For anyone who’s a bit bored with Zurich’s uniform cleanliness, peace, and order, a stroll down Langstrasse could be just what you need. Although still uncharacteristically clean for a street half-filled with head shops, dollar stores, and strip clubs, this neighborhood feels completely different from the city center, so much so that you may forget which country you’re in.
I’m pretty sure this is the only place in Zurich where I have seen illegal street vendors (apparently a whole lot of bedroom linen sets recently fell off a truck somewhere), but even here they don’t seem to appear in large numbers (at least, nothing like the quantities found in Italian cities). Even the flea market at Helvetia Platz (on Saturdays) seemed to be well-regulated, making me wonder how some of those vendors could possibly be making money out there, given the piles of useless junk they had to offer. 1980s-era car phone, anyone? A snarl of random cables?
One of the first things you’ll notice about Langstrasse is how multicultural the area feels. The eateries range from Middle-Eastern to Chinese to Caribbean, as do the people you see walking down the street (the rest of Zurich looks lily-white in comparison). One restaurant I can recommend, Lily’s, offers a mishmash of Asian dishes (including Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian) either to take away or enjoy in a casual, modern dining area.
The kebab stands and kitsch shops are sandwiched in between bars and pubs which cover the spectrum from sleazy to swank. On a nice day, outdoor seating at any number of locales offers excellent people-watching opportunities. At night, Langstrasse takes on a lively and somewhat seedy feel (which is not altogether different from how it feels during the day). One of my favorite bars in this area is Cafe Memphis, which offers live music several nights a week.
Langstrasse stretches from Limmat Platz, which is a little northwest of the main train station, to Badenerstrasse, which offers its own charm, though more stereotypically Zurich. It is easily reachable by several tram lines, and Bus 32 takes you down the entire street.
I totally agree about Lily’s-I was visiting Zurich last month for a job interview and a meal there was a major deciding factor. The hot peppers from the coconut curry dish was the ONLY even mildly spicy food I’d had in Switzerland. But, hey, you only need one dish, right?
We have a Lilly’s here in Basel as well, (I think it’s the same place) and I agree that it’s one of the very few places to find a bit of variety in cuisine around here!
So that’s where they keep all the colored people!
Do they need passports to get in and out?
Found your blog quite by accident. I lived in Zurich 1969-72, and I laughed out loud at your comment about cleanliness and order.
Here’s a story: Once walking in the city, near the river on a quiet Sunday morning I saw the most amazing thing.
There was a single car driving along, and when it came to a traffic light it didn’t stop, waiting to cross the road there was an old gentleman alongside me. After he had shouted at the car for the infringement of traffic laws, he took out a notebook and noted down the registration. He looked at me and muttered Polizei. Only in Switzerland, and I’m told by Swiss friends, only in German-Switzerland.
Great blog, will be back.