#MySweden: 'My neighbourhood has a reputation for being an area for boring rich people'
Every week a new reader takes over The Local's Instagram to show us their Sweden. Today, James Brown from the United States shows us his part of Stockholm.
How old are you and what do you normally spend your days doing?
I am 53, for a few more weeks. I spend most of my weekdays working at my job, which I get to do from home most of the time. I am the Head of Online Education and Senior Advisor for Yoga Content for Yogayama, a studio franchise company based here in Stockholm.
In the evening and on weekends, I spend most of my time playing with my dogs, cooking and baking, and practising music. I play guitar and sing country music.
When and why did you move to your city/neighbourhood?
I moved here in July of 2018 for a couple of reasons. One was that I was offered a job here and, after being here for a month the summer before, I accepted the job so I could spend more time here in a place that made me feel very comfortable.
I have been teaching yoga for 22 years and had got burned out on the superficiality of the yoga world in the USA. Here in Sweden, the yoga scene is different. Before I came here, I thought I was finished teaching yoga, but then I saw how satisfying it is for me to teach Swedish students, who come to learn, rather than to get content for their Instagram feed.
The other reason is that the way things are in the USA have changed so much in the past couple of years that I just wanted to be in a different place. Although I grew up in the USA and have always been proud of my country, it just doesn’t make sense to me any more, so I was happy to take the opportunity to be somewhere else.
What do you love the most about your city/neighbourhood?
I love that it is quiet and beautiful, while still having easy access to all of the necessities of daily life. I rarely have to leave to get what I need, which is good because I rarely want to.
What annoys you the most about your neighbourhood?
My neighbourhood, Östermalm, has a reputation for being the area that the boring rich people live in. I am neither boring nor rich, so I have to overcome that unusual stigma when people learn that I live here.
Also, the people on the street are not very friendly. I have heard from my Swedish friends and coworkers that this is particularly true for this neighbourhood, and when I have visited Gothenburg and northern Sweden, or even gone to other parts of Stockholm, I did find the people there to be much more friendly and smiley when passing on the street.
How should I spend a day in your neighbourhood?
The answer to this is easy: walk around. Within a few minutes walk from my house, you can be on the waterfront, in any of a number of world-class museums, in the middle of a bustling shopping area, in our well-well-preserved old town area, in a beautiful old park, or just walking around admiring the architecture. I never get bored walking around this area.
What's a fun fact not everyone knows about your neighbourhood?
From the 1500s until the late 1600s, this area was used for cattle grazing. Then part of it was used as a military exercise field beginning in the late 1800s. Then in 1880, a new urban plan was set forth to make wide avenues and grand residences. That was when my apartment building was built, as were many of the foreign embassies that are still here today.
Follow James Brown 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 53, for a few more weeks. I spend most of my weekdays working at my job, which I get to do from home most of the time. I am the Head of Online Education and Senior Advisor for Yoga Content for Yogayama, a studio franchise company based here in Stockholm.
In the evening and on weekends, I spend most of my time playing with my dogs, cooking and baking, and practising music. I play guitar and sing country music.
When and why did you move to your city/neighbourhood?
I moved here in July of 2018 for a couple of reasons. One was that I was offered a job here and, after being here for a month the summer before, I accepted the job so I could spend more time here in a place that made me feel very comfortable.
I have been teaching yoga for 22 years and had got burned out on the superficiality of the yoga world in the USA. Here in Sweden, the yoga scene is different. Before I came here, I thought I was finished teaching yoga, but then I saw how satisfying it is for me to teach Swedish students, who come to learn, rather than to get content for their Instagram feed.
The other reason is that the way things are in the USA have changed so much in the past couple of years that I just wanted to be in a different place. Although I grew up in the USA and have always been proud of my country, it just doesn’t make sense to me any more, so I was happy to take the opportunity to be somewhere else.
What do you love the most about your city/neighbourhood?
I love that it is quiet and beautiful, while still having easy access to all of the necessities of daily life. I rarely have to leave to get what I need, which is good because I rarely want to.
What annoys you the most about your neighbourhood?
My neighbourhood, Östermalm, has a reputation for being the area that the boring rich people live in. I am neither boring nor rich, so I have to overcome that unusual stigma when people learn that I live here.
Also, the people on the street are not very friendly. I have heard from my Swedish friends and coworkers that this is particularly true for this neighbourhood, and when I have visited Gothenburg and northern Sweden, or even gone to other parts of Stockholm, I did find the people there to be much more friendly and smiley when passing on the street.
How should I spend a day in your neighbourhood?
The answer to this is easy: walk around. Within a few minutes walk from my house, you can be on the waterfront, in any of a number of world-class museums, in the middle of a bustling shopping area, in our well-well-preserved old town area, in a beautiful old park, or just walking around admiring the architecture. I never get bored walking around this area.
What's a fun fact not everyone knows about your neighbourhood?
From the 1500s until the late 1600s, this area was used for cattle grazing. Then part of it was used as a military exercise field beginning in the late 1800s. Then in 1880, a new urban plan was set forth to make wide avenues and grand residences. That was when my apartment building was built, as were many of the foreign embassies that are still here today.
Follow James Brown 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.