In My Hood: Out and About in the 7th District, Vienna

I used to think: why would you want to be a fashion photographer in Vienna? It is way too boring! So I moved to New York for a year and then lived in Berlin for seven years. After that, a relationship brought me to the capital of my home country. It’s over now, but I stayed anyway – and I’m very happy about it. Only here did I realize I was looking for more peace and quiet, especially after my time in Berlin. The smaller scale suits my current stage in life, and Vienna’s beauty suits me as a visual person.

Out and About in Vienna’s Hipster District

My apartment is in the 6th district, but most of the time I'm in the 7th district, the Neubau, which is known as the cool hipster district. Neubaugasse alone is full of stores that cater to my taste. If you love Scandinavian style like I do, you’ll find it at Copenhagen Hus. Almost everything there is Scandinavian, from furniture and home accessories to clothing and cosmetics.

A few meters further and across the street is the Dancing Shiva store. I’m very interested in healthy eating and holistic healing, and they sell very special products such as powders made from medicinal mushrooms, rare oils, and superfoods. Also in Neubaugasse: Calienna, a stylish plant shop with a café where you can sip your cappuccino or matcha among cacti, tropical houseplants, and meter-high palm trees.

For the Perfect Pizza, Go to the 8th District

I have been on a gluten-free diet for some time. This isn’t always easy in the land of pastries. Luckily, Café Ausnahmsweise serves delicious gluten-free and vegan cakes and is just around the corner from my apartment. Heavenly! For the best gluten-free pizza, I always go to Pizza Bussi Ciao. It's in the 8th district, but I’m happy to make the 25-minute walk for my beloved bufala.

Schwein ("pig" in English) is ironically a restaurant that serves only vegetarian and vegan dishes. I recommend the crispy artichokes, which are deep-fried and served with cashew cream. And the interior is really nice, too! The same goes for Seven North, an Israeli restaurant where I like to order lots of small dishes to share with friends, and Café Azzurro, where I especially like the minimalist decor and cool atmosphere.

When friends come to visit, I force them to come to my yoga studio, y.lab, in the 6th district. I always feel like I’m in Brooklyn, because it’s in an old brick warehouse. Occasionally, so-called electronic sound baths are also held there, where you can completely immerse yourself in the music, like in a bathtub.

When the weather is nice, I walk through the 7th district toward the inner city, past the Kunsthistorisches Museum to the Burggarten. You can often find me there, usually lost in a good book. Speaking of which: Hafi Books + Coffee, a bookstore with a café, has a great selection of English literature as well as design and photography books.

I don’t go to bars much anymore. My circle usually meets at the studio of my friend Thomas Schrenk, who paints wonderful abstract pictures. The studio is normally not open to the public, but if you ask nicely, you can probably get a tour.

About

Theresa Kaindl grew up in the state of Salzburg, Austria. Her career as a fashion photographer has taken her to New York, Berlin, and all over the world. Kaindl has been living in Vienna since 2022. Her clients include renowned fashion houses and magazines.