Reykjavík Grapevine - 13.07.2012, Blaðsíða 32

32
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 10 — 2012
always some over excited chubby
cheeked kid to cheer you up.”
(2011: Nauthólsvík
2010: Húsdýragarðurinn
2009: Húsdýragarðurinn)
BEST PLACE TO READ A
BOOK: STOFAN
There are a bunch of nice places to read
a book, but many of them are weather-
dependent and relying on the weather
is risky at best. If it’s sunny we agree
that the botanical garden is a pretty
nice, quiet place to read. You can find
a spot there sheltered from the wind,
but if it’s cold and rainy, you probably
don’t want to be outside. That’s why we
decided to go with Stofan, a cosy café
with comfortable couches. It feels su-
per homey, like grandma’s house hom-
ey, and it’s typically pretty quiet.
(New category)
BEST PLACE TO SPEND
OUTDOOR TIME WITH KIDS:
THE LYNGHAGARÓLÓ PLAY-
GROUND
There are many public playgrounds
(“róló”) in Reykjavík—especially in the
older, more established neighbour-
hoods—and all of them bear a distinct
charm that reflects their surrounding
areas and inhabitants (save for a couple
of really run down ones). They usually
feature any number of swing sets, see-
saws, slides and sandboxes along with
anything else the caretakers can think
of that will entertain the local children.
One such playground is Lynghagaróló
by Lynghagi in vesturbær. More than
one of our advisors insisted we mention
them in this newfangled category, as it
is “impeccably maintained by a group
of passionate neighbours,” and is “the
perfect place to spend a sunny day with
your kids and other parents.”
(new category)
BEST DAYTRIP VIA PUBLIC
TRANSPORT: MOSFELLS-
BæR AND ESJA
Reykjavík’s bus system sometimes gets
a bad rap, but it can still take you to
some pretty great places at a minimal
cost. You can for instance ride a bus
straight to the roots of majestic Mt.
Esja and hike a number of paths to the
top for a stunning view of Reykjavík. If
you’ve time to spare after the hike, why
not take the bus back and exit in Mos-
fellsbær, where you can wander around
the quaint Álafosskvos (where Sigur
Rós keep their studio) and from there
take in the rest of the town’s various at-
tractions by foot. Mosfellsbær’s bakery
and swimming pool both come highly
recommended. When you’re all done,
simply take the bus back to civilization.
More info on www.bus.is
(new category)
BEST PLACE TO DRINK LIKE
A PRO: ANYWHERE ON
FRAKKASTÍGUR
If your plan is getting shitfaced by your-
self and forgetting all about the out-
side world and its various pressures by
drowning yourself in watery beer, you
need look no further than Frakkastígur.
The street has slowly but surely estab-
lished itself as a haven for the mod-
ern drunkard, with Live Pub (Karaoke
Sports Bar), Bar 7 and Obla Di forming
a glorious trifecta of misfortune and
broken dreams. The drinks are cheap,
the opening hours are sporadic and the
clientele is non-judgmental, so head
on down to Frakkastígur for that ‘lost
weekend’ you’ve been dreaming of...
(2011: Kaffi Grand
2010: Live Pub
2009: Grand Rokk)
BEST MAINSTREAMER BAR:
THE ENGLISH PUB
The Grapevine is not exactly super
mainstream, but we think a main-
streamer bar is one that appeals to a
wide range of people and plays music
that appeals to the masses, featuring
for instance cover bands and trou-
badours playing lots of Bubbi songs.
English Pub fits the bill pretty well.
However, the Lebowski Bar—formerly
Oliver—was a really, really close second.
Runner-up: The Lebowski Bar
(2011: The English Pub
2010: Austur)
BEST PLACE TO START THE
NIGHT: KEx HOSTEL
A lot of people like KEX Hostel’s bar for
starting their nights these days. One
correspondent remarked that “KEX
have very decent beer on tap, their
back porch is nice for soaking up the
sun on bright days and the bar food is
affordable and tasty. I also always meet
someone fun when I’m there, whether
it’s an old friend or a tourist passing
through town.” Others commend KEX
for their regularly scheduled events
and pleasant, low-key atmosphere. In
any case, it’s a winner.

(2011: Nýlenduvöruverzlun Hemma
& Valda
2010: Nýlenduvörverzlun Hemma &
Valda)
Runners-up: Snaps, Laundromat,
Nýlenduvöruverzlun Hemma & Valda
BEST CHEAP BAR:
öLSMIðJAN
A sort of miniature version of Berlin
seems to be forming at Lækjargata
10, 101 Reykjavík, with a somewhat
authentic kebab joint in the basement
ANNIE MIST
croSSFIt chamPIon
Ingólfstorg, because it's a nice place
to hang out, especially in the summer
time. You can sit down and chill with
your friends. You can take your lunch.
I was in school at Menntaskólinn í
Reykjavík, one of downtown's oldest
buildings, and you were able to walk
from school to there and have lunch if
you wanted to. We were there for my
cousin's bachelorette party. It was re-
ally nice. It was a sunny day. It had a
picnic feeling.
GERðUR KRISTNY
wrIter/Poet
The old cemetery, Hólavallagarður: It is
a peaceful and beautiful old cemetery
with a long history, especially the part
where the victims of the Spanish flu are
buried. There are even unmarked mass
graves that few people know about.
People believed that the first one to be
buried there would be the watcher be-
cause he would find no rest because he
had to guard the place. Check it out!
CURVER THORODDSEN
muSIcIan/artISt
The best thing about Reykjavík is the
rise of neighbourhood markets and
festivals over the summer. It's been
very uplifting to see an explosion of
this positive community building after
the depressing and negative vibe of the
economic crash in 2008. This summer
we've been seeing a whole lot of these
summer markets, like Borgarstígur,
Norðurmýri, Marargata and the Vestur-
bæjar flea market. These markets have
been a very positive thing, and I think
an indicator of people turning away
from materialistic thinking that hap-
pened in 2007. This has been kind of a
way for building from within.
DOROTHEE KIRCH
DIrector
There's a small restaurant on Austur-
stræti called Aldin I like because it has
fantastic food. They always have a one-
meat-and-one-fish meal, and about six
or seven salads or vegetable meals that
you can choose from. It's just exquisite,
all kind greats of spices. And it's af-
fordable. They have great sweet pota-
toes with some really nice spices; they
have roasted aubergines. I hope it stays
there for a long time.
MALCOLM KENNETH
FRASER
FaceBooK uSer
The best thing about Reykjavík has to
be the geothermal pools. Whenever
I feel I might be catching a cold, I al-
ternate between the hot pots and the
steam bath of Vesturbæjarlaug, and
that's it, CURED! It's barely more ex-
pensive than a box of paracetamol tab-
lets.
þORBJöRN
BRODDASON
ProFeSSor
Laugarnes, because it's so calm and
you can watch Snæfellness and the is-
lands. You can even see Akranes. It's a
small island of the Reykjavik harbour to
the west. I'm a romantic person, and it
puts me in a very nice frame of mind. It
calms you down. How much more sen-
timental can you get? It makes you feel
one with nature. It's an emotional thing.
It's your feelings.
Things They Like
About Reykjavík
Special | The Locals Speak
BEST POOL: LAUGARDALSLAUG
BEST PLACE TO READ A BOOK AND BEST NEW COFFEHOUSE: STOFAN