THIS IS: STADTMITTE

No other district represents Düsseldorf like Stadtmitte, the city centre. It boasts the glitz of the Kö, luxury retail, and the hustle and bustle of the adjacent Central Business District. Approximately 25,000 office workers are employed here, primarily in financial services, law firms and management consultancies. The area around the main railway station and Worringer Platz is also part of the city centre. Despite its negative reputation, there are entrepreneurs creating something positive here, such as ice cream parlour owner Roberto Tomasella, who is known as the mayor of Worringer Platz, and the media companies and Asian supermarkets located in the area. Beneath the square, there is a locked passageway adorned with street art from the 1980s. Perhaps Düsseldorf feels a little more like a big city here than elsewhere. Contrasts run throughout the city centre: the Landskrone, the oldest part of the Hofgarten, is the district's largest green space, while the greenery at Kö-Bogen 2 grows upwards, showcasing sustainable construction. The path along Schadowstraße leads to the future opera house at the former Kaufhof location. From there, Immermannstraße with its Japanese restaurants and shops is only a stone's throw away. If Düsseldorf were a single neighbourhood, it would be the city centre.