Show Notes
- der Kiez (Duden)
- Verwaltungsgliederung Berlins (Wikipedia)
- SO36 (Wikipedia)
- Flughafen Berlin-Tempelhof (Wikipedia)
- Goltzstraße (Google Maps)
- Florastraße (Google Maps)
- Kurfürstendamm (Google Maps)
- Bikini Bar (Mall)
- Monkey Bar
- Grunewaldsee (Google Maps)
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Transcript
Thank you to Goose for proofreading this transcript.
Manuel:
[0:09] So are you familiar with the word, Kiez, der Kiez?
Jae:
[0:14] No, Duolingo has not taught me that yet! What does it mean?
Manuel:
[0:17] Yeah, so Kiez is the Berlin word for neighborhood, area. Like in Berlin you don't have Stadtteile, which would be the normal German word for area or quarter or neighborhood, but we have Kieze. Der Kiez is the neighborhood or area or, yeah, I don't know. What do you say in the US?
Jae:
[0:43] The neighborhood or area. In New York, they say, "boroughs".
Manuel:
[0:49] Boroughs, right, but that's a New York thing. See, so different cities have their own kind of name for this concept. And in Berlin the name is Kiez.
Jae:
[0:57] Yeah. Gotcha, Kiez. So we're gonna be talking about Kiez today then.
Manuel:
[1:02] Yes, Kieze are the different ... It sounds really dumb when you're using it in an English sentence. On Wikipedia, there is a German article called Verwaltungsgliederung Berlins, meaning kind of the different areas that have their own kind of citizen hall I guess or kind of their own administration. And then - I had the English version here - Berlin's areas....
Jae:
[1:31] Wait, so different areas in Berlin have their own kind of like, not government, but they have their own type of system?
Manuel:
[1:40] Right? For example a famous, or an example that everybody has to deal with, is the Finanzamt like the the tax office, the one that you have to mail your taxes to and the ones that email you or send you a letter if you're late, that's from the area that you live in. And it's also ... Like I think we're gonna basically refer to this map on Wikipedia that we'll link in the show notes, and I can also make the chapter art on the podcast here. Because that's kind of the broad division, but then there's also smaller divisions that maybe people will refer to kind of, you know: My neighborhood is, for example, Schmargendorf, but that's a much smaller thing that probably shows up in the subdivision here on this map? Yes, it does. It's part of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. So we're talking about kind of the big areas, the big divisions of Berlin I think. And the idea, I guess, is since we talked about finding a place last time, definitely my experience when I was looking for a place was kind of having this question: Okay, where do I even want to live? So obviously we talked about how it's really difficult right now and you should be flexible, but maybe you have a preference and you want to live in a certain part of town, and that kind of requires you to know what different parts of town are like.
Jae:
[3:07] Yes, I'm excited to talk about this because I think definitely, well you know, I think you have to be flexible. If you're able to find those environments that you really thrive in, it's really easy, I think, to make friends. It's really easy to believe, find your place and feel comfortable here. So this is a a topic I am super excited to discuss today.
Manuel:
[3:32] For sure, I mean, and it's also Berlin isn't that large compared to London or New York or whatever, but I live in the northern part of Berlin, in Wedding, which is technically, I'm seeing now, still part of Mitte, so technically I live in the center of Berlin, but if I have to go to Neukölln, which is in the south, It feels really far, and it's like a 45-minute bike ride or 30 minutes on the subway, so I don't go there that often. So it does kind of ... Obviously, I mean I'm sure there are many people in Berlin who are much more flexible than I am and who are willing to take a 30-minute subway ride, maybe even on a daily basis, but it does matter where you live, in terms of kind of your daily environment.
Jae:
[4:23] So you only travel anywhere that gets you 20 minutes or less?
Manuel:
[4:27] Pretty much! I mean yeah, I like to go by bike, and anything that's under 30 minutes is fine. Over 30 minutes by bike, unless it's like a really nice sunny day, feels like a chore, you know.
Jae:
[4:42] That makes sense. So I'm curious to know a little bit about these different types of parts. I guess I will start with like first asking more about me.
Manuel:
[5:07] Yeah, so when I hear the word, "artist," and, I don't know, being an artist and maybe also having an interest in going out, going to bars, clubs, and living kind of an alternative life, the area that I first think of is either Friedrichshain or Kreuzberg. Interestingly on this map they are grouped together, it's Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. It's one thing, but there they're both very well-known individually. And so Kreuzberg used to be an area that was really defined by its immigrant population, so a lot of Turkish people used to live there, and still live there, but it's now heavily gentrified, so it's become very hip but it still has also kind of this rough-around-the-edges kind of ... there's a lot of markets and, I don't know, just kind of bustling daily life going on for sure. But it's also hip, you know, to go out there and go to a bar, and maybe the bars are a little bit grungy. And there's a very famous punk bar where, basically, Germany's punk was born, the SO36. That's in Kreuzberg and that's still there even, I don't know, 40 years later, so that's that's definitely a nice place to be.
