#MySweden: 'It's a really great blend between young and old, native-born and foreign-born residents'
Every week one of The Local's readers take over our Instagram to show the world their Sweden. Today, Alyssa Bittner-Gibbs from the US shows us her part of Stockholm.
How old are you and what do you normally spend your days doing?
I am 38 and currently busy with a few political and civil organizations, but otherwise job-seeking after finishing a master's degree in political science from Stockholm University. So far, there's promising leads and I have become quite adept at networking, which is crucial to finding work in Sweden. Until very recently, I floated between the SU campus and central Stockholm where I interned at International IDEA. Otherwise, I am with American-born husband Keith and daughters Alice, age 9, and Matilda, who turns 3 on Monday.
When and why did you move to your neighbourhood?
Looking to move to Stockholm in 2014, I wasn't familiar at all with the suburbs (where we looked to buy for more living space) having previously lived on Södermalm as a student in 2002. We liked the Västerort area because it was close to the city with a lot of amenities and Beckomberga just felt right in the end! In the earliest stages we considered Ekerö, but shorter commuting times is a very big priority for us.
What do you love the most about your neighbourhood?
While we are in Bromma, we are quite near Vällingby centrum (just 1.5 kilometres away) and the Råcksta subway station (1 kilometre) and a short bus ride to the commuter rail in Spånga centrum. There's a lot of green space and many shopping options. Recent low-rise building and the renovation of the closed Beckomberga hospital (which was [in]famous in its day as Scandinavia's largest mental hospital) into apartments has seen a lot of families moving into the neighborhood, but those living here for decades often have stories that provide interesting historical context I simply don't have!
The buildings associated with old Beckomberga hospital have been cleverly adapted for modern use. For one example, the hospital's old horse stables and atelje once used for patient therapy using art and riding, are today a preschool with big windows that let in lots of natural light and open into the playground. Our first daughter went to preschool Stallet ('The Stables') in the 'pony' group, and now our second daughter attends in the 'four clover' group. Another former guard building serves as a cozy bistro called Tobbe's kök which is closing on September 22nd, but rumour has it another restauranteur is coming in.
What I particularly love about Beckomberga is that it's a really great blend between old and young, native-born and foreign-born residents. With everyone knowing everyone, it often feels like a small town within Stockholm. While we plan on finding a bigger home soon, we hope to stay nearby.
What annoys you the most about your neighbourhood?
It was a bit trying with the years of construction, where the last stage involved totally tearing up the main road and splitting the neighbourhood for a year. After this, fumbling between town government and a contractor meant that the bus operator stopped serving two bus stops after all this considerable taxpayer inconvenience and expense.
I would like to see the missing bus stops restored for the sake of less mobile residents who need to reach the geriatric care ward in Bromma Hospital or the handicapped swimming facilities in Beckomberga, plus added oversight over snow removal which has been lacking. Of course, the green metro line can sometimes have issues (especially in the wintertime) and frequent traffic jams at Brommaplan need addressing.
Otherwise, the construction results are lovely, restoring the culture marked gardens and grounds around Beckomberga.
Because of the hospital's history, reference to Beckomberga in Swedish can be an old-timey, short-hand euphenism for "the crazy house" or "loony bin" or "insane asylum" that is now dying out 24 years after the hospital's closure and more modern awareness around mental health issues. Still, mentioning of living in "Beckomberga" might evoke a smirk or raised eyebrows from an older Swede.
How should I spend a day in your neighbourhood?
Perhaps a morning hike in Judarskogen nature reserve looking for berries or mushrooms, then visiting Kvarnviken's mill when it has an open house to see the mill in action and buy some organic flour. In the afternoon, a visit to nearby Kaananbadet with lunch at Kaanan garden cafe and playing boules or kubb. In summertime, there is mini golf overlooking Lake Mälaren in the same area, and of course, swimming!
A definite favourite for our daughters is Björklunds hage 4H, which has chickens, rabbits, pigs, goats, sheep, and guinea pigs and a cafe supporting the local 4H club. Gotta keep fika in the mix at all times! There are many walking and biking paths throughout the area to get around to these various spots.
What's a fun fact not everyone knows about your neighbourhood?
Non-natives might not know that nearby Vällingby, inaugurated November 14th 1954, is Sweden's first ABC-stad (which stands for arbetsplatser, bostäder och centrum – 'workplace, homes and centre') and thus, a culturally significant and architecturally protected suburb. It received considerable domestic and international attention for the planning of other multi-functional town planning and became an icon of the Swedish welfare state.
Vällingby has an additional strong association with the Social Democrat party as former Prime Minister Olof Palme lived in Vällingbyhöjden from 1968 to the early 1980s. Today, Social Democrat politicians hold election day speeches in Vällingby to underline their role in forming Sweden's welfare state.
However, Vällingby was settled long before. There is a Bronze Age sacrificial site marked by a plaque on Vittangigatan, right in Vällingby's center. Different Viking runes can be found scattered throughout the wider area.
Horror film fans might want to take a little excursion to Blackeberg, which is the setting of the vampire film Let The Right One In, although it is the Råcksta pedestrian bridge underpass used in one notorious scene in the film. Poor Jocke!
Hospitalized in Beckomberga in the early 1960s, author Nelly Sachs was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1966. More recently, former Swedish Academy member and acclaimed author Sara Stridberg wrote a book Beckomberga: Ode till min familj which was nominated for literature's August Prize in 2014.
