Exploring District 16: A Review #2

Exploring District 16: A Review 

A Personal Opinion

After reading a fellow student's personal exploration of Ottakring, it was quite obvious that District 16 was really a different taste of Vienna. Of course the blog recommended a few destinations here and there, including the Ottakringer Brewery and the Ottakring Cemetery, however our attention was captured primarily by the diverse population.

Ottakring's population has doubled in the past 50 years from roughly 45,000 people to near 90,000 now. Moreover, when traveling around the district it was interesting to see how a majority of residence were either Armenian or Turkish. After doing some research, it came to my

attention that nearly 27% of the residence in Ottakring are not actual Austrian citizens. This would explain the rich cultural diversity taking place in this district.

These cultural minorities are having an incredible effect on internal relations of Austrians.  

Although this blog post is much less traditional, I hope it introduces insight into the current cultural immersion taking place in Eastern and Central Europe, particularly Vienna.

 

District 16 Ottakring : A Review #1

Ottakring: The Production Center of Austrian Products

Perhaps you can recognize Ottakring by its brand of beer, or by the Meinl Roasting company. If neither of those two companies ring a bell, Then perhaps you would recognize the Manner Schnitten cookies? This is what we, (Vicky and Tyler) first recognized as we toured the 16th district. 

Take a 20-30 minute U-Bahn trip west on the U3, and you will find yourself in the suburb of Ottakring, Vienna. What was most surprising was the Turkish influence that the 16th district held. In the past decade, Turkish populations have multiplied in the city of Vienna. Ottakring's lower rent costs offer affordable housing closest to the city center. While we were walking the streets, we noticed the typical Austrian architecture integrated into a relatively culturally heterogeneous district. Most evidently, this was seen at the  Brunnenmarkt. Perhaps a close relative of the oh so famous "Naschmarkt", the Brunnenmarkt offers a verity of unique and high quality foods for sale. 

Ottakring is the most diverse district I (Tyler) have seen so far, offering so much more than just Ottakringer Beer, Meinl Coffee Gounds or Manner Cookies.