Jae:
[7:47] Yes, I love that place.
Manuel:
[7:48] There's tons of other clubs and nightlife there. And yeah, so I would say, you know, if you're an artist and young and you want to go out at night and not go to bed at 11 like me, either of those would be great.
Jae:
[8:06] Gotcha. Cool. All right, well that's probably top of my list then. I definitely like being in those environments and I feel there's a lot of like also ... What I like about living in places that you kind of gravitate to naturally, is there's a lot of opportunity for spontaneity, you know, things that you don't really plan on doing, and I feel like that place would definitely have that type of spontaneity, just things going on randomly that you didn't even expect to happen.
Manuel:
[8:33] For sure, definitely. Yeah.
[10:15] And even when I moved there in 2012, bars were popping up everywhere and kind of galleries and cafes and and things of that nature. So I think it's definitely a nice place to move to. I would try not to go too far south, just because then you are really, kind of far away from the center, but yeah, Neukölln, definitely a nice place and a very specific vibe, you know. I don't know, I just feel like I know when I'm ... Like if someone were to blindfold me and put me on a bus and then spit me out and I was in a street in Neukölln, I feel like I could probably figure it out. I don't know, there's just a vibe to Neukölln that's very different from the north of Berlin. I live in Wedding now, which is also known to be very multiculti and a little bit affordable still, so in a way it's similar but it still feels very differently. It's hard to describe.
Jae:
[11:20] Gotcha. So would you say that area is more family-oriented? Is it more like people who are just now trying to find their place in Berlin? Like what type of people need to be in this area?
Manuel:
[11:38] Yeah, I would say not so much family-oriented because it is a little kind of Wild West kind of atmosphere! I mean, first of all people always ask, "What place in Berlin is the safest?" and it really has to be said that Berlin is a safe city. Every place in Berlin is safe. Berlin is a very safe city and you don't have to worry about not moving to a specific area because it's "not as safe".So really it's not that Neukölln isn't safe to move to, and I don't actually have any statistics in front of me, but what I will tell you anecdotally - and I'm pretty sure the data backs this up - that for example on New Year's Eve, where in Germany it's still the tradition and still legal to have private fireworks and these kind of rockets and kind of - I don't even know what they're called - you know, fireworks, in Neukölln, it happens at a level that is scary. Like it's just ... it honestly, I mean it feels like there's a civil war going on on New Year's Eve in Neukölln because people are just firing those rockets like left and right and it's just explosions everywhere, and, it's, yeah, it's too much. And so it's ... I mean that's one day of the year obviously, but it kind of speaks to how it's a little bit less safe, you know, for lack of a better word. A little bit more kind of, things happen, and yeah, it's a little bit rougher, but really it's not, kind of, not a safe place. I lived there and it was very nice. And there, you can go out at night, no problem, by yourself, you can go out and have great food from around the world in the middle of the night. All of that is fine. Just compared to some of the more conservative areas or other areas of Berlin it's a little kind of the Wild West, I would say.
Jae:
[13:51] I like that description: The Wild West of Berlin, even though it's south.
Manuel:
[13:56] Yeah, that's true. I'm really trying not to, you know, offend any area. Or, not offend, but not kind of give it a bad rap when it's not true. You know, these are really generalizations, so I'm just stressing that again, it's ...
Jae:
[14:12] I mean that's not a bad rap for me. Honestly. That makes you want to go there even more! I like that type of stuff.
Manuel:
[14:18] Definitely. I think for some people other areas would just feel so boring. And Neukölln, I don't think would get boring, you know.
Jae:
[14:27] So what places are the more like: I don't want to be in the scene too much. I kind of just chill, just be in the background, just want to just relax type of areas.
Manuel:
[14:39] Okay, so let's not go to the very kind of outside areas yet. Those would obviously be much more relaxed, but also far away. But let's go to the one that's neighboring Neukölln to the west, and that's Tempelhof-Schöneberg. Again, I would normally look at them separately.
[16:41] But if you live in Tempelhof or Neukölln, which, Tempelhofer Feld also kind of touches Neukölln, then you're close and you get to go there every day. And so if you love being in a big city but you also hate never being able to kind of see more than a hundred meters because there's always some kind of building in your sight, then living close to Tempelhofer Feld is amazing, because you can just go there and open your eyes and you have this kind of wide view. So, but otherwise I think that's kind of the only thing that Tempelhof is known for. Otherwise I know that there's an IKEA there, and otherwise it's pretty ... there's not much going on there. So if you live there, that's fine, but you will be going to other places to go out or party or whatever.
Jae:
[17:34] So this is a side question: I know people really do enjoy, I would say, the outdoors and stuff like that, so are they really good ... do you see a lot of people from different parts of the city kind of congregate to that park as well? Or are there different parks in different places and people kind of stay in those areas?
