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A family in the middle of Vesterbro's chaos: »I actually get a lot of energy from people grumbling on the bike lanes«

We all have a language for the city around us – if only we ask the right questions. In the interview series My Neighborhood, we invite local voices to put their city into words.

You’ll get their best recommendations for hidden gems and beautiful urban spaces – along with a warm invitation to discover or rediscover cities and neighborhoods across Denmark.

By Anna Skovby Hansen

My Neighborhood: Copenhagen, Vesterbro

Charlie Alexander and Eva Frost talk about their family favorites in Vesterbro. This is where you’ll find the best playground, the ultimate banana bread – and a quiet cemetery they’d prefer to keep to themselves. Charlie is 40, a musician, and a seventh-generation Vesterbro resident. Eva is 38 and the CEO of Jazz Denmark. Together, they have two children, Vera and Baltazar.

What do you associate with Copenhagen?

Charlie:

»When I think of Copenhagen, I think of an open city – not because people are necessarily open, because I don’t really think they are. But the city itself is spacious. There’s room. And there’s energy. I actually get charged by it – even when people are grumpy on the bike lanes. It’s just part of the rhythm.«

Eva:

»To me, it’s convenience. It’s so easy to get around. In other big cities, you spend forever just figuring out public transport. In Copenhagen, you just bike – fifteen minutes and you’re across the whole city. That’s pretty unique.«

Charlie:

»Now that we have an electric cargo bike, everything just flows. Everyone fits in it – it makes getting around really easy.«

What is Copenhagen’s most overlooked hideaway?

Eva:

»We live right by Sønder Boulevard, and we love that area. But Vesterbro actually has the fewest green square meters per resident in all of Copenhagen. So, we really appreciate the small pockets of peace. J.C. Jacobsen’s Garden behind Carlsberg Byen – it’s a real gem.«

Charlie:

»It’s kind of hidden.«

Eva:

»We’re honestly not sure we want to mention it – we’d like to keep it a bit secret.«

Charlie:

»If you go, you can say hi to the brewery horses. Or walk to Vestre Kirkegård (West Cemetery) – it’s one of the most peaceful places in the city. Very green and quiet. Absolutely beautiful.«

Eva:

»Enghaveparken is also great. It was renovated a few years ago and has both a playground and an ice rink. But it can get a bit crowded on weekends.«

"There’s always life and people want to linger. It feels like the heart of Vesterbro."

Where should families with kids go in Copenhagen?

Charlie:

»Skydebanehaven – no question. It’s one of the best playgrounds in the city. We briefly lived on Amager and still came back here just for that.«

Eva:

»And it looks amazing – you enter through this big shooting range wall, it feels like stepping into a fortress.«

Charlie:

»And if you want to show your kids something a little rougher, take a walk through Kødbyen. There are galleries, cafés – we especially love H15. The Green Meatpacking District is a bit more hip but still gritty. If you want to see the classic Vesterbro, walk along Vesterbrogade or Istedgade – there are beautiful old buildings in all sorts of colors.«

Where can families find great cultural experiences?

Eva:

»Absalon on Sønder Boulevard is fantastic. We’ve been to baby rhythm classes, flea markets, yoga, communal dinners. There’s always something going on – check the calendar, there’s everything from croquis drawing to swing dancing. Bakkehuset is also a little gem. One of the oldest houses in Copenhagen, really beautiful and cozy. And then there’s BaneGaarden – a kind of urban village with chickens, a bakery, events…«

Which places/buildings would you show to out-of-town guests?

Charlie:

»I’d start at the Central Station and walk up Istedgade. That walk tells the entire story of Vesterbro – from the rough and edgy to the gentrified and polished. And you end up in Carlsberg Byen – hyper-modern and a bit more upscale.«

Eva:

»Carlsberg Byen is pretty wild architecturally. The blend of old and new really works.«

Charlie:

»Another spot is Dybbølsbro, where IKEA is – there’s a great view from the rooftop! There’s a small café up there where you can enjoy an ice cream cone for a fiver.«

What does the perfect Saturday look like?

Charlie:

»A sunny walk through Sønder Boulevard. You have to do it. Past KIHOSKH and down to Enghave Plads. In the summer, they plant flowers in the beds – it’s super charming.”

Eva:

»Enghave Plads is brilliant. There’s always life and people want to linger. It feels like the heart of Vesterbro.«

Charlie:

»Then we grab coffee and banana bread from Beat Café. Behind it there’s a vinyl shop where you can play board games. When we’re with the kids, we often swing by Brød to get chocolate buns. The kids love them. There are so many cute shops here – ceramics, specialty stores … It feels a bit like a village."«

Eva:

»In summer, we go to the harbor baths – either Kalvebod Bølge or Sluseholmen in Sydhavn. It’s surprisingly easy to get there, and it’s not too crowded. The Sluseholmen harbor bath is at the end of a residential area, and the architecture out there is really fascinating.«

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