Christiania, Copenhagen

[Penk!]

Visited this area yesterday. Prompted some interesting discussions.

Anyone else been there? What do you think about it?

[John Mc]

I have been to Copenhagen a couple of times, but didn't make it as far as Christiania...

I would quite like to have done.

(One trip was work-related, the other was to visit a Muslim friend, so it wasn't going to happen).

I'd be interested to hear what anyone else thinks, though, as a socio-political 'experiment' that seems to have endured...

[The Prof]

Almost but not quite. I think they have to pay their taxes now, don't they?

[GoogaMooga]

Almost but not quite. I think they have to pay their taxes now, don't they?

Yes, and the house rents have been brought in line with the rest of the house market.

[Jimbo]

When I visited Copenhagen in the very early 70s I asked at the youth hostel where i could score some smoke. I was told to go to Christiana but watch out for the junkies. I think I failed to score but I was not attacked by the addicts. It is interesting to see what had become of the town.

Christiana figures into the plot of the newest season of Weeds.

[Penk!]

I have been to Copenhagen a couple of times, but didn't make it as far as Christiania...

I would quite like to have done.

(One trip was work-related, the other was to visit a Muslim friend, so it wasn't going to happen).

I'd be interested to hear what anyone else thinks, though, as a socio-political 'experiment' that seems to have endured...

I found it quite a depressing place. As a socio-political experiment it could be interesting and the notion of a large-scale community having been built up from scratch by society's forgotten and rejected is an appealing one.
Unfortunately the reality was that it was a load of people selling dope to tourists and kids while white guys with dreads busked reggae songs. It's disappointing that it's just become a tourist attraction, a kind of pothead zoo. If I want to see potheads sitting around I'll go visit my parents and look at people I used to go to school with, I don't need to go to Denmark to do it.
There was some alright graffiti but that was about it.

[Bungo the Mungo]

I walked down towards it once in the summer of 1991 when I was travelling and these two fellas came out and started running towards me. I legged it and they gave chase for a while. I honestly don't know what it was all about but they seemed hostile, shouting stuff in Danish. The only thing they could have objected to is that I was holding a bottle of Carlsberg.

[Penk!]

I walked down towards it once in the summer of 1991 when I was travelling and these two fellas came out and started running towards me. I legged it and they gave chase for a while. I honestly don't know what it was all about but they seemed hostile, shouting stuff in Danish. The only thing they could have objected to is that I was holding a bottle of Carlsberg.

Don't they love the stuff there? It was on tap in every place we looked in.

There was a Danish guy at my halls of residence when I was studying and we once saw him walk into a pub and, while his mates were at the bar ordering, reach into his bag and pull out a can of Carlsberg.

[doctorlouie]

As a socio-political experiment it could be interesting and the notion of a large-scale community having been built up from scratch by society's forgotten and rejected is an appealing one.

Like the USA.

[The Prof]

If I want to see potheads sitting around I'll go visit my parents