It was impossible not to constantly draw comparisons between our hometown of Charlotte during our two long weekends in Copenhagen. And it was not a fair contest. Copenhagen is considerably smaller than Charlotte both in population (about 650,000 vs. 850,000) and in land area (70 square miles vs more than 300).  It has a few natural advantages that Charlotte simply cannot claim. It’s a port city. Its lakes are in the middle of town, not on its fringes. Being along the sea means there are canals and bridges, with few hills. Beaches are minutes away, not hours. In Copenhagen there is a bridge with Sweden on the other side. At home, our bridges lead to Gastonia.  

History has also bestowed a few advantages to the Danes. The origins of their city predate ours by a millennium or so. They have a living Queen, along with the requisite castles and palaces. Our namesake German Queen is a statue at the airport. The oldest buildings in Charlotte would be considered modern in Denmark.

Life in Copenhagen is certainly very different from the way we live in Charlotte. Cars are something of a nuisance (parking is a huge problem); they are more useful for leaving Copenhagen rather than living in it. There is excellent public transportation (including to the airport—what a concept!), but unless you are covering a very long distance (say to one of their many beaches), almost everything you need to access day-to-day is within walking distance. 

But why walk when you can bike? Everybody rides a bike in Copenhagen. Young and old, affluent and less rich. (It would be gauche to describe someone as rich or poor here.) Bicycles are everywhere! The only place where I’ve seen larger areas of parked bikes is Beijing. There is every style of bike imaginable. Many have extra seats in front and/or back. Some have large bins for carrying groceries, children, and whatever. The funniest thing I saw was a couple on two very separate bicycles precariously carrying home a newly purchased wide-screen TV!  

The hierarchy on the streets is simple: bicycles, followed by pedestrians, followed by motor vehicles. Bicycle/pedestrian collisions are more common than auto accidents. We were surprised that few Danes wore helmets when riding. When we saw groups of bikers sporting helmets, we knew they were tourists on rentals. Our Danish friends told us that many of the riders we saw were wearing neck collars that have airbags which deploy around the rider’s head in a collision or fall. Thanks to the trial lawyers in our country, no company is stupid enough to sell them in the States.

We remarked how fit the people we saw appeared.  All that physical mobility has a benefit. The neighborhoods we explored seemed self-contained, with all the necessary retailers and service providers close by. As far as walkability and bike-ability are concerned, Charlotte must concede defeat. We have a very long way to go before we can come close to this style of urban living. It will require a nearly unimaginable cultural transition, accompanied by a level of public will we Americans seem unable muster for any cause, e.g., immigration, addiction, public education, climate change, mental health.

While on the subjects of politics and culture, the existence of Freetown Christiania must be raised. This inner neighborhood in Copenhagen is a self-governing compound (on public land) where drugs are opening sold on the streets. It began more than 50 years with squatters occupying an unused military site. Charlotte’s somewhat bohemian neighborhoods (Plaza Midwood? NODA?) pale in comparison. Christiania is not just tolerated; it has a sort of protected status. In fact, it is something of a tourist attraction though its inhabitants discourage photo-taking. Drugs remain illegal in Denmark; it’s just that in Christiana, the laws are not enforced.

Another lifestyle area where Copenhagen is light-years ahead of Charlotte is its food scene. There are more than two dozen Michelin-starred restaurants compared to, let’s see, zero in Charlotte—or in the Carolinas for that matter.  Restaurants are so central to experiencing Copenhagen that I will give it a separate report. 

You can’t discuss Copenhagen without mentioning Tivoli Gardens. If you haven’t been there before, I assure you it is not what you probably imagine. Think of a sort of micro-Epcot squeezed into the absolute center of town. Do not even bring up Carowinds in this discussion. There is nothing I know comparable to Tivoli in the US. Danes, not just tourists, go to Tivoli, and often.

Poor Charlotte did not fare well in this highly biased comparison. The Danes have their water features, but we can be in the mountains in an hour or so. I will give my hometown the nod in at least one important category: the airports! CHP has the typical European duty-free shop maze through which passengers must run—or walk—the gauntlet. We felt as if we were in a mall that had a small airport attached to it as an amenity for shoppers. I’ll take good old highly efficient CLT any day.

We positively loved Copenhagen and definitely plan to return soon. It is clean and orderly. Everyone we met was very open and friendly. English is spoken everywhere. The food is to die for. The fact that we have such wonderful friends there is icing on the cake.