Ottensen

Ottensen is the creative heart of Altona, a former factory and dockside working-class quarter that has turned into arguably the most livable neighborhood in western Hamburg. The largely car-free Ottenser Hauptstraße is shopping street and communal living room at once, and the blocks around it hide a maze of courtyards, workshops and small businesses. The Zeise-Hallen, a former ship's propeller factory, now house the Zeise arthouse cinemas and small firms under protected industrial steelwork. The Fabrik on Barnerstraße has been one of Hamburg's most storied concert and culture venues since 1971. Ottensen also has a reputation as one of the city's best eating quarters, with breakfast institutions, international kitchens and specialty food producers all within walking distance, plus the Mercado shopping center in the middle of the quarter for everyday errands and a weekly market on the Spritzenplatz. Bookshops, concept stores and record shops make aimless browsing a legitimate plan for an afternoon. To the south it is a short walk down to the Elbe, the fishing harbor and the beach. Where to stay: Ottensen and the streets around Bahnhof Altona make a relaxed base for exploring the western city, quieter than downtown but still quick to the Landungsbrücken, the Reeperbahn and the main station. Getting there: Ottensen has no U-Bahn of its own. The gateway is Bahnhof Altona, served by the S1, S2, S3, S11 and S31 plus regional and long-distance trains, a few minutes on foot from the Ottenser Hauptstraße, with several bus routes crossing the quarter.