Terrace life in Älvsjöstaden

“We’d had enough of living in a house. We wanted as little as possible to look after, to free us up for doing other things,” says Britta.

Their new home is an 87m2 two-bed apartment that they share with their 19-year-old son Isak and their Portuguese Water Dog, Peak. One of the main reasons they chose this particular apartment is that it’s in the center of Älvsjöstaden.

“It’s close to everything. In the morning we take a long walk in Älvsjö forest, and in the afternoons we take shorter walks in Solberga forest. We just walk across the courtyard and up the hill and there we are. And it’s only five minutes to the station too,” says Britta.

The couple love being outdoors, and were fortunate enough to find an apartment with a 58m2 terrace. This offers a number of seating areas for both sun and shade, breakfast and dinner, for sunrise and sunset.

“We really love our terrace. We’re outdoors almost more often than when we had a garden. Something that really surprised me is the changing sky. It’s more beautiful than anything we’ve ever seen before, and not at all the same as from the ground. That may sound improbable, but you really have to experience it!” says Jonas.

From the terrace, the family enjoy a view over leafy treetops and roofs that reaches all the way to Globen – and also get to go bird spotting without leaving home.

“The bird life above the treetops is amazing. It’s like an exciting play, every day. Yesterday I saw a sparrowhawk and a raven having a mid-air battle. I’ve never seen that before,” says Jonas.

The family don’t just enjoy the forests, the views, and the central location. One thing they hadn’t expected to be so important is the neighbors.

“They’re all so incredibly pleasant. It’s a mixture of young adults, those of us who are a little older, and families with children. We really like the people who live here, and you feel that you’re part of something. In the winter, people who live in houses all just hide indoors, but here you meet people all year round,” says Britta.

Another reason why the couple chose Älvsjöstaden is that they plan to become car-free.

“We want to live somewhere that’s close to public transport and easy for our friends to get here. We haven’t had so many visitors during the pandemic, but we want it to be convenient for people to visit when they can,” says Jonas.