If we are to believe Reader’s Digest, Stockholm is THE most livable city on Earth (see link below), and therefore one would perhaps expect posh Danderyd to be home to some of the most enviable people on this planet.
(How do they live? - see link below displaying an average Danderyd house)
Well, is that so?
I haven’t been to Danderyd myself even though I’m Swedish, but I visit Stockholm from time to time and my impression is that the up-and-coming inhabitants of this Baltic Sea metropolis prefer to dwell in small - although well built and often luxurious - apartments in the city, just like a lot of kindred spirits of theirs living in Inner City London, Manhattan and such places do.
Danderyd is ‘old money’ and a dinner party over there is more likely to consist of a boring speech and an even more boring Pauillac -92 than anything resembling a night out with the Swedish Bikini Team (see link below).
In conclusion:
Most of us aren’t stinking rich (- I’m not). Those who are can chose whether they wish to spend their time in London, Malibu or some night club in Stockholm/Oslo/ Copenhagen where a beer costs $20.
Some links:
Reader’s Digest claims Stockholm to be ‘world’s most livable city’:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1900947/posts
An average house in Danderyd:
- Nice, but nothing special. In rural Sweden, such a house would go for 10-20% of that money.
If any magazine would wish to portray Scandinavia as THE most livable place on Earth, they’d better begin by examining how the rich people in Skåne/Scania live (some of these mansions/palaces are not inhabited though);
http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lista_%C3%B6ver_slott_och_herres%C3%A4ten_i_Sk%C3%A5ne
Far more interesting stuff (Swedish vs British nightclubs):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpWnpG8yXRk
A certain Swedish lady by the name of Susanne Bidegård, a resident of Djursholm, Danderyd, who refuses to apologize for voting for a party (namely Moderaterna, second largest party in Sweden and presently in power) that has lowered taxes for ALL of the inhabitants of Sweden:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjljZx3Quvg
Furthermore, have a closer look at the clip linked to above; the houses, the cars and the powerboats. Sure this is an affluent neighborhood, but not very different from any middle class/upper middle class area in Scandinavia. To begin with, cars like large Audis, BMWs and Volvos are average cars in Sweden and the comparatively large houses are probably in need of major refurbishing:D
The houses in Danderyd are nowhere near the ones owned by rich people in France, the US or - why not - the people who can afford mansions like the ones spread out all over Skåne/Scania in southern Sweden (see above).
If you happen to enjoy the “soundtrack” of the Djursholm clip;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpHKfwTfhTE
Magnus Uggla is an immensely popular artist in Sweden who hasn’t changed his image since his debut in the mid 1970s. He is himself from the posh Stockholm upper class (Uggla is a Swedish noble family of ancient lineage), still Magnus manages, rather convincingly, to make the impression of being very much of an ordinary guy.
For my part, those interior shots are pretty impressive, but I wouldn't necessarily want to live in place like that.
Whate'er the passion- knowledge, fame, or pelf,
Not one will change his neighbour with himself. - Pope