Schwabing Chic

Has Schwabing lost its cool? This area of Munich traditionally was the artist quarter, but you will be hard pressed to find artists who can afford Schwabing these days. With some of the highest housing prices in town, there has been a strong influx of foreigners and a squeeze on locals. With that said, this neighborhood is by far one of the most dynamic in town; with its busy cafes that line Leopoldstrasse and Munchener Freiheit, its steady flow of students from Ludwigs-Maximilians-University and the Technical University of Munich, and finally the quiet streets that are hidden next to the English Garden. In addition, Schwabing has hundreds of boutique shops. This particular photo is one taken just behind the Freiheit complex. I personally go back and forth on opinions about Schwabing. Lately areas like Haidhausen, Bogenhausen, Gartnerplatz and Lehel seem to be on top. I don’t care for Leopoldstrasse as I think it’s a bit dirty, but I love all the neighborhoods to the west cobbled together by small intimate streets, as well as the neighborhood to the East that forms a gateway into the larget back yard in the world – the English Gardens.