The corner at Kihoskh: Where Cosmopolitans put down Roots

If contemporary Vesterbro had a heart, it would beat particularly strong near this corner shop on Sønder Boulevard.

A Danish kiosk is usually a cross between a convenience store and a newsstand where you can buy basics like soft drinks, beer, chips and cigarettes. However, many years before anyone could imagine Vesterbro as anything but a rough working-class neighborhood, Kihoskh opened on the corner of Sønder Boulevard and Dybbølsgade. It was unusual to see such cosmopolitan coolness in this area, but this shop really spiffed up the Danish kiosk-genre – prototypically a tiny mom & pop grocery – by selling comic books and underground music alongside classic convenience store fare to the local customer segment of students and unemployed people. It wasn’t a strategy, it was pure con amore.

When Vesterbro’s demographics changed, Kihoskh already had deep roots in the neighborhood. Sønder Boulevard was once again home to trees, grass and common areas, and soon the little corner shop came to play a major role as a dynamo in the area – simply by continuing to do what it had always done: sell things that the shop owners and employees liked to the colorful community of Vesterbro. Simple tables and benches were set up outside the shop, and today the corner functions almost as an extension of Sønder Boulevard. 

The shop is situated on the corner where Sønder Boulevard crosses Dybbølsgade. From this corner, you can see quite far in every direction. To the right, you will find the outdoor life of the Meatpacking District, Kødbyen. To the left are the more peaceful areas with playgrounds and hip, young families. Straight across toward Enghave Plads, you can sense the start of the lively shopping scene on Istedgade. And if you turn around, you’ll see throngs of bikes on their way to Islands Brygge. 

Facts:

• Kihoskh got its name from the Pharaoh in the Tintin comic book Cigars of Pharaoh, and has been at this location since the early 1990s. It’s open every day from morning to around 1 or 2 a.m. 
• They brew their own beer and coffee and have been known to host beer tastings in the basement.
• Even though the place has a cosmopolitan air about it, with international magazines and a wide range of delicacies, their product range always offers something for all ages and tastes. 

Nearby:

If you feel up to a longer walk, follow Dybbølsgade to the S-train station. From there, it is a short walk to the pedestrian bridge that crosses the harbor to Islands Brygge. Along the way, you will see the elevated orange cycle bridge.

If you’ve had enough of the local urban life for the moment and are hungry for a purely aesthetic experience, try taking an adventure on the Metro, which you can catch at Enghave Plads, just a quarter of a mile away. The new stations are an Instagrammer’s paradise.