Once a seedy neighbourhood, Zürich’s Kreis 4 is now a shiny hub of creativity. But the clean-up didn’t involve a clear-out: a glimmer of the red-light district remains as proof of a seductive locale.

Outside Zürich’s Zeughaushof community garden a small green sign reading “No alcohol, no drugs, no dogs” provides a gentle reminder of an insalubrious past. During the 1980s and early 1990s, the area was notorious for nefarious goings-on. After pressure from residents an aggressive clean-up began in 1995, followed by the Langstrasse Plus project six years later, which launched with the goal of improving the quality of life in the quarter.

While an almost ineffable hint of the area’s bawdy past remains, Langstrasse and its surroundings are now “more orange-light than red-light,” says Jonas Ullmann, manager at cocktail bar Dante. Pockets of vice are next to invisible and sit alongside parks filled with families and well-dressed 20-somethings on bikes. The markets of Helvetiaplatz host friends enjoying drinks under the illuminated signs of restaurants. As the area’s pull intensified after the clean-up, architects, shops and cafés were quick to put down roots.

“The vibe is very special here: there’s a crazy mix of red-light district and creativity. We probably moved in a bit early but now we are right on time,” says Johan Olzon, who together with Karl Westbom forms part of the creative collective behind Soeder, a well-appointed shop that makes and sells sustainably produced essentials and homeware. Since opening in 2013, Olzon and Westbom have seen the area flourish. It’s an observation shared by product designer Isabell Gatzen, who moved into her nearby apartment five years ago when rents were low and the area fairly undeveloped. “Since then it has been up-and-coming,” she says. “Every weekend I think, ‘Where has this lovely shop come from?’”

Modern restaurant interior with wavy metal partitions, wooden tables, and arched windows at Volkshaus.Restaurant at Volkshaus

Minimalist apartment interior with white paneled walls, wooden floors, potted plants, and modern furnishings opening onto a leafy balcony.Interior of Fleischmann’s apartment

Minimalist home office with wooden desk, iMac displaying 12:04, leather chair, and pendant lamp above.Fleischmann’s home office

Florian Fleischmann, a yoga teacher and designer, stands in a doorway wearing a white t-shirt.Yoga teacher and designer Florian Fleischmann

View through a balcony door framed by green foliage onto a Zurich street with ornate historic buildings with wrought-iron railings.View from the balcony in Fleischmann’s apartment

Two men in white t-shirts and dark jeans sit on a bench outside a storefront with a sign reading 'offer*'Karl Westbom (left) and Johan Olzon outside their shop, Soeder

Vintage-furniture shop Elastique interior with mid-century seating and a suspended aircraft model.Vintage-furniture shop Elastique

Bartender pouring a cocktail at Dante bar in Zürich's Kreis 4 district.Mixing cocktails in Dante

Fabrikat shop interior with shelving, craft supplies, vintage equipment and a metal central display unit.Fabrikat’s interior

Minimalist apartment interior with wooden dining table, beige chairs, and white panelled walls with pendant lighting.Gatzen’s apartment

Donovan Gregory and Regina Schibli, owners of Fabrikat, stand together against a neutral background.Donovan Gregory and Regina Schibli, the owners of Fabrikat

Product designer Isabell Gatzen sitting on a white sofa in her minimalist apartment in Zürich's Kreis 4.Isabell Gatzen, founder of Studio Isabell Gatzen

River lined with trees and vegetation overlooking Zurich's Kreis 4 district with residential and commercial buildings against a hillside backdrop.Where Kreis 4 meets the Sihl

Woman with yellow bicycle at Helvetiaplatz market with vendor tents and trees in background.Market at Helvetiaplatz, which is held every Tuesday and Friday

Bartender serving drinks to customers at Dante cocktail bar in Zürich's Kreis 4 district.Friday evening drinks at Dante

A public square in Zürich's Kreis 4 with a fountain, clock tower, historic buildings, and people enjoying the outdoor space on a sunny day.Square on edge of Kreis 4

Outdoor café with colorful umbrellas and diners under red awnings at Volkshaus restaurant in Zürich.Alfresco dining at Volkshaus

