Sagene

Bydel Sagene
District
Myraløkka, a park near Akerselva in Sagene
Coat of arms
Coordinates: 59°56′14″N 10°45′22″E / 59.93722°N 10.75611°E / 59.93722; 10.75611Coordinates: 59°56′14″N 10°45′22″E / 59.93722°N 10.75611°E / 59.93722; 10.75611
Country	Norway
City	Oslo
Area
• Total	3.1 km2 (1.2 sq mi)
Population (2004)
• Total	29,654
• Density	9,600/km2 (25,000/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
ISO 3166 code	NO-030103
Website	bsa.oslo.kommune.no

Sagene is a district of the city of Oslo, Norway. The area became part of the city of Oslo (then Christiania) in 1859. The name Sagene itself is the plural of the Norwegian word for "saw", reflecting all the old industrial mechanical saws powered by the river Akerselva in this area in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The borough of Sagene includes the neighborhoods of Sagene, Bjølsen, Iladalen (Ila), Sandaker, Åsen and Torshov. It is the smallest borough of Oslo, but compared to its relatively small size, it has a noteworthy population by Norwegian standards. In the west its border is the street Uelandsgate and the cemetery (gravlund) Nordre gravlund. In the north it borders Tåsen and Storo. The border then follows the valley Torshovdalen in the east, and borders the areas of Rodeløkka and Grünerløkka is the south.

Running through Sagene District is the river Akerselva which has contributed in shaping the culture and history of the borough. The river has been exploited for energy, and along it for a thousand years, mills and turbines have been operating. The main street is called Vogts Street. and it's in Torshov. The tram goes down this street, which is the most busy street in the Sagene/Torshov borough. The street is highly urbanised with plenty of stores and coffee shops. Vogts gate is in the heart of Torshov.

Norway's oldest industrial building - Glads Mølle papermill - is located in Sagene. The cradle of industrialism in Norway stood here in the mid-19th century with establishments such as Graahs Spinneri and Hjula Væveri. Author Oskar Braaten (1881–1939) grew up and got inspiration for his books in this environment. Today the old factories are filled by modern industries, in large parts with media, information technology (IT) and graphical businesses. Small wooden houses along the streets Maridalsveien and Sandakerveien are memories of the incoming dwellings of the 18th century, while the laborers' housing of the 19th century was built in concrete.