Austurstræti

Austurstræti in 2009

Austurstræti (Template:Lang-en) is a street in central Reykjavík that runs from Veltusund east to Lækjargata. In its continuation is Bankastræti and Laugavegur. In the 18th of April 2007, a fire broke out in Austurstræti that destroyed a two historic houses, but caused no injuries.

Names of Austurstræti

Austurstræti was first called Langafortov or Langastétt (Template:Lang-en). The street was so named because its south side was paved with stone so people could walk over it despite of heavy rain.

Austurstræti in popular culture

• Comedian Laddi sang about Austurstræti in a popular pop song with the same name. Its opening lines are: Ég niður' í Austurstræti snarast létt á strigaskónum, með bros á vör og tyggígúmmí í munninum.
• The pop sorg Fröken Reykjavík by Jónas and Jón Múla Árnason begins with the question: Hver gengur þarna eftir Austurstræti og ilmar eins og vorsins blóm með djarfan svip og ögn af yfirlæti á ótrúlega rauðum skóm?
• Poet Tómas Guðmundsson wrote the poem Austurstræti, which includes the lines: Og þúsund hjörtu grípur gömul kæti. / Og gömul hjörtu þrá á ný og sakna. / Ó, bernsku vorrar athvarf, Austurstræti, / hve endurminningarnar hjá þér vakna.