I think Oederweg is the place to be in Frankfurt, but not everyone is happy

After living near Oederweg for nearly five years, I am convinced that it is the place to be for lovers of the city life who enjoy a consistent touch of community. Despite some people not being impressed with its recent developments, Oederweg and the surrounding streets are a great place to live, enjoy a coffee and visit shops, or meet friends for dinner and drinks!

What is so great about Oederweg?

Although Oederweg is geographically Nordend, it’s a ten-minute walk to Frankfurt’s main shopping street, making it practically the city centre. However, instead of getting caught up in the herds of shoppers rushing to the likes of Galeria, Sephora and Goertz, living near Oederweg offers a community vibe of local businesses, cafes and restaurants. Following its quiet years, when lockdowns were the norm, it has been great to see Oederweg revive as people enjoy its local specialities. Although saying that, not everyone is happy…

Why was Oederweg changed to a ‘Fahrradstraße’?

In April 2022 Oederweg was tranformed into a ‘Fahrradstraße’ (bike street) in order to reduce car traffic and make it more pleasant for pedestrians and cyclists. In 2022, there were 4,400 less cars on Oederweg compared to 2021 and an increase of 1,500 bikes.

As someone who enjoys exploring their local high street, I welcomed the blue and white ‘Fahrradstraße’ signs that popped up along Oederweg. Why? Because traffic lights were replaced with zebra crossings and parking spaces were reduced, providing more room for outdoor dining, benches, trees and plants. It has become easier for people to experience and spend more time on Oederweg – I love that!

However, just because the excessive car traffic has disappeared from Oederweg, it doesn’t mean it has disappeared altogether. In 2022 there was 56% more car traffic in the streets surrounding Oederweg. In late March 2023, Nordend locals in the transport committee of the city council complained that the diverted traffic makes their daily lives less pleasant. And owners of the long-standing ‘Weltenleser’ book shop and hat couture shop criticised that reduced parking spaces make it more difficult for special customers to park, negatively effecting their income.

It seems that Oedwerweg is no longer the spontaneous shopping street for niche groups driving from afar. The focus is now on restaurants, cafes and perhaps shops that aren’t so niche. As someone who lived just off of Oederweg for nearly five years and doesn’t own a car, I definitely found it more enjoyable to spend time on Oederweg once it became a Fahhradstraße. That’s because small aspects such as more trees and benches have a big positive impact on general satisfaction. I still spent plenty of time in the Liebesdienste shops, for example, which range from home wear to clothes. And due to the good service and friendly faces of the seamstress on Querstraße and Oederweg’s florist, I continued to be a customer and would go back even though I no longer live there.

So the debate continues: The Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences is currently monitoring the traffic until summer 2024. By that time, perhaps people will have started to use their cars less and opt for public transport, which has now been made more accessible due to the Deutschland Ticket. Maybe people will have got used to the change. Or maybe the statistics and emotional city council debates will prove that Oederweg becoming a Fahhradstraße was just not as successful as initially hoped.

Places to visit near Oederweg

Nevertheless, my personal experience as an Oederweg local was very positive. So as I wrap this up, I will leave you with my favourite spots. With this list, you’ll have plenty to explore on several occasions:

Restaurants

• Dliet Bistro
  Just check out the Google reviews. Homemade Eritrean food, all cooked by Alice, the owner, in the small kitchen of her cosy restaurant.
  
• Vipho
  Delicious Vietnamese food! A lot of effort went into the interior design of this restaurant and you can even pay without asking for the bill from a member of staff.
  
• Super Bro’s
  Very friendly staff and very good pizza! Always busy with a lively atmosphere. Super Bro’s is not to be missed.
  
• Aroma
  An Oederweg classic. The long queue of this vegan and vegetarian falafel stand is always worth the wait.

Cafes

• Stack’s
  A very cool cafe on the corner of Querstraße, directly off of Oederweg. I often went here to read, journal and catch up with friends. Super friendly staff and welcoming vibe.
  
• Zeit für Brot
  Not heard about their Schnecken, which are similar to cinnamon rolls but with a wide range of flavours? Get down there asap! Their chai latte is amazing too.
  
• Cafe Olimpio
  This ice-cream parlour is always busy and the generous scoops go down a treat!
  

When visiting Oederweg, I hope you enjoy the friendly community vibe in the city just as much as I do!