Copenhagen's Street Fashion

“Independence and flexibility come with using a bike. It’s always easy to meet my husband, wherever we may be. One of my favorite places to visit is the Ny Carlsberg Glyptoteket, a museum with a beautiful winter garden. It’s best on Sundays, when admission is free. Right now I’m headed to the shop Sneaky Fox, in the Latin Quarter; it’s famous for colorful hosiery.”

“I have a Centurion (centurion.dk), a really well-made Danish bike. In Copenhagen, you can get some exercise and enjoy the surroundings while going about your business. I would miss that if I lived in another city. I’m coming from Filippa K (various locations; filippa-k.com), where I just bought my hat. On the weekends, I ride to Mindelunden, a memorial park for the Danish World War II freedom fighters, in a suburb called Hellerup. It’s very peaceful.”

“I visit my patients on a bike. It’s the easiest way to reach them, and I don’t have to worry about parking a car. I also like walking around the Botanical Garden & Museum. The greenhouses there were built in the 1800’s by Carl Jacobsen, the father of Carlsberg beer. The newest trend in Copenhagen is microbreweries. My favorites are Nørrebro Bryghus and BrewPub.”

“When the sun shines, everyone hops on their bikes and heads to the green spaces, like Fælledparken in Østerport, next to the National Stadium. If it snows, the city clears the paths very quickly, so you can ride all year. Today I visited the organic dairy at Nimb (doubles from $734), a new boutique hotel facing Tivoli. At the moment, I’m off to do some work at Rayuela, a Spanish café and bookshop in Nørrebro.”

“I have always used a bicycle. I got my first one when I was five. My husband and I raised four children, and we never bought a car. During the war, the Germans took our gas, but they didn’t take our bikes—we could still ride. I’m 85, and I still cycle to the shops every day. I buy books at Arnold Busck and CD’s at Merlin (various locations; merlin.dk) for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”

“The bicycles affect the whole urban environment and create a unique ambience. There are three powerful visual velocities here: cars, pedestrians, and cyclists; most cities only have two. I like to go to the new beach park at Amager Strand; you can see the windmills and the Oresund Bridge in addition to the coast, so it has an industrial look. You have to take the train there, but I usually bring my bike on board.”

Vibeke: “Copenhagen has an amazing quality of life. I normally ride from the center of Copenhagen to Hellerup, past the Funkis houses; they are functionalist-minimalist, à la Arne Jacobsen.” Giulio: “I spend a lot of time in the Black Diamond building at the Royal Library. It has concerts, exhibitions, and an excellent restaurant called Søren K (dinner for two $189), with seasonal cuisine.”

“When I’m playing somewhere, I carry my bass guitar on my bike. That way I don’t have to worry about the impossibility of parking. I’d say that the city’s best live-music venue is Vega, in Vesterbro. It was designed by Vilhelm Lauritzen, a renowned Danish architect. I also recommend Copenhagen Jazzhouse downtown; and in Nørrebro, there’s Rust, for up-and-coming bands.”

“I live outside of Copenhagen and ride out there as well. It’s easier in the country, but there’s a great bike culture in the city. My favorite museum is Arken, which has modern art. It’s a 25-minute train ride from downtown, but the architecture alone—it looks like a stranded ship—is worth the trip. I also spend time around Studiestræde, a street with lots of cafés and secondhand shops.”

“Most Danish actors commute on bikes—even the famous ones. I’m in a TV series, Nynne, which opens with a shot of my character cycling through town. Sometimes my fans yell “hi!” as I ride by. I’d suggest seeing a show at the newly opened Royal Playhouse, Skuespilhuset. After work, theater people traditionally go to Viva, a restaurant and bar on a houseboat in Christianshavn.”