restaurants popping up all over the city but I can't afford to even eat out for dinner once a week. (One nice meal with wine and dessert for two costs a week's worth of groceries. I'm talking about a normal Stockholm restaurant, nothing incredibly fancy.) So me and my boyfriend stick to making homemade meals ourselves. Groceries are incredibly expensive here too though, so we've got a strikt budget that we stick too. Oh and a Maybelline mascara costs $24 here! I prefer to shop and eat out less so that I can travel as much as possible.

Thing that I Love Most about living in Stockholm:

I've never really been able to quite put my finger on what I love so much about Stockholm. When I moved here over 6 years ago it always just felt right, like I fit in perfectly. I suppose it's the Swedish mentality that I like the most. It's a little quieter, calmer, possibly a smidge snobby, very stylish, and there's an appreciation for everyday luxuries.