Manuel:
[17:54] There are different parks in Berlin, and I have a few parks that are close to my place, but nothing rivals Tempelhofer Feld. I mean, if you want to go to a park with a lot of trees, and maybe go with your dog and be in a park in kind of a regular park with trees, then that's one thing. But Tempelhofer Feld is its own unique thing. There aren't a lot of trees on it. It's literally just kind of the runway of the airport, and it's a different thing. And yes, people from all over the city go there on a sunny day to meet their friends, or go for a run, or go inline skate, and it's very unique. So definitely everybody goes there sometimes.
Jae:
[18:43] You will see me there.
[18:46] So Schöneberg, which on this map is grouped with Tempelhof but is actually north of it, is a really, really nice part of Berlin I used to also live in Schöneberg in Goltzstraße, which is arguably one of the most beautiful streets in Berlin. It's just really ... Man, when I lived there, you know, I would leave my apartment and there's just all these restaurants and ice cream parlors and bars. But it's not a big street, it's a small residential street, yet it has all these really lovely places. Man, I miss Schöneburg, really nice place also not too far from kind of the center and everything else. And Schöneburg - part of Schöneburg, not the entire quarter, but, Schöneburg - has within it, kind of the main, gay or LGBTQ+ district of Berlin and that's also, basically unmissable. If you if you cycle through there or you go out at night, you'll quickly realize you are now in the LGBTQ+ district of Berlin.
Jae:
[20:02] Yes, that's what I'm looking for. You'll find me there, too. 🏳️🌈
Manuel:
[20:07] Man, but you're falling in love with all these places in the south. We need to get you to the north because that's where all of us live but...
Jae:
[20:14] Oh, I'm a Southern boy! I'm from Texas. I love the south.
Manuel:
[20:20] I'm sure a 45-minute bike ride is less of a problem for you than it is for me. So maybe you'll be okay. So yeah, should we talk about Mitte, which is north of everything that we just talked about?
[20:36] Yes. That's where Wedding is, correct?
Manuel:
[20:39] Yeah, Wedding is technically part of Mitte, and I live in Wedding and the Bürgeramt Mitte, so the citizen office Mitte, is right around my corner. So, yes, so basically Mitte houses the actual area called Mitte, but also Tiergarten, Moabit, Wedding and Gesundbrunnen. So if we talk about Mitte the actual kind of Mitte and Moabit, these are the places that have the government district and the Brandenburg Gate - well that's Tiergarten - but that whole area, kind of the lower part of Mitte, that's where the government district is and the Brandenburg Gate and a lot of the embassies. And that's it. And that's the interesting part. The biggest mistake that tourists make, especially ... I mean, I remember when I ... One of my first trips to Berlin as a teenager when we went with our high school ... you think: Mitte okay, that's the center, mitte means center, and we want to go to the center because that's where it's happening, right?
[21:56] And I just remember like poor 14-year-old, 15-year-old us, we would just walk through there at night and it was just dead, like there's nothing there! And that's because it's the government district, and there's like shops and stuff but there's not a lot of nightlife at all. And if you want a very quiet place to live, and you can find an affordable apartment there - good luck! - then go there. You'll be pretty much close to everything because you're you are in the center, but there's nothing happening and, to be honest, it lacks a little bit of soul. You know, like most of the other places that we're talking about, they all have a character, they have a soul, they have that feeling that I'm describing where, you know, someone blindfolds you and puts you there and you kind of feel: Okay, I'm in Schöneburg now, or I'm in a Neukölln, or maybe I'm in Freidrichshain. Mitte doesn't have that, Mitte is just like as if you ordered a European city on the internet, on eBay and ... I don't know. Does that make sense?
Jae:
[23:04] Yes, no, that's a good description of it. Is that where the TV tower is?
Manuel:
[23:09] Yeah. Yeah. The TV tower.
Jae:
[23:10] Gotcha? Okay. So yeah, from what you described to me, it seems like not necessarily the touristy area, but it's the kind of, I guess you described it the best, is if you order like a European city, that's pretty much it.
[24:20] If you don't want to live in the south for some reason or you can't find a place in Friedrichshain or Kreuzberg or Schöneberg, Wedding is a good place to look, because it it's still affordable, but it is ... I mean, there's a joke, which has been a joke for a long time, that people say: Der Wedding kommt, and what that means is like it's turning into like a hip place right? Like it's still not a hip place, but it's going to be: It's going to be the next Kreuzberg - just wait! And the joke is that people have been saying that for twenty years now, and it still hasn't really happened, but I like that. I like that it hasn't happened. Like, you know, it's not super hip, there's not that much nightlife here or whatever, but it's close to everything, it's affordable and it feels cool.
Jae:
[25:14] That's good. No, that's good. I didn't know that. That's a funny statement, that it's not there, but it is there. I mean like what would you say the demographic is? Is it a lot more people like more in their 30s and 40s? Is it more an older crowd?
