In-spire-ation

There are a gazillion spires in this town.  Many of them are right on this street called Østerbrogade.  Say: Ø like oo - as in noodle,  Say: ster - as in hey mister,   Say: bro like bwhoa - like when you're trying to stop a horse as in - whoa nelly !!, but now add a "b" to it so that you say bwhoa,  Say: gade - as in gay but now slightly lisp the word gay so that the "d" is soft - gayth.  Now say it: oo-ster-bwhoa-gayth.  Again! oo-ster-bwo-gayth. Again! oo-ster-bwo-gayth.  Very good.  But we're not done yet.  When you get to the "w" in bwo, give yourself a karate chop in the throat.  Ready?  oo-ster-b/o-gayth.  Goooood!  Now when you have said that a few times and you think you got the hang of it, put 3 or 4 marbles in your mouth and say it again.  Now you're speaking perfect Danish like a Dane.

Østerbrogade, which by the way means East Bridge Street, is not my favorite street but surely has some of the nicest looking and well taken care of buildings in town.  They are, as a matter of fact, so nice, in my opinion, that I wanted to share them with you here on my blog.  I've been on this street a thousand times and I enjoy taking in the beauty of the squares and the buildings every single time.  This is a very long street but it is just this one section that I want to expose to you today (otherwise this blog would be as long as the street).

And because there is so much to see in real life, I have decided to show you only the even-number side of the street because that was the best lighting for shooting the buildings at this time.  However, there were some subjects on the shady side of the street that I just had to add in.

After work, I got on the train and rode all the way up to the Svanemøllen train station which you can see at the top of the detailed map below.  You can see the airport where I work, at the bottom right hand side of the map.  And in the middle of the map is where we live.  The circled area is were we are going today.

Here is the close-up section of the part of Østerbrogade that we will be viewing.  

Make a print of it and follow along. 

Ok - so our first stop is just across the street from the Svanemøllen Train Station (and you don't want to know what I have to put in your mouth to get you to pronounce this word correctly) which is where I got off of the train after my day at work.

This little yellow house at number 242 has an exposed wooden frame and is probably one of my favorite buildings on this street because it is so old and must be one of the original buildings.  I will have to have my history-buff friend Jørn, tell me the original purpose of this building. I think it may have been an end station for electric street cars.  Now it is used as a break-room for bus drivers.

This building is not actually on Østerbrogade but it sits just off of the main road and is so nice that I had to add it in.  It's just 40 steps away and can be seen from Østerbrogade.  It is used now for psychiatric offices and treatment center under the main administration of Copenhagen Hospital.  Years ago I volunteered to help out when one of the offices was for AIDS health and info service. It's on Carl Nielsen Allé. He is considered  Denmarks greatest music composer.

 Next at #192 is Sions Kirk.

 At #160 is this monster of a building with a beautiful, shiny, green tiled roof.

On almost each building there is wonderful detail.  But you have to look for it and find the beautiful surprise.  This is quite different from the buildings in other European countries where the detail whacks you over the head; each building after the other screaming for your attention.  Here in Scandinavia, all the detailed work is very subtle.  I have taken just 1 detailed photo (or we'll be here all day) of each building just to give you some sort of idea of the easy going beauty.

 One the opposite corner from the green roofed monster building is #156.
Some residents have a pop-out bay window or a small balcony which is called a French balcony.

 Next is #154 with the same kind of bay window and french balcony style.

 And again at #152

 #150 is wearing a vial, getting a face-lift.

Looking back at #148.  Notice the rounded corners of the building.  They are not totally square.  This is because in the old days the city had 3 major fires and getting a long fire truck around the corner of a building was much easier if the building had rounded corners.  The charming "draping" designed artwork gives me goose bumps.

 Another one of my faves is this oldie, #146.  

It's not beautiful but it is so charming as one of the original low buildings.

 If you notice #146 has this neighbor, #144 which sits back from the street.  It needs a bucket-o-paint but lucky are the residents who come home to a small garden in front of their apartment building.

 Because #144 sits back from the street, it has given space for this very clever artwork on the side of #142.  Notice the happy red bricks are reading a book - L. Ron Hubbard's greatest selling scam.

 #138 with its majestic top and large bay windows.
By the looks of the number in the crest, this building appears to be built in 1905 - just a guess.

 #136 needs a loving hand but the detail on this building is fabulous and with copper top bay windows.

Now we are on the odd-number side of the street.  This a large square with a newly updated shopping area which originally was a military area built under the rule of King Christian IX in the late 1800's.  You can see his monogram C9 under the crown on the gate.  There is also a large café here on the square called Gunnar Nu Hansen Square.  Gunnar was a very well known sports newscaster in print, on radio and in television.  He became extreamly popular while broadcasting from Berlin during the 1936 Olympics.  The square named after him is in the perfect location as just across the street is a HUGE sports area for all kinds of sports - not least is swimming, diving, skating, tennis, track and field, a huge moderen football stadium, skating, several gyms and so on.  And then there is this teeny tiny square, glass box that has a huge amount of flowers and plants to choose from.  Also today, seeing this for my first time, is this woman selling fresh fruit from her cart.

 

 

 

 Kitty corner to the Gunnar Hansen / café square is this huge monster, #118 with pyramid tops.

 Next to that is #116 and I love the hidden roof top terrace.

Directly across the street from #116 and on the odd-number side again, is the old entrance to the old  and original stadium.  This is part of the sporting center that goes along with Gunnar Nu Hansen Square.  Notice the sporting figures at the top of the entrance as well as the archer at the end of the entrance.  And pay attention to the figures on the wall inside of the entrance.

 

 

 #112 has a delicious copper cone at the top of a long column of bay windows.

 And once again on the odd-number side of the street is St. Jacob's Church.  

Is that the sun behind the steeple or is that the 2nd coming of Christ?

 Here we are at #108 on the north corner of St. Jacobs Square which is directly across the street from his church.  A beautiful square with a big tree and 2 competing cafés.

Could it be St. Jacobs ashes in the urn ontop of the building?

On the back side of the the square is this beauty - Svanegaard  (Swan Garden).

And then on the south corner of the square is #106 with yet another urn.

#102 has a very smooth, round corner.

This is a fun one - #100 and #98 are a mirror image of each other.   

They act as a welcoming gate to their side-street.

The spires of #100 and #98 - one green and one brown.  The brown is new copper.  

The green is what happens to copper as time goes by. 

 Now you know why Lady Liberty is green - in case you were wondering.

Flat, regal spires on #92.

#84

Here we are at the last 2 buildings, #80 and #78.  

Nothing special with the tan building, #82 to the extreme left side of the photo except that Jens' dentist is in that building.

Now, of course I just said above: "the last 2 buildings....", but actually there are many many more charming buildings on this street.  However, it was only this section that I wanted to point out.  For me it starts here what is known as The Triangle - where 3 streets cross and makes an island in the middle of the cross in the shape of a triangle.  This cute little round copper-top, bubble building is one of the original structures which was where the electric street cars would turn around - the end of the line, as it were.  Here you could buy your ticket and a bite to eat and relieve yourself if pressure was building.  Then for years it was closed down and abandoned.  It became a place to exercise your illegal graffiti talent.  A few years ago it was it was revamped to it's original purpose.  From here, the same street, the tongue twisting Østerbrogade, also makes a slight twist to the south-east.  From this point the spires and charm continue on.  For example this fairytale-like building which is now in the process of a getting a much needed face lift.

And so there you have it - Spires which inspire.  

Feel free to come on down for a guided tour of the real thing and so very much more.