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Destinations · Europe · germany · Munich

Munich – relaxed and bustling at the same time

Probably no one is better informed about the currents and undercurrents of life in Munich today than Niels Jäger. The businessman and guru of gastronomy and marketing has been at the centre of the city’s nightlife since his college days. In 2006, he opened the Edmoses Bar together with his friends and now business partners, architects Sascha Arnold and Steffen Werner, and the bar quickly gathered a cult following.

The Bob Beaman Music Club, Super Danke! green juice bar, James T. Hunt Bar, Stereo Café (on Munich’s prestigious Residenzstrasse) and the farm-to-table Cantine Cantona restaurant soon followed. In 2014, the trio added the 16-room Flushing Meadows Hotel & Bar to Munich’s list of hotels. Located in the city’s trendy Glockenbachviertel neighbourhood, the entrance to the hotel resembles that of a nightclub, and the rooms feel like exquisitely designed apartments. Jäger calls Munich the greatest city in the world and gladly shares some of its secrets with Anothertravelguide.com.

Is the Glockenbachviertel, where The Flushing Meadows hotel is located, still an epicentre for the creative industries in Munich?

Absolutely. The neighbourhood used to be a broken-glass quarter and then became home to our local gay community, subsequently turning very trendy and is now on the verge of being considered upscale, in a family-friendly kind of way. The Glockenbachviertel is riddled with bars, boutiques and backyard creatives. And it remains Munich’s hip hub, while upcoming neighbourhoods include blue-collar districts like Giesing or import/export destinations like those located around the Hauptbahnhof (main railway station). 

What do you love most about Munich?

Munich combines a lot of pull factors like nature, business, craftsmanship and nightlife. It’s also big enough to be considered somewhat cosmopolitan, but small enough to offer many small-town perks, like running into old friends and mostly very safe environments. But the reason I love it most is simply because it’s my home town. Relaxed and bustling at the same time.

Is there anything about Munich that bothers you?

The city lacks spaces for more creative ideas. Rent is so high that daring, new concepts often face a bunch of tedious obstacles.

What should one definitely do to catch the vibe of Munich in all of its diversity?

The Isar River, which runs right through Munich, will lead you past many of our local bragging rights: beer gardens, wild river banks, the Englischer Garten (the biggest city park in the world, waddup, NYC…!), museums, the notorious Eisbach city surfers as well as a lot of naked people. I definitely suggest touring the city by bike or Vespa.

Natives of Munich used to say that the people of Munich are not Germans; they’re different, because they’re Bavarians. Do you agree?

Of course. Think about it – all of the international clichés in regard to Germany are actually Bavarian: beer, pretzels, BMW's, mountains, quality football, Lederhosen, the Oktoberfest and grumpy old guys with beards. If you ask me, the rest of Germany is pretty much...Berlin. So you can imagine that Bavarians take a lot pride in their local flavour and actually do consider themselves to be kind of different. But then again, I’m very sure that my friends in Hamburg could provide you with similar answers to this question in regard to their home turf. They just don't have  as much proof as we do.

Describe a perfect day in the city.

OK, it’s Saturday. The sun’s out. Brunch at Cantine Cantona. Bike across the Englischer Garten and hang out by the river. Play basketball with friends and foes at the Alte Pinakothek. Drive out to one of the nearby Bavarian lakes. Head over to Schumann’s or James T. Hunt for an early drink on the trottoir. Hear the SMiLE crew play at the Bob Beaman Music Club. Go home buzzed. Kiss my family good night.

Which are your favourite architectural landmarks in Munich?

That’s a tough one. The Allianz Arena and Olympic Village (1972) as well as the BMW Tower may be the most famous. I really like the whole museum district in Maxvorstadt, where historic buildings and green spaces make for a charming blend.

Which are your favourite restaurants/cafés in Munich and why?

I would have to mention the ones that I run with my friends first: the farm-to-table restaurant Cantine Cantona and Stereo Café on Residenzstrasse for daytime lunch/coffee and The Flushing Meadows Hotel Bar, which has a great view over Munich. But you haven’t really been to Munich if you haven’t visited Schumann’s Bar, too. Other great places to eat include Bar Corso (say hi to Sophie!), Bar dell’ Osteria (Italian) and Emiko (Japanese). Augustiner is my favourite beer garden – make sure to try its Steckerlfisch (fish on a stick)!

What is the biggest stereotype about Munich, and why is it or is it not true?

Ha ha, we’re famous for breaking out the shades and sitting outside at the first sign of sun, even if it’s actually still the middle of winter! This one is true. And so is our knack for Bussi-Bussi (kiss- kiss).    

Photo: Sacha Hoechstetter

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