The Kaiserhofstraße is a short, mostly pedestrianupmarket street in the city centre of Frankfurt, Germany, located in the Opera Quarter in the western part of the district of Innenstadt, within the central business district known unofficially as the Bankenviertel. The 130 meter long street runs from the Freßgass pedestrian main street to Hochstraße, and is situated between Kleine Hochstraße and Börsenstraße. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the Wallanlagen park, which is located just across the street to the north of Kaiserhofstraße, and of the Opera Square with the Old Opera, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, the Sofitel Frankfurt Operaluxury hotel, and Germany's most well-known luxury shopping streetGoethestraße. In recent years Kaiserhofstraße has also increasingly become a luxury shopping street as some stores from Goethestraße have moved to Kaiserhofstraße a minute's walk away. The street is also located in close proximity to numerous large financial institutions. The street is mainly occupied by office spaces, especially for boutique financial institutions such as investment and wealth management firms, select residential apartments, high-end fashion businesses, and four restaurants. The rent in the area surrounding Freßgass is the highest in Frankfurt.
Overview
The Kaiserhofstraße is a side street directly adjacent to the Freßgass upmarket shopping street, the western continuation of the Zeil, Germany's busiest shopping street. Freßgass became so named around 1900 because of its many high-end food shops, bakeries and butcheries, making it the most famous food shopping street serving the bourgeoisie of the Westend. Today the Freßgass is famous as the street where the bankers from the Bankenviertel meet for lunch, and for its annual wine festival. The Kaiserhofstraße is, like Freßgass, largely a pedestrian zone, with perfume shops, high end fashion boutiques, gourmet restaurants, law chambers, financial institutions such as wealth management and investment firms, and select residential apartments. The street is situated between and in close proximity to the Opernplatz and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, and also in close proximity to Goethestraße, Germany's most famous luxury shopping street. On the roof of Kaiserhofstraße 12, there is a mediterranean restaurant and bar, the Long Island Summer Lounge. The Frankfurt flagship Apple Store is located just around the corner in Freßgass, ten meters from Kaiserhofstraße. The Sofitel Frankfurt Opera luxury hotel and the Wallanlagen park are located just across the street to the north of Kaiserhofstraße. In the early 20th century, the street was characterised by its diversity; many artists, actors and actresses employed by the nearby opera, some prostitutes and several Jewish families lived on the street. A rapid process of gentrification took place later during the 20th century, and saw the street become one of the most fashionable streets in the city. An acclaimed memoir, Kaiserhofstraße 12 by Valentin Senger, which was adapted into a motion picture by Hessischer Rundfunk in 1980, is named for the street, and recounts the author's childhood at Kaiserhofstrasse 12 as the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants during the 1920s and 1930s: In the late 19th century, a local wine cellar owned by Italian-born Giovita Salini was a famous meeting place for Frankfurt artists. The Banque Générale du Luxembourg formerly had its German offices in Kaiserhofstraße 13, while the private bank of Hauck & Aufhäuser had its offices in Kaiserhofstraße 16. The real estate prices of the area are the highest in Frankfurt; its primary adjacent street Freßgass has the third highest rent in all of Frankfurt, after nearby streets Goethestraße and Zeil. The street is located within the postcode area 60313 Frankfurt am Main.
