We are living on the border of the Kreiss 5 neighborhood of Zurich which is known as THE destination for young hip professionals (just like us!). Think South of Market but with a little less graffiti and black apparel.
Below is a picture of the front of our building which, until I took the picture, I didn't realize was called ZurichParis. It was originally built in the 19th century and was a pottery factory. After the surprising crash of the formidable Swiss pottery industry (many people predicted it would be Credit Suisse instead), the building went through several incarnations (e.g. night club) before falling into disrepair. About 10 years ago, the building was restored and is now mixed use. Approximately half the units are residential lofts and the other half are trendy/arty businesses such as architecture, software, and PR firms. The most prominent business, Spheres, is on the ground floor on the right side of the picture (big windows in front) and is a popular bar-cafe-bookstore. As loyal Simpsons fans, we call it Moe's.
Let's enter the main lobby which is through the door to the left of Moe's. Quick digression....the Swiss, in large part, live very healthy lives. They walk and bike everywhere. Life expectancy is very high. Hence, the prevalence of cigarettes is a mystery. But I wouldn't feel like we were having an authentic experience without a machine in our lobby that dispenses PallMalls along with a warning in three languages under a Vogue/Inspiration sign that "smoking greatly injures your health and the cells of your body".
Turning right into Moe's we happen upon two regulars at the bar, one of whom appears to have passed out.
Our loft is on the ground floor towards the middle and back of the building. Upon entering is a large room, which is a combination kitchen, dining room and living area. Below, occupying half the space, are our two bedrooms and one bathroom. The flooring upstairs is from the original pottery factory and is laid out in a traditional 19th century Helvetic zig-zag pattern (I understand that blogging allows you to claim expertise in anything you want).
As urban as our front view is, the back view is almost rural. The rear of our apartment faces the west bank of the Limmat River which flows from Lake Zurich eventually to the Rhine. Amazingly, the river is clean enough for swimming.
We hope you've enjoyed this tour. The address is 66 Hardturmstrasse. There is still time to visit!
1 comment:
Josh, that was a great blog entry! I really enjoyed it. Love, Sylvia
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