One good thing about being from (or living in) Umeå is that you’re not from anywhere else in Västerbotten. Because imagine the alternatives! You could be from a place like Lycksele, for example.
I’m sure that Lycksele is a perfectly delightful little town, or a large village depending on who’s talking, of about 9 thousand people. Delightful for a short period of time, that is. And considering the numbers of teens and young people from Lycksele who come to Umeå every Saturday night in search of adventure, excitement and really wild things, you can kind of guess they share my opinion. And don’t forget the housewives on shopping trips! Lycksele may brag that three chain stores have opened there in recent years, and they even have a Dollar Store (which is not really a dollar store at all, but a normal Swedish shop) in town, but that still doesn’t change the fact that to most Lycksele-bor Umeå is a shining metropolis filled with swanky shops and fashionable people. No Dollar Store can match that.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a charming town, but a charming podunk town, and the label of “Lapp Stockholm” is very misleading. But to be honest, I’ve never heard anyone except the Lycksele kommun (municipal district) and tourist office employees use that term. And even then, they whisper it quietly.