Manuel:
[25:32] So I'm googling this so that I don't make too many mistakes. Wikipedia says, "Along with Kreuzberg," and I would add Neukölln here, but that's just me, "Wedding is one of the most ethnically diverse localities in Berlin. The multicultural atmosphere is visible in the bilingual shop signs, predominantly German and Turkish, or German and Arabic," and so on. So yeah, it's very multicultural, which I really like and enjoy. And then there's the young people that moved to Berlin and are able to find a place there, or at least a place that they can afford, which is great, and also dangerous because gentrification ... people that have been here for a long time are being pushed out. In a way that's a problem everywhere in Berlin, of course, but that's just the reality I think.
Jae:
[26:29] Yeah, that's everywhere in the world. We have that. We have a big problem with that in Austin, Texas.
Manuel:
[26:33] No, so yeah, we covered a lot of the kind of important ones. The one that we definitely still have to talk about is Prenzlauer Berg.
Jae:
[28:29] Gotcha. Okay, so that's like ... All right, that's the celebrity area. That's what I'm going to call it!
Manuel:
[28:35] Yeah, that's good. And then Prenzlauerberg is technically a part of Pankow, as you can see on this map.
Jae:
[30:00] Are there still parts of the city that are, would you say, like are still being developed? Like there's still construction, you can see buildings being created every now and again?
Manuel:
[30:11] Everywhere! Everywhere. And that that's also another thing that people say about Berlin: that is just a giant construction site. And it used to be true, and it's still true today, and I think that's a good thing because, as we talked about, Berlin really needs more apartments, and so the apartments are being built. I guess it's happening way more ... well it happens more where there's space, right? So I don't know, Prenzlauer Berg or Freidrichshain or Kreuzberg, I don't think there's that much space, and there's these really nice old buildings. I don't know that you can build that many more buildings right there. But if you venture out a little bit north of Pankow maybe, or if you go to the east or to the west, definitely places are being built. There's one big area here that's still very much in the center, and that's Charlottenburg or Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. And, yeah, Charlottenburg, the actual smaller area, is bordering Mitte. So it's west of Moabit and Tiergarten.
Jae:
[33:11] Is that where the mall is as well?
Manuel:
[33:14] There is a mall there called, what's it called? There are several malls in Berlin obviously, but there is a famous one there.
Jae:
[33:24] It's kind of big. It's like two parts and you can like walk to the other part where it has like a food court or whatnot.
Manuel:
[33:35] I think you're thinking of Mall of Berlin and that would be in Mitte still, or Moabit. That's close to Potsdamer Platz, that whole area. The one in [Berlin] Charlottenburg is called Bikini. Bikini, and that's a mall. And even the mall, it feels a little fancier. I remember going there and everything feels a little bit high-society and fancy. And there's a rooftop bar on the building next to Bikini, next to that mall, and you can have a drink there and see the monkeys in the zoo because the zoo's right underneath from there, and I think it's called Monkey Bar. And nowadays if you ... It used to be kind of a secret tip. Now if you go there, you'll queue for a very long time, and it's not that great of a bar that it warrants queuing for two hours, I think, personally. So Charlottenburg, I have friends who live there and they love it, but it is kind of a little bit less crazy, you know. It's kind of the opposite of Friedrichshain. Like if Berlin had a more conservative population, it would be in Charlottenburg I would say.
Jae:
[34:58] Gotcha, gotcha. So this is the area that I'll be when I want to feel rich and I want to feel like I have the money to afford half that stuff.
Manuel:
[35:05] Yeah, I don't know, I don't know about that. I mean it's nice to go shopping on Kurfürstendamm, lots of stores there, there's an H&M and a Starbucks every 10 meters it feels like, and all the chain stores and stuff. I used to work there. I used to work in the Apple Store there, so I used to go there a lot. But I lived in Schöneburg, which is not that far but feels like it has a little bit more character, to be honest! Charlottenburg, I feel like is more older people who have been there their whole lives and don't want to leave.
Jae:
[35:47] That makes sense. That makes sense. I have that area up here in Austin, in those places where the more established people,who are experienced and have found their really strong grounding in the city, live.
[36:05] Yeah. I would say those are the most well-known, talked about, you-should-know-about areas. Maybe we can go through the rest of the ones on this map quickly, just to, you know - I'm a completionist, I like to not leave anything out - but I don't know that much about them. So Reinickendorf is even north of Wedding and, like I said, it already feels like I'm living pretty far in the north, so it includes Tegel, where that airport used to be, Reinickendorf, Wittenau. So yeah, you're living kind of far in the north if you live there. That's pretty much what I know about Reinickendorf. Spandau is west of Charlottenburg, and I think it's just extremely residential, people who have been here for a while or who are moving their families. I'm sure kind of very normal, a little bit further out.
[37:17] Steglitz-Zehlendorf in the south, south of Charlottenburg and Gruneveld, is known for ... Well I know it because there's a shopping street there that I was at once. There is a Globetrotter if you want to buy a backpack! Otherwise, yeah, Dahlem, Zehlendorf, once again, to me, who's always lived pretty centrally, it feels further out, but I have a friend who lives in Schmargendorf close to Dahlem and, yeah, it's a little bit further out but it's nice, and there's families there and stuff.
