Following Saturday's wander around Grünerløkka, I decided to venture out on Sunday to the area of Oslo with a questionable reputation – Grønland. It's the area to the immediate north and east of Oslo Sentralstasjon. A number of people at work (Norwegians) had warned me off the area, so naturally my curiosity was aroused!
With Ståle as my guide, we walked from the T-Bane stop straight to an awesome cafe/bar called Oslo Mekaniske Verksted – luckily everyone calls it Oslo Mek for short. We sat outside but inside the bar was styled out like a cross between a library and gentlemen's club. I can imagine it being a great place to chill with friends or even read/study. It was such a gorgeous day (AGAIN!) so we went to another of Grønland's al-fresco bars, this one called Dattera til Hagen. I attempted to order an iced coffee in Norwegian and got a response in English, so I have a way to go yet 🙂
My impressions of Grønland were not at all bad. Speaking frankly, the fears many Norwegians have toward the area seem to be because it's the “immigrant” area, and sure enough there is a big mix of nationalities living there. But having lived in Birmingham for 11 years, that's simply not an issue for me. There's also the drug pushers, and yes I was quite shocked at how open it was (I was asked three times on a Sunday afternoon) but a simple “Nei Takk” (No thanks) is all that's required. There's no follow up, no asking for money, in fact there's pretty much just a friendly smile. I know it's only a first impression, but if that's Oslo's rough area, this really is a good city to live in.
We then walked up the river towards Grünerløkka and made our final stop, a bar called Blå (Norwegian for “Blue”). Again we sat outside and I was struck by how much it reminded me of the Rainbow back in Birmingham and Digbeth in general. A warehouse building, art students working away upstairs, a real mix of people, graffiti art everywhere, a BBQ, and random live music. Fab. I'll definitely be coming back here.
I've also been taking short video clips during my first week and I'll turn them into a quick YouTube video later tonight so you can get a better feel for the atmosphere of this wonderful city 🙂
Great insight into oslo’s “ghetto” really puts a lot of perspective, especially as a guy born and raised in Los angeles.
I am moving to Oslo at the end of April and looking for cheaper residences, naturally this area came up. When I read “ghetto” I was simultaneously curious and concerned as a single female. However, after reading this…I feel like compared to where I grew up (Winnipeg, MB Canada) and where I have lived for the past 9 years (Vancouver, BC Canada) this seems like a walk in the park. Both cities have there reputations, one for being the highest murder capital and the other for drugs and intense poverty -think skid row in LA.
Super informative.
Takk!
The ting about Oslo’s “ghetto” is that it spreads out across all east side, almost. Places like Grønnland and Grünerløkka isn’t that ghetto as you would think, because of all the restaurants and people going through. Places like “Holmlia”, “stovner” “romsås” and “tøyen” on the other hand, is a bit worse. There is less people walking around there, to the “gangsters” or “teenage gangsters” that means basically a place to hang out, smoke some weed, etc. So if i were you i wouldn’t wander around there at night time. At least not alone! 😉 – Pootis, Oslo Norway
I live in Holmlia, and it’s a lovely and family friendly neighbourhood, with an abundance of playgrounds and communal gardens. We just get a bad rep because the area is mostly inhabited by non-whites. It’s just good old racism 🙂
Grønnland has culture and character, unlike most other dead boring places in Oslo. It’s not any more dangerous than any other place in Oslo. Infact the quieter more upscale areas of Oslo is notorious for theft and robbery.
Grønnland is a home for all the outcasts, all the artists and people who are on the margins of society. A fantastic place for amazing things to happen.
Elsa’s comment is typical of the “bohemian” art student that has been brainwashed by the left. Don’t come crying after you get raped/stabbed by a pack of Muslims.
I was Googling so-called dangerous areas in Oslo (I’m born and bred, and find the claim laughable), and this was the first link I clicked, gladly so. I got to see a picture of my godfather that I hadn’t seen before (purple suit, long curly hair, on stage with Frank Znort at Blå) He passed away in 2012, so idk, was just nice to see… What a cute little coincidence…
I hope you enjoyed your stay in Oslo.
(ask Chat-gpt to shorten text or just move on)
A person coming from Stovner, it’s not that bad compared to some other places in America. It’s still bad because of violence, discrimination, and criminal activities, but the difference is the reason why it becomes “ghetto.” In other places, the reason could be discrimination and racism, or other things like the economy. For example, many people from ghetto areas sell drugs to make money since they live in poverty.
But in Stovner, Vestli, or in general Oslo, boys or even young adults try to make “ghetto” a cultural thing. No, it should not be a part of a culture. Some of them are really childish, and it’s obvious that they think they’re cool with their mini IKEA knife their mom bought. They have no reason to sell illegal things. Yes, I know you and your family can struggle with money, but in many cases, your mom and dad make a decent income. You don’t really need to do these types of things.
For example, there’s this 7th grader, yes, they come that young, who is selling vapes. He was seen in a park asking older kids if they want to buy. And guess what? His dad makes more than a decent income, like a very, very good income, working with oil and stuff.
From my experience since childhood, it can’t be that bad, but everyone is “racist” even though they’re mostly people with a different background. Sometimes kids shout racist comments. If you visit Stovner, you can see it’s a general crowd doing it, and I’m 100% sure I’ve experienced more racism and discrimination from people with immigrant parents than Caucasian people.
And is it scary? No. Some people overreact about the area. It’s just foul and rude comments being thrown, and you’ll hear about some stabbings, but that’s just dumb kids who think they’re “ghetto.”
Lastly, and this is important, it’s not ghetto people. Just stupid people doing stupid stuff.