AWCH On My Street...

Newcomers claim ignorance about Schnelsen, but they always find IKEA, which is in Schnelsen. After a trip to IKEA, don’t even think about heading straight for home. Drive back to the main street (Oldesloer Straße) and turn right. Go past the Novotel Hotel and the Modezentrum through the intersection (which would take you to the Autobahn) until the next intersection. Burgwedel is on your right, but turn left onto Frohmestraße and park, perhaps behind Minimal or next to Joks Steak House (parking there is free with a purchase at an adjacent store, otherwise it’s EUR 1).

The shopping tour of my street, where I’ve lived for 40 years, starts back at the beginning at Burgwedel: Sushi Asia Kim (1). This is an Asian foods store with take-away sushi (a Mittagsteller for EUR 5.50). The Asians buy groceries (soy sauce, Pindakas peanut butter, fresh bean sprouts and won ton wrappers); the Germans buy sushi and the Koreans kimchi.

Back on the corner of Frohmestraße is Parfümerie Kaland (2). Herr Kaland’s grandfather founded the shop on the premises of a former bakery in 1948. Those were the days when the only post-war perfume was 4711 Kölnisch Wasser and makeup was mixed in the backroom. Now in the backroom is a photo shop with a digital center to accommodate your camera’s memory stick. A postcard-sized photo costs 25 cents, “which might be more than a discount store, but the quality is the best, because we work with the best people in northern Germany: Eurocolor Hannover,” says Herr Jakab from Hungary. Herr Kaland has expanded to seven stores in northern Germany, but this was the first and is still the only one with a photography section, including passport photos.

At Wäscherei Vollmer (3) customers still bring in bedding, tablecloths, or professional white coats to be laundered. Founded 150 years ago, their branch at Siemersplatz closed the end of 2004, but this one is still going strong.

In the smaller of the two old farmhouses is Die Scheune (the barn) (6). Formerly called Das Schlondes, here Gertrud Bärtle sells beautiful materials, home decorations and Bunzlauer porcelain. In the same courtyard is La Scarpetta (7) which means Little Shoes. Wiennie Dall’Armellina was born in the USA, lived on Staten Island and flew for PanAm. Now she has an Italian husband and an Italian clothing shop with Italian shoes, trousers and handbags (nice felt bags for EUR 39), as well as wine and Prosecco. Under the same roof is the Kratzats’ Blumen für Sie (8) with cut flowers.

Now veer to the right of Frohmestraße down Glißmanweg to Fischhaus Timm (9). Frau Timm said the shop has been in the same family for four generations, but whether her grand-children will carry on the tradition is questionable. She said, “Fish used to be a poor man’s dinner. Now it is an expensive luxury. Who knows if there will be any fish in 20 years? They are becoming fewer and fewer.” Because the shop hasn’t changed much over the years, it is a popular location site for a German TV series.

Going into its 21st year, the Schnelsener Büchereck (10) sells books in English. Orders placed in person or by phone (559 25 31) are filled in 24 hours. If you live in Blankenese and wondered what happened to Francesco and his Italian delicacies at Lario, we’ve got him right here in Schnelsen. His new shop since 1996, Da noi (11), has all his homemade specialties.

Angelika B (12) is an exclusive lingerie shop owned by Frau Buchholz. The first thing you see upon entering her place is a quiet fountain of trickling water to put you in the mood for a soft bathrobe. Buy train tickets at Herr Steinhauer’s Reisebüro Nord (13). Even if you have to pay a two euro fee, it’s much better than the hour-long line at the train station.

Steckmann’s Bakery (16) celebrated its 75th anniversary in its third generation. A real Londoner works there: Shirley Wagenfeldt. She’ll keep you in stitches in English and help you select bread on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday afternoons.

Virginia Salazar and her husband from Venezuela took over the T-amo (17) tea shop. It smells delicious, and among their many types of loose tea, their most popular is Rooibos (Red Bush) from South Africa. “Rooibos Mocca Crème is what my wife used to seduce me – not what you are thinking, but, from coffee to tea,” said Herr Salazar. They can talk about Assam versus Chinese in German, Spanish or English. Plus, see their British porcelain.

Frohmestraße doesn’t end there. Go up and around and across the Autobahn bridge to a unique doll shop, the Schnelsener Puppenecke (22). Frau Leonhardt has dolls, doll clothes, teddy bears and dollhouse furniture. She repairs dolls, teaches doll making and has certificates from the Doll Artisan Guild School of Doll Making, USA. She inherited bolts of fabric normally used for the linings of Hamburg policemen’s coats and sewed her own original Poldi (Polizei im Dienst) teddy bears. The proceeds of the sales go to a fund for helping child victims of accidents.

On your way back to square one, check out the Reformhaus (4), Copythek (5), Hellfeuer (14, clothing), Von Appen (15, sewing notions), Herr Utecht’s open air green groceries stand (18), the Alte Apotheke (19), Carl Hahn (20, men’s clothing), and Lollipop (21, second-hand children’s clothing). Stop for food at Ho, Lavastein, Costa Smeralda, Café Froh, or Joks Steak House. This tour extends over two and a half bus stops (Bus 5, get out at Frohmestraße or Wählingsallee). Come visit my street and we can explore together. I live behind the doll store.