[38:00] Then we have Treptow-Köpenick, which is that whole part in the southeast of Berlin. Once again, I don't know that much about it, lots of nature there, I think you can even tell, kind of from the names, Oberschöneweide almost sounds like it's very green. I haven't been there, but the Spree, the river, Berlin's river, goes through there, so there's some water there for sure. Anecdotally, I know that several people who moved to Berlin from other countries found places there, so I assume that it's a little bit easier to find a place there and then you just take the S-Bahn when you have to go, or when you want to go, to the city.
[38:52] And then there's Lichtenberg, which is actually still pretty central. There's also an IKEA in Lichtenberg. There's three IKEAs in Berlin! Lichtenberg is the biggest one and, yeah, once again, I don't think there's much that's happening there, but you're still close enough to Prenzlauerberg and Mitte that it's probably okay to live in Lichtenberg. And then Marzahn-Hellersdorf. Marzahn, basically it's known for these high rises, these gigantic Plattenbauten. Plattenbau, in English, is a building made from prefabricated slabs. So these giant buildings where there's hundreds of apartments in one high-rise building, that's kind of what Marzahn is known for, quite far outside and just these very large buildings housing a lot of people. I'm sure it's much more affordable than living in the center, but definitely you are kind of further out, and you're probably going to live in one of those giant buildings.
Jae:
[40:09] Gotcha. And what about Treptow?
Manuel:
[40:14] Yeah, Treptow I grouped with Treptow-Köpenick. But Treptow is kind of the northern part, right? So we have Alt-Treptow there. So yeah, so that northern part, Alt-Treptow. Plänterwald, that is south of Friedrichshain. So it's kind of on the same height as Neukölln. Obviously these are really big groups, so there I would just look at the map and see how far is it from Mitte. I actually have a friend Jack, my friend Jack, who is definitely going to come on this show to talk about bicycles among among other things, lives in Treptow, and there's a nice park there, Treptower Park. So yeah, that's definitely also a cool place to live, close to Kreuzberg, close to Friedrichshain.
[41:09] I see there's like a lake and stuff like that. Are a lot of these lakes and stuff, accessible?
Manuel:
[41:17] Yeah, man, I feel like we need to invite an expert on this podcast to talk about where to go if you're craving nature, because the only place that I've gone to recently a lot is Grunewaldsee, which is the lake in the forest called Grunewald. And it is a very nice lake to go to if you have a dog - and I had a few foster dogs - because it's very dog friendly, you can take a walk all around the Grunewaldsee and there's even a dog beach, there's a beach for dogs, and it's very lovely, and it's very ... it's a nice reset. Just going there, walking around the whole lake takes you an hour and you feel refreshed, and there's definitely many more places like that in and around Berlin. But I'm really not an expert on it because I usually just sit on my butt at my desk!
Jae:
[42:21] Mm hmm. So this is very, very informative.
Manuel:
[43:03] So given the information that you now have, what's your top three? Which places do you see yourself in?
Jae:
[43:11] Schöneberg. Okay - also just forgive me for my pronunciation because it's a struggle!
Manuel:
[43:13] You are forgiven!
Jae:
[43:20] Schöneberg, Neukölln, and then Friedrichshain, and Kreuzberg.
Manuel:
[43:31] Yeah, man, okay. Nice, okay. Yeah, definitely. I mean I also really associate my Berlin beginnings with Neukölln, and then Schöneburg and those areas, and I think it's good, 'cause, those places are very Berlin I feel like you're really going to get to know Berlin when you're there. Not that you don't get to know Berlin, when you're living in other places, but the place that I'm living in now is definitely a lot quieter and less, I don't know, less crazy in a way. Which I now like. But when you first get here, I think it's nice to just throw yourself into one of those places. And even if you don't find a place there, you can just go there and hang out and go to places. And I wouldn't worry if you can't find a place right there.
[0:09] So are you familiar with the word, Kiez, der Kiez?
Jae:
[0:14] No, Duolingo has not taught me that yet! What does it mean?
Manuel:
[0:17] Yeah, so Kiez is the Berlin word for neighborhood, area. Like in Berlin you don't have Stadtteile, which would be the normal German word for area or quarter or neighborhood, but we have Kieze. Der Kiez is the neighborhood or area or, yeah, I don't know. What do you say in the US?
Jae:
[0:43] The neighborhood or area. In New York, they say, "boroughs".
Manuel:
[0:49] Boroughs, right, but that's a New York thing. See, so different cities have their own kind of name for this concept. And in Berlin the name is Kiez.
Jae:
[0:57] Yeah. Gotcha, Kiez. So we're gonna be talking about Kiez today then.
Manuel:
[1:02] Yes, Kieze are the different ... It sounds really dumb when you're using it in an English sentence. On Wikipedia, there is a German article called Verwaltungsgliederung Berlins, meaning kind of the different areas that have their own kind of citizen hall I guess or kind of their own administration. And then - I had the English version here - Berlin's areas....
