In My Hood: Out and About in Vasastaden, Stockholm

My studio is located in the Vasastaden district. Many people love this district because of the classic 1920s Stockholm architecture, the many cafés, and small stores. I share the space with my friend Elin, a former architect like me, who founded Plantstraws, a company for sculptural vases and other plant accessories. Anyone who would like to visit us is welcome at any time. However, we have given up fixed opening hours because life gets in the way too often. So please make an appointment!

For some time now, my family and I have been dreaming of living in Italy for a year or so. The Poli Caffé quells this longing: People drink their espresso standing up, chat with each other, and move on. On the way to my studio, I like to get a latte macchiato there (for just two euros!) and a roll with salami.  

I love second-hand shopping. At Myrorna, all proceeds are donated to people in need. I recently found a little marble inkwell there that I totally fell in love with. Just a few steps away from the Myrorna store on Fleminggatan 89, Bye Buy sells cute children’s clothes and baby equipment. Every Wednesday, mothers with full bags queue up to drop off the clothes their children have outgrown. I go to Arkivet for selected designer clothes. Although they only sell second-hand items, it’s like being in an exclusive boutique. If you see me in a T-shirt from the Stockholm label Acne Studios, there are two possibilities: Either I borrowed it from a friend (and forgot to return it) or I bought it at Arkivet.  

Fantastic bread is available at the Lillebrors bakery, which means “little brother.” I can also highly recommend the rolls and the semlor, yeast rolls filled with sweet cream. My advice is to go there during the week. At the weekend, you might have to queue for thirty minutes. If I had endless money, I would only buy my groceries at Cajsa Warg. You don’t go to this delicatessen to get a bargain, but I love to browse among the wooden shelves with one of the cute wicker baskets and treat myself to a delicacy or two. I like to buy kitchen utensils in a little store called Lagamati – a must for anyone who likes to cook, because everything there has that “our heirs will fight over it” quality.

On the street Rörstrandsgatan is the modernist Filadelfiakyrkan free church. The church is a place of pilgrimage for architecture fans – and for music lovers: I’ve attended some wonderful concerts there. Well, one of them was a choir performance entitled “Anyone can sing,” which turned out not to be true. Just around the corner, the Capitol cinema offers a cool atmosphere for watching movies: I saw a Wes Anderson FIlm there once – and it was like watching a Wes Anderson movie inside a Wes Anderson movie.

The heart of my neighborhood is the big park Vasaparken with its fantastic playground. My kids loved swinging, playing, and running around there. The grassy slope a few steps away is perfect for a picnic when the weather is nice. Another highlight: From the park you can see Astrid Lindgren’s apartment and imagine how she sat there and dreamt up the adventures of Pippi, Michel, Ronja, Kalle, and all her other heroes.

Maja Säfström studied architecture at the Royal Institute of Technology. She now works as an illustrator and author in Stockholm. Her first book was published in 2017 under the cute title "The Illustrated Compendium of Amazing Animal Facts."