Altaner på Vesterbro
“Det der er for farligt og dårligt afskærmet”, sagde
Ulf.
“Det er vist godt nok”, lød svaret fra en lidt brysk
udseende arbejdsmand.
Men Ulf holdt fast i sit, så ved nærmere eftertanke og
efter en dags tid, hvor arbejdet lå stille, var afskærmningen forbedret, hvorefter
folk igen kunne forbipassere uden fare for nedfaldne effekter og Ulf få sin
formiddagsbajer i forholdsvis fred og ro – hvis man da kan tale om fred og ro
på Istedgade, men igen, det har han vist også rigeligt af ovre på plejehjemmet.
Nå, men det er i virkeligheden altanbølgen på
Vesterbro, jeg ville fortælle om. ALLE vil have altaner og de sidste 10 år har
enhver andels- og ejerforening med respekt for sig selv fået altaner til
gårdsiderne. Nu er de så også, efter at Københavns kommune er begyndt at lempe
på reglerne, begyndt at dukke op på facaderne ud mod gadesiden. Alt dette har
udviklet en reel altan-industri. Containere fra det ene altan-firma efter det
andet fylder gader og stræder og deraf afledte butikker, med alt til altanen
hørende, møbler, planter, parasoller osv. osv. popper op flere steder i byen og
på nettet.
Selv fik vi, ved bl.a. Denis energiske indsats, altan
for 7 år siden og er utrolig glade for den ekstra livskvalitet, den rent
faktisk giver os. Der er mere lys i lejligheden, vi benytter den, alt efter
vejr og vindforhold, på alle tidspunkter af dagen. Om vinteren fodrer vi
småfuglene og når foråret pibler frem er vi som små børn, når vi planlægger den
kommende sommers beplantning. Selv et lille fuglehus er det blevet til. Det blev
besigtiget af en musvit kort efter ophængning, af uransagelige grunde
forkastet, men vi giver den yderligere en chance til næste forår – musvitten.
På
den anden side, det skorter ikke på besøg af fugle og andre dyrearter, såsom et
egern i birketræet ved siden af altanen.
Ja, vi kommer mindre i gården nu, og indrømmet, vi
savner ikke den nøje planlægning der skulle til, når vi ville spise i gården.
Det var altid lidt af en diskussion om, hvem der havde glemt proptrækkeren og
hvem der skulle op og ned ad alle trapperne til 4. sal og hente den. Men der er
heldigvis stadig liv i gården – kan vi høre. Beboere fra stueetagerne nyder
livet i gården sammen med børnefamilierne og beboere, som holder familie- og
vennefester, som trods alt kræver mere plads end en altan kan give.
Og man skulle ikke tro det, men vores altan er også
blevet lidt af en redningstjeneste!! To større ildebrande har vi forhindret ved
i tide at advisere brandvæsenet. En, i en container udenfor fritidshjemmet og
en, i en lejlighed overfor, hvor det pludselig væltede ud med røg fra et vindue
i 3. sals højde. Ja, selv en ældre mand
på Ulfs plejehjem overfor, som var faldet ud af sin kørestol og lå og råbte om
hjælp, fik vi reddet - godt det var sommer og hans vinduer stod åbne.
Ja der er liv på altanerne! Det meste af tiden er her
dog så fredeligt at vi kan nyde vores rødvin i så megen ro og fred som et
hektisk pulserende byliv tillader – og i dette positive øjeblik fortrænger jeg
ganske, at vi har to daginstituionslegepladser lige nedenfor vores altan,
hvilket i sig selv også giver mange sjove og interessante oplevelser...
Balconies on Vesterbro
Ulf still sits outside Monnis
shop. It is summer and he has got a nice tan. But something new has happened -
he has got balconies over him. The building behind him has got 6 balconies that
face Istedgade. I think that they enhance the not very interesting building,
but sometimes it seemed a bit dangerous with such a large building project in
the middle of the daily life on Istedgade. Ulf was instrumental in stopping the
project one day, when he and passers-by risked being hit by falling bricks and
other building material, because the building site fence was not very
effective.
"It's too dangerous and
badly protected," said Ulf.
"I think it's good
enough," was the answer from a grumpy worker.
But Ulf stood fast, and after
careful consideration and one day when the work stood still, the protective
fence was improved, after which people could pass by without risk of being hit
by falling effects, and Ulf could enjoy his morning beer in comparatively peace
and quiet - if you can talk about peace and quiet on Istedgade, but again, he
has probably plenty of that in his nursing home.
Well, in fact it is really the
"balcony wave" of Vesterbro, I wanted to tell you about. EVERYONE
wants balconies and for the last 10 years, each housing cooperative and
owner association with respect for itself has put up balconies on the courtyard
side of their property. Now, after the city of Copenhagen has relaxed the
building regulations, balconies are beginning to appear on facades facing the
street. All this has lead to the development of a real balcony industry.
Containers from one balcony construction company after the other, fill the
streets and alleys and as a result secondary shops, with all the accessories to
the balconies, such as furniture, plants, umbrellas etc etc. pop up all over
the city and on the internet.
Even we, thanks to Denis´
energetic efforts, got a balcony 7 years ago, and are incredibly happy about
the extra quality of life it actually gives us. There is more light in the
apartment, and we use it, depending on the weather and wind conditions, at all
times of the day. In the winter we feed small birds and when the spring
approaches, we are like small children, when we plan the next summer's plants.
We have even put up a small birdhouse. It was inspected by a great tit shortly
after we put it up, but for some inexplicable reason it was rejected, but we
will give it another chance next spring - the great tit. On the other hand,
there is almost no limit to the number of birds and other animals which visit
us, such as a squirrel in the top of the birch tree next to the balcony.
Yes, we frequent our courtyard
less now, and admittedly we do not miss the careful planning, when we
wanted to enjoy a meal in the courtyard. It was always a bit of a discussion
about who had forgotten the corkscrew and who had to go up and down all the
stairs to the 4th floor and get it. But fortunately, there is still life in the
courtyard - can we hear. Residents from the ground floor enjoy life in the
courtyard together with the families with children and other residents who hold
parties for family and friends, which require more space than a balcony can
provide.
And believe it or not, but our
balcony has also become a bit of a rescue service!! We have prevented two major
fires by ringing to the fire department in time. One in a container outside the
daycare institution and one in an apartment across the road, where suddenly we
saw smoke coming from a 3rd floor window. Yes, we even saved an elderly man in
Ulf's nursing home, who had fallen out of his wheelchair and lay shouting for
help, - fortunately it was summer and his windows were open.
Yes there is life on the
balconies! Most of the time, however, it is so peaceful that we can enjoy our
red wine in as much peace and quiet as a hectic vibrant city life allows - and
in this positive moment, I completely disregard the fact that we have two
day-care playgrounds just below our balcony, which in itself provides
many funny and interesting observations ...
