22 min
25 min
28 min
13 · 14 · 7
8.6 / km²
5
3
168
+12% vs city
Counted from OpenStreetMap and Inside Airbnb (CC BY 4.0)
Staying in Östermalm
Östermalm runs east from Birger Jarlsgatan: the 19th-century blocks around Östermalmstorg and Karlaplan, the waterfront at Strandvägen, and then the open drill field at Gärdet with the universities and the ferry harbour behind it. It has the highest incomes in Sweden and the pavements to match - wide, flat, well lit, and empty by mid-evening.
For couples and for families it is the most comfortable base in the city. The red line runs the length of it, tram 7 goes from Nybroplan straight to the Vasa Museum and Skansen in about ten minutes, and the Saluhall market hall at Östermalmstorg is the best lunch in Stockholm that does not require a booking. Nothing here is loud.
The two costs are money and distance. This is where the most expensive restaurants in the country are, and the walk to Gamla stan is a solid 22 minutes rather than the ten the map suggests. The exception to the quiet is Stureplan on the Norrmalm border, which is the nightclub district: queues, cover charges and drunk crowds on Friday and Saturday within one block of some very expensive hotels.
What works
- Red line the whole length, and tram 7 to the Djurgården museums in ten minutes
- Östermalms Saluhall is the best lunch in the city without a reservation
- Wide flat pavements, quiet by 22:00 - the easiest district with a pushchair
- Strandvägen and Gärdet give you waterfront and open park inside the district
What does not
- The most expensive restaurants in Sweden, and few cheap alternatives between them
- Twenty-two minutes on foot to Gamla stan, further than the map makes it look
- Stureplan is a nightclub district with queues, cover charges and weekend drunks
- Gärdet and the harbour end are residential and offer nothing to walk to at night
Stureplan is a nightlife hub at the border between Östermalm and Norrmalm. Expect long lines and high cover charges at weekend nights; get out before midnight.While Östermalm is generally safe, most risks come with nightlife. Drunk violence, pickpocketing and reckless driving can be a nuisance at weekend nights, in particular around Stureplan.