Maxvorstadt is the perfect place to flex that credit card
Is Munich good for shopping or not? That depends where you look. Limit yourself to the city center and you’ll struggle to find anything other than cheap chains or exclusive boutiques. But, as soon as you extend your retail trawl, you’ll be amazed at what goodies there are on offer. To spare you hours pounding the streets, we’ve put together a special series on the various areas of the city and a guide to the top of their shops. This month: Maxvorstadt.
A funny part of town—occasionally claimed by Schwabing as its own—Maxvorstadt borders on Odeonsplatz and the English Garden in the south and east, Schwabing in the north and the Central Train Station, beyond Königsplatz, in the west. The best shopping can be found between the Ludwig Maximilian University and the three Pinakotheken, with a few outlying tangents thrown in for fun.
Begin your consumerist trek at the corner of Ludwig- and Schellingstrasse (directly at the Universität U-Bahn stop)—the heart of Munich’s 20- to 30-something’s stomping grounds.
If you’re a book fan (of the academic persuasion), a look in Words’Worth Academic (Schellingstrasse 3, Tel. 28 36 42) is certainly worthwhile. There you’ll find the largest selection of English-language textbooks anywhere in Germany. Continuing west towards Amalienstrasse will bring you to the first of a number of unique clothing stores. Campus (Amalienstrasse 57, Tel. 28 45 31) reigns as the best jeans-provider around, and is the perfect place to buy an outfit for your next night out clubbing. Just down the street is Boyco Shop (Amalienstrasse 55, Tel. 28 78 74 08), a boutique of feminine, sporty fashions, with a beautiful assortment of hand-knit ponchos, sweaters and scarves. And, for the most fun you’ll ever have picking out a made-to-order T-shirt, pop in to neighboring George Frank (Amalienstrasse 47, Tel. 28 89 07 95). Sifting through the logo assortment—ranging from the sweet and simple to the ironic or sarcastic—will elicit at least a smile, if not a full on belly laugh. With the motto “Lebe Dein T-Shirt” (Live your T-shirt), the founders (George and Frank, of course) have created the perfect place to find a gift or to treat yourself to something quirky, local and fun.
The Blackbean Coffee Shop (Amalienstrasse 44, Tel. 28 67 50 88) is located directly across the street and is a good place to refuel with a latte before checking out the well-stocked Bookowski Bookstore next door (Amalienstrasse 46, Tel. 28 78 88 50).
Now make a U-turn, and head back to Schellingstrasse. On your right is Frei Stil (Schellingstrasse 11, Tel. 28 80 64 00), a small cube of a shop filled with exquisite jewelry. Next door, the neighborhood’s newest addition (opening spring 2006) is Munich’s first American Apparel outlet (Schellingstrasse 13). Yet another T-shirt shop, brought to you from Los Angeles, American Apparel markets itself as the retailer for men, women, kids and dogs (Dogs? Hey, they’re from L.A.). Buy a T-shirt here and it’s a guaranteed sweat-shop-free product.
Moving away from the T-shirt scene, we find ourselves in bookstore heaven. Hauser Antiquariat (Schellingstrasse 17, Tel. 28 35 37) specializes in books on decorative arts, Kitzinger, J—Buchhandlung Antiquariat (Schellingstrasse 25, Tel. 28 35 37) in literature, philosophy, history and art and, further along, Maxvorstadt Antiquariat (Schellingstrasse 32, Tel. 278 01 17) has even more of the same. Somewhere in the middle of it all is Words’Worth (Schellingstrasse 21, Tel. 280 91 41). This English-language literary oasis also offers audio books, feature films, popular English/American TV series (on VHS and DVD), gifts and they’ll happily order any book currently available in the British or US market.
Moving on, we make our way to Türkenstrasse. Perched on the northwest corner is the discount jeans/camping gear outlet Unimode (Tel. 28 48 67). If you skipped the coffee earlier, you might want to stop by at Brown’s Tea Bar (Türkenstrasse 60, Tel. 25 54 38 39), where you can enjoy a proper scone with your cuppa. Crossing the street to Pfeifen Sommer (Türkenstrasse 43, Tel. 28 34 21) will get you a homemade flavored Cuban cigar (try the rum vanilla), and nearby, at Anna’s Viktualienladen (Türkenstrasse 37), you can grab some beautiful exotic fresh produce, homemade salads and an excellent Italian red wine (for the après-shop session later on). Wander down to the pink and orange Nia Dressing Room (Türkenstrasse 35, Tel. 28 97 39 50) for a taste of the latest styles by young French designers.
Our final stop is around the corner at Breitengrad (Schellingstrasse 26, Tel. 280 23 25), which stocks that essential plastic flower vase, Indian incense, magnetic “sexual” fridge poetry kits and happy Buddha T-shirts for that special someone. This shop alone could kill a good hour. Just try not to buy something. It’s impossible. Maxvorstadt keeps on going, of course—endurance shoppers will want to check out the Pinakotheken, each of which has a gift shop, not to mention the many stores beyond. Yes, shopping here requires a sense of adventure and a good pair of walking shoes, but, with its diversity of wares, this district could never disappoint.
