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Copenhagen's Potato Row: How the oldest and most exotic area in Denmark lives today
Copenhagen's Potato Row: How the oldest and most exotic area in Denmark lives today

Video: Copenhagen's Potato Row: How the oldest and most exotic area in Denmark lives today

Video: Copenhagen's Potato Row: How the oldest and most exotic area in Denmark lives today
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In the heart of Copenhagen, close to the harbor, there is a series of very crowded streets with houses laid out like potato rows. This unusual area is called Farimagsgade, but the Danes call it Kartoffelrækkerne, which literally means "potato row". This term has another origin: this land, before becoming a residential area of the city, was a real potato field. What is the secret of attractiveness and the history of the emergence of one of the most exotic regions of Denmark, further in the review.

History of Kartoffelrækkerne

Farimagsgade or Potato Rows
Farimagsgade or Potato Rows

Farimagsgade or "Potato Rows" was built at the end of the 19th century. This was done by the Construction Workers' Association. The area was intended to provide workers with cheap and comfortable housing. In the years 1870-1880, when industrialization was powerfully gaining momentum, a massive outflow of villagers to nearby cities began. It has become very problematic and dangerous for health to keep such a huge number of people in ancillary buildings unsuitable for permanent residence near the ramparts of Copenhagen. The city began to expand at the expense of new districts. One of them became Kartoffelrækkerne. About five hundred residential buildings were built there.

The district was built at the end of the 19th century
The district was built at the end of the 19th century

At first, in each such three-story house there was an opportunity to settle two or three families. Each family occupied a floor. Then, by the middle of the 20th century, in Farimagsgad, there were on average eight people per house. Over the years, the living standards in each of them got worse and worse. By the 1970s, city officials were determined to get rid of these homes. It was planned to build a highway through these lands and adjacent lakes. But the residents put up fierce resistance. They flatly refused to leave their homes. The Association of Ordinary Citizens, together with the local authorities, carried out a major overhaul of all houses.

Residents did not allow to demolish "Potato Rows"
Residents did not allow to demolish "Potato Rows"

Copenhagen's most coveted and most expensive area

Today this area is the most expensive area in Copenhagen
Today this area is the most expensive area in Copenhagen

Today, the Potato Rows, which were built as affordable housing for the working class, is one of Copenhagen's most expensive and most sought-after neighborhoods. It is very conveniently located in the very center. It is also a very safe area, and the houses are just the perfect size - they are not very big, but there is enough space for everyone.

There are no thick curtains here
There are no thick curtains here
The area is very safe - there is a place for both play and relaxation
The area is very safe - there is a place for both play and relaxation

The area is a dream

What's special about the area is that the houses here have been voted the world's most livable by several planning organizations. Optimum sized houses. They provide enough free personal space, but they are small enough to force residents to interact with their neighbors and the environment. The locals are simply in love with their area. Many people dream of living here, but it is not so easy to realize this dream. Houses here are inherited from generation to generation. Sales are extremely rare. If one of these houses were to enter the market today, it would be worth approximately DKK 6 million!

It was once a low-cost housing for the working class
It was once a low-cost housing for the working class
Small streets and cozy houses with enough space
Small streets and cozy houses with enough space

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