Follow Alyssa on Instagram here. To find out how you can become The Local's next #MySweden host, click HERE.
Comments
See Also
How old are you and what do you normally spend your days doing?
I am 38 and currently busy with a few political and civil organizations, but otherwise job-seeking after finishing a master's degree in political science from Stockholm University. So far, there's promising leads and I have become quite adept at networking, which is crucial to finding work in Sweden. Until very recently, I floated between the SU campus and central Stockholm where I interned at International IDEA. Otherwise, I am with American-born husband Keith and daughters Alice, age 9, and Matilda, who turns 3 on Monday.
When and why did you move to your neighbourhood?
Looking to move to Stockholm in 2014, I wasn't familiar at all with the suburbs (where we looked to buy for more living space) having previously lived on Södermalm as a student in 2002. We liked the Västerort area because it was close to the city with a lot of amenities and Beckomberga just felt right in the end! In the earliest stages we considered Ekerö, but shorter commuting times is a very big priority for us.
What do you love the most about your neighbourhood?
While we are in Bromma, we are quite near Vällingby centrum (just 1.5 kilometres away) and the Råcksta subway station (1 kilometre) and a short bus ride to the commuter rail in Spånga centrum. There's a lot of green space and many shopping options. Recent low-rise building and the renovation of the closed Beckomberga hospital (which was [in]famous in its day as Scandinavia's largest mental hospital) into apartments has seen a lot of families moving into the neighborhood, but those living here for decades often have stories that provide interesting historical context I simply don't have!
The buildings associated with old Beckomberga hospital have been cleverly adapted for modern use. For one example, the hospital's old horse stables and atelje once used for patient therapy using art and riding, are today a preschool with big windows that let in lots of natural light and open into the playground. Our first daughter went to preschool Stallet ('The Stables') in the 'pony' group, and now our second daughter attends in the 'four clover' group. Another former guard building serves as a cozy bistro called Tobbe's kök which is closing on September 22nd, but rumour has it another restauranteur is coming in.
What I particularly love about Beckomberga is that it's a really great blend between old and young, native-born and foreign-born residents. With everyone knowing everyone, it often feels like a small town within Stockholm. While we plan on finding a bigger home soon, we hope to stay nearby.
What annoys you the most about your neighbourhood?
It was a bit trying with the years of construction, where the last stage involved totally tearing up the main road and splitting the neighbourhood for a year. After this, fumbling between town government and a contractor meant that the bus operator stopped serving two bus stops after all this considerable taxpayer inconvenience and expense.
I would like to see the missing bus stops restored for the sake of less mobile residents who need to reach the geriatric care ward in Bromma Hospital or the handicapped swimming facilities in Beckomberga, plus added oversight over snow removal which has been lacking. Of course, the green metro line can sometimes have issues (especially in the wintertime) and frequent traffic jams at Brommaplan need addressing.
Otherwise, the construction results are lovely, restoring the culture marked gardens and grounds around Beckomberga.
Because of the hospital's history, reference to Beckomberga in Swedish can be an old-timey, short-hand euphenism for "the crazy house" or "loony bin" or "insane asylum" that is now dying out 24 years after the hospital's closure and more modern awareness around mental health issues. Still, mentioning of living in "Beckomberga" might evoke a smirk or raised eyebrows from an older Swede.
How should I spend a day in your neighbourhood?
Perhaps a morning hike in Judarskogen nature reserve looking for berries or mushrooms, then visiting Kvarnviken's mill when it has an open house to see the mill in action and buy some organic flour. In the afternoon, a visit to nearby Kaananbadet with lunch at Kaanan garden cafe and playing boules or kubb. In summertime, there is mini golf overlooking Lake Mälaren in the same area, and of course, swimming!
A definite favourite for our daughters is Björklunds hage 4H, which has chickens, rabbits, pigs, goats, sheep, and guinea pigs and a cafe supporting the local 4H club. Gotta keep fika in the mix at all times! There are many walking and biking paths throughout the area to get around to these various spots.
What's a fun fact not everyone knows about your neighbourhood?
Non-natives might not know that nearby Vällingby, inaugurated November 14th 1954, is Sweden's first ABC-stad (which stands for arbetsplatser, bostäder och centrum – 'workplace, homes and centre') and thus, a culturally significant and architecturally protected suburb. It received considerable domestic and international attention for the planning of other multi-functional town planning and became an icon of the Swedish welfare state.
Vällingby has an additional strong association with the Social Democrat party as former Prime Minister Olof Palme lived in Vällingbyhöjden from 1968 to the early 1980s. Today, Social Democrat politicians hold election day speeches in Vällingby to underline their role in forming Sweden's welfare state.
However, Vällingby was settled long before. There is a Bronze Age sacrificial site marked by a plaque on Vittangigatan, right in Vällingby's center. Different Viking runes can be found scattered throughout the wider area.
Horror film fans might want to take a little excursion to Blackeberg, which is the setting of the vampire film Let The Right One In, although it is the Råcksta pedestrian bridge underpass used in one notorious scene in the film. Poor Jocke!
Hospitalized in Beckomberga in the early 1960s, author Nelly Sachs was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1966. More recently, former Swedish Academy member and acclaimed author Sara Stridberg wrote a book Beckomberga: Ode till min familj which was nominated for literature's August Prize in 2014.
Follow Alyssa on Instagram here. To find out how you can become The Local's next #MySweden host, click HERE.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.