Jae:
[1:31] Wait, so different areas in Berlin have their own kind of like, not government, but they have their own type of system?
Manuel:
[1:40] Right? For example a famous, or an example that everybody has to deal with, is the Finanzamt like the the tax office, the one that you have to mail your taxes to and the ones that email you or send you a letter if you're late, that's from the area that you live in. And it's also ... Like I think we're gonna basically refer to this map on Wikipedia that we'll link in the show notes, and I can also make the chapter art on the podcast here. Because that's kind of the broad division, but then there's also smaller divisions that maybe people will refer to kind of, you know: My neighborhood is, for example, Schmargendorf, but that's a much smaller thing that probably shows up in the subdivision here on this map? Yes, it does. It's part of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. So we're talking about kind of the big areas, the big divisions of Berlin I think. And the idea, I guess, is since we talked about finding a place last time, definitely my experience when I was looking for a place was kind of having this question: Okay, where do I even want to live? So obviously we talked about how it's really difficult right now and you should be flexible, but maybe you have a preference and you want to live in a certain part of town, and that kind of requires you to know what different parts of town are like.
Jae:
[3:07] Yes, I'm excited to talk about this because I think definitely, well you know, I think you have to be flexible. If you're able to find those environments that you really thrive in, it's really easy, I think, to make friends. It's really easy to believe, find your place and feel comfortable here. So this is a a topic I am super excited to discuss today.
Manuel:
[3:32] For sure, I mean, and it's also Berlin isn't that large compared to London or New York or whatever, but I live in the northern part of Berlin, in Wedding, which is technically, I'm seeing now, still part of Mitte, so technically I live in the center of Berlin, but if I have to go to Neukölln, which is in the south, It feels really far, and it's like a 45-minute bike ride or 30 minutes on the subway, so I don't go there that often. So it does kind of ... Obviously, I mean I'm sure there are many people in Berlin who are much more flexible than I am and who are willing to take a 30-minute subway ride, maybe even on a daily basis, but it does matter where you live, in terms of kind of your daily environment.
Jae:
[4:23] So you only travel anywhere that gets you 20 minutes or less?
Manuel:
[4:27] Pretty much! I mean yeah, I like to go by bike, and anything that's under 30 minutes is fine. Over 30 minutes by bike, unless it's like a really nice sunny day, feels like a chore, you know.
Jae:
[4:42] That makes sense. So I'm curious to know a little bit about these different types of parts. I guess I will start with like first asking more about me.
Kreuzberg
[4:53] Like I'm an artist, I'm young, you know, I'm here to meet people and have these really fun experiences. What are the most youthful areas, the ones that you see a lot of maybe students or young professionals living at?Manuel:
[5:07] Yeah, so when I hear the word, "artist," and, I don't know, being an artist and maybe also having an interest in going out, going to bars, clubs, and living kind of an alternative life, the area that I first think of is either Friedrichshain or Kreuzberg. Interestingly on this map they are grouped together, it's Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. It's one thing, but there they're both very well-known individually. And so Kreuzberg used to be an area that was really defined by its immigrant population, so a lot of Turkish people used to live there, and still live there, but it's now heavily gentrified, so it's become very hip but it still has also kind of this rough-around-the-edges kind of ... there's a lot of markets and, I don't know, just kind of bustling daily life going on for sure. But it's also hip, you know, to go out there and go to a bar, and maybe the bars are a little bit grungy. And there's a very famous punk bar where, basically, Germany's punk was born, the SO36. That's in Kreuzberg and that's still there even, I don't know, 40 years later, so that's that's definitely a nice place to be.
Friedrichshain
[6:41] And then Friedrichshain, which is bordering it but is different, is kind of probably the most politically left area of Berlin. All of Berlin is kind of left-leaning, politically, but Friedrichshain, that's really where, kind of the anarchists that still are around, I would say, live. And, by the way, obviously, all of this is sweeping generalizations and sweeping kind of stereotypes and broad characterizations, but, you know, you get the gist. We're trying to put labels on these different areas and try to describe them as best we can, or as best I can, but obviously the exceptions are the rule. But Friedrichshain also, I mean, I went there a few times recently to go skate - they have a nice skate park - and my friend Marcus is teaching me how to skateboard, and he lives there, so we go there to skate. The Berghain, which we talked about in our first episode, is in Friedrichshain. That's a very famous club.Jae:
[7:47] Yes, I love that place.
Manuel:
[7:48] There's tons of other clubs and nightlife there. And yeah, so I would say, you know, if you're an artist and young and you want to go out at night and not go to bed at 11 like me, either of those would be great.
Jae:
[8:06] Gotcha. Cool. All right, well that's probably top of my list then. I definitely like being in those environments and I feel there's a lot of like also ... What I like about living in places that you kind of gravitate to naturally, is there's a lot of opportunity for spontaneity, you know, things that you don't really plan on doing, and I feel like that place would definitely have that type of spontaneity, just things going on randomly that you didn't even expect to happen.