Daytime exterior of nightclub Plaza, a red-brick corner building with large windows and ground-level arches housing retail spaces.Nightspot Plaza (in the daytime)

Night scene of Palestine Grill street-food stall in Zürich's Kreis 4 with neon signage and crowds of people.Late-night falafel at Palestine Grill

Tree-lined street in Kreis 4 with autumn foliage and pedestrians walking on a gravel path.Leafy street in Kreis 4

People relaxing on green grass in a park surrounded by large trees under clear blue sky.One of the neighbourhood’s many green spaces

Outdoor café seating with red chairs beneath striped awnings and mature trees on a sunny street in Zürich.Streetside relaxation

Italia restaurant building facade with ivy-covered corner, ornate stonework, and illuminated storefront signage on Zürich street.Italia, a popular restaurant

Gartenhof restaurant entrance framed by lush green vines with diners seated under turquoise umbrellas.Gartenhof restaurant

Interior of Soeder shop showing wooden furniture, shelving, clothing racks, and customers browsing sustainably produced homeware and essentials.Inside Soeder

Woman cycling on a sunny street lined with ivy-covered buildings and parked cars in Zürich's Kreis 4 neighbourhood.Cycling along Zwinglistrasse

Walking through the streets you can see every face of this multifaceted and multicultural neighbourhood: once-infamous nightclubs rest easy next to residential buildings crested by verdant balconies, while Asian supermarkets occupy the ground floors of dubious building developments. When Monocle visits, crowds on Langstrasse are enjoying music from street-food stall Palestine Grill, bathed in the warm neon glow of the sign hanging over the entrance to Roland erotic cinema. This vibrant mix coupled with the central location attracted Florian Fleischmann to Kreis 4. “We have everything,” says the yoga teacher and designer who lives near Stauffacher. “This is the heart of Zürich.”

Just moments away on the number three tram, which hugs the district’s perimeter, is the new Europaallee complex. A product of increased investment and interest in the area, it incorporates apartments, businesses, shops and restaurants. Its glossy corporate façade is a stark contrast to the quarter’s smaller traditional trades, including Gregory Clan’s carpentry workshop. Despite the increased affluence, some such businesses are now fighting to survive as rents creep up.

A healthy suspicion of gentrification pervades and some factory halls once used as ateliers for young designers are now apartments. But many, such as George Küng, are less worried about the changes. His vintage-furniture shop Elastique has been a fixture on Grüngasse since 2000 and he is confident that the underlying character of the quarter remains. “Kreis 4 was always trendy,” he says. “Therefore it was never trendy.”

Property guide

Zürich is well known for its housing shortage; start looking early. You can consult cantonal authorities to ensure you have the required documents as there are several restrictions on foreigners buying property.

Prices
One-bed apartment:
CHF550,000 (€510,000)

Two-bed apartment:
CHF750,000 (€695,000)

Three-bed apartment:
CHF1.4m (€1.3m)

Estate agent
Salvatore Leggio
141 (0)44 254 9090
immobilienkultur.ch

Eat & Drink

Gartenhof
Lively neighbourhood restaurant with a garden courtyard for the summer and a cosy lounge for cooler months.
Gartenhofstrasse 1
gartenhof.net

Dante
Run by the same team as Zürich favourites Grande and Bovelli, Dante is a cocktail bar with an underground fumoir (smoking area).
Zwinglistrasse 22
dante-zurich.ch

Shop

Soeder
An airy shop that sells sustainably produced basics and homeware. The products they don’t make are well sourced.
Ankerstrasse 124
soeder.ch

Fabrikat
Shop, design studio and gallery showcasing handmade stationery and tools. The display units are made with glass from nearby supplier Mäder.
Militärstrasse 76
fabrikat.ch

Elastique
One of the first vintage-furniture shops in Zürich. It supplies furniture to nearby corner bar Kanonengasse and is a few doors down from Viu eyewear.
Grüngasse 19
elastique.ch

Culture

Volkshaus
Built in 1910, this space hosts cultural events. There’s a bar, bookshop and restaurant.
Stauffacherstrasse 60
volkshaus.ch