Manuel:
[8:33] For sure, definitely. Yeah.
Neukölln
[8:36] Yeah, so maybe we can talk about Neukölln next, which is bordering Kreuzberg. And actually the area that is kind of bordering Kreuzberg and Neukölln, the overlapping area, is sometimes called Kreuz-Kölln, so we're mixing these two names, Kreuz-Kölln. And I used to live Neukölln when I first moved to Berlin in 2012. I lived in Hermannstraße which is one of the very big streets in Neukölln, and if you're looking at this map, Neukölln is huge, Neukölln is really large. And I lived close to kind of the border with Kreuzberg and that already felt pretty far south, so that's kind of the part I referred to when I said that this is taking me 45 minutes to cycle to. But then it goes way, way, way down to the south, so kind of Neukölln ... This map includes Neukölln, but also Britz and then Rudow at the very bottom, so these kind of smaller areas. And Neukölln is now a little bit what Kreuzberg used to be, so a large immigrant population, many people from Turkey, but also obviously nowadays many, many other places around the world, and still a little bit easier, possibly, to find an apartment, an affordable apartment, but also kind of quickly becoming more and more hyped and interesting.[10:15] And even when I moved there in 2012, bars were popping up everywhere and kind of galleries and cafes and and things of that nature. So I think it's definitely a nice place to move to. I would try not to go too far south, just because then you are really, kind of far away from the center, but yeah, Neukölln, definitely a nice place and a very specific vibe, you know. I don't know, I just feel like I know when I'm ... Like if someone were to blindfold me and put me on a bus and then spit me out and I was in a street in Neukölln, I feel like I could probably figure it out. I don't know, there's just a vibe to Neukölln that's very different from the north of Berlin. I live in Wedding now, which is also known to be very multiculti and a little bit affordable still, so in a way it's similar but it still feels very differently. It's hard to describe.
Jae:
[11:20] Gotcha. So would you say that area is more family-oriented? Is it more like people who are just now trying to find their place in Berlin? Like what type of people need to be in this area?
Manuel:
[11:38] Yeah, I would say not so much family-oriented because it is a little kind of Wild West kind of atmosphere! I mean, first of all people always ask, "What place in Berlin is the safest?" and it really has to be said that Berlin is a safe city. Every place in Berlin is safe. Berlin is a very safe city and you don't have to worry about not moving to a specific area because it's "not as safe".So really it's not that Neukölln isn't safe to move to, and I don't actually have any statistics in front of me, but what I will tell you anecdotally - and I'm pretty sure the data backs this up - that for example on New Year's Eve, where in Germany it's still the tradition and still legal to have private fireworks and these kind of rockets and kind of - I don't even know what they're called - you know, fireworks, in Neukölln, it happens at a level that is scary. Like it's just ... it honestly, I mean it feels like there's a civil war going on on New Year's Eve in Neukölln because people are just firing those rockets like left and right and it's just explosions everywhere, and, it's, yeah, it's too much. And so it's ... I mean that's one day of the year obviously, but it kind of speaks to how it's a little bit less safe, you know, for lack of a better word. A little bit more kind of, things happen, and yeah, it's a little bit rougher, but really it's not, kind of, not a safe place. I lived there and it was very nice. And there, you can go out at night, no problem, by yourself, you can go out and have great food from around the world in the middle of the night. All of that is fine. Just compared to some of the more conservative areas or other areas of Berlin it's a little kind of the Wild West, I would say.
Jae:
[13:51] I like that description: The Wild West of Berlin, even though it's south.
Manuel:
[13:56] Yeah, that's true. I'm really trying not to, you know, offend any area. Or, not offend, but not kind of give it a bad rap when it's not true. You know, these are really generalizations, so I'm just stressing that again, it's ...
Jae:
[14:12] I mean that's not a bad rap for me. Honestly. That makes you want to go there even more! I like that type of stuff.
Manuel:
[14:18] Definitely. I think for some people other areas would just feel so boring. And Neukölln, I don't think would get boring, you know.
Jae:
[14:27] So what places are the more like: I don't want to be in the scene too much. I kind of just chill, just be in the background, just want to just relax type of areas.
Manuel:
[14:39] Okay, so let's not go to the very kind of outside areas yet. Those would obviously be much more relaxed, but also far away. But let's go to the one that's neighboring Neukölln to the west, and that's Tempelhof-Schöneberg. Again, I would normally look at them separately.
Tempelhof
[15:06] So Tempelhof, bordering Neukölln, is most famous for Tempelhofer Feld, which is a very, very large park that used to be an airport. So there was an airport called Tempelhof and it closed in - googling this really quickly - 2008. So that's when that airport closed. And it was at the time it was interesting for being an airport right in the middle of the city. Now it's interesting for being a giant park right in the middle of a city. I think I heard somewhere that no other European capital has an area of park of that size within the main city. And it's amazing. It's an amazing place to be. You can cycle around it or across, you can inline skate, you can kitesurf, you can have a picnic, you can have a little garden, you can go there with your dog, you can go for a run. And I was just there recently with a few friends and my godchild, and we were just having a picnic And it was one of the first days of spring here in Berlin and it was already pretty packed, just people everywhere, having a barbecue. This is one of the few zones where you can have a barbecue, and that is really a unique place that everybody should visit for sure when they come to Berlin.[16:41] But if you live in Tempelhof or Neukölln, which, Tempelhofer Feld also kind of touches Neukölln, then you're close and you get to go there every day. And so if you love being in a big city but you also hate never being able to kind of see more than a hundred meters because there's always some kind of building in your sight, then living close to Tempelhofer Feld is amazing, because you can just go there and open your eyes and you have this kind of wide view. So, but otherwise I think that's kind of the only thing that Tempelhof is known for. Otherwise I know that there's an IKEA there, and otherwise it's pretty ... there's not much going on there. So if you live there, that's fine, but you will be going to other places to go out or party or whatever.
Jae:
[17:34] So this is a side question: I know people really do enjoy, I would say, the outdoors and stuff like that, so are they really good ... do you see a lot of people from different parts of the city kind of congregate to that park as well? Or are there different parks in different places and people kind of stay in those areas?
Manuel:
[17:54] There are different parks in Berlin, and I have a few parks that are close to my place, but nothing rivals Tempelhofer Feld. I mean, if you want to go to a park with a lot of trees, and maybe go with your dog and be in a park in kind of a regular park with trees, then that's one thing. But Tempelhofer Feld is its own unique thing. There aren't a lot of trees on it. It's literally just kind of the runway of the airport, and it's a different thing. And yes, people from all over the city go there on a sunny day to meet their friends, or go for a run, or go inline skate, and it's very unique. So definitely everybody goes there sometimes.
Jae:
[18:43] You will see me there.
Schöneberg
Manuel:[18:46] So Schöneberg, which on this map is grouped with Tempelhof but is actually north of it, is a really, really nice part of Berlin I used to also live in Schöneberg in Goltzstraße, which is arguably one of the most beautiful streets in Berlin. It's just really ... Man, when I lived there, you know, I would leave my apartment and there's just all these restaurants and ice cream parlors and bars. But it's not a big street, it's a small residential street, yet it has all these really lovely places. Man, I miss Schöneburg, really nice place also not too far from kind of the center and everything else. And Schöneburg - part of Schöneburg, not the entire quarter, but, Schöneburg - has within it, kind of the main, gay or LGBTQ+ district of Berlin and that's also, basically unmissable. If you if you cycle through there or you go out at night, you'll quickly realize you are now in the LGBTQ+ district of Berlin.
Jae:
[20:02] Yes, that's what I'm looking for. You'll find me there, too. 🏳️🌈
Manuel:
[20:07] Man, but you're falling in love with all these places in the south. We need to get you to the north because that's where all of us live but...
Jae:
[20:14] Oh, I'm a Southern boy! I'm from Texas. I love the south.
Manuel:
[20:20] I'm sure a 45-minute bike ride is less of a problem for you than it is for me. So maybe you'll be okay. So yeah, should we talk about Mitte, which is north of everything that we just talked about?
Mitte
Jae:[20:36] Yes. That's where Wedding is, correct?
Manuel:
[20:39] Yeah, Wedding is technically part of Mitte, and I live in Wedding and the Bürgeramt Mitte, so the citizen office Mitte, is right around my corner. So, yes, so basically Mitte houses the actual area called Mitte, but also Tiergarten, Moabit, Wedding and Gesundbrunnen. So if we talk about Mitte the actual kind of Mitte and Moabit, these are the places that have the government district and the Brandenburg Gate - well that's Tiergarten - but that whole area, kind of the lower part of Mitte, that's where the government district is and the Brandenburg Gate and a lot of the embassies. And that's it. And that's the interesting part. The biggest mistake that tourists make, especially ... I mean, I remember when I ... One of my first trips to Berlin as a teenager when we went with our high school ... you think: Mitte okay, that's the center, mitte means center, and we want to go to the center because that's where it's happening, right?
[21:56] And I just remember like poor 14-year-old, 15-year-old us, we would just walk through there at night and it was just dead, like there's nothing there! And that's because it's the government district, and there's like shops and stuff but there's not a lot of nightlife at all. And if you want a very quiet place to live, and you can find an affordable apartment there - good luck! - then go there. You'll be pretty much close to everything because you're you are in the center, but there's nothing happening and, to be honest, it lacks a little bit of soul. You know, like most of the other places that we're talking about, they all have a character, they have a soul, they have that feeling that I'm describing where, you know, someone blindfolds you and puts you there and you kind of feel: Okay, I'm in Schöneburg now, or I'm in a Neukölln, or maybe I'm in Freidrichshain. Mitte doesn't have that, Mitte is just like as if you ordered a European city on the internet, on eBay and ... I don't know. Does that make sense?
Jae:
[23:04] Yes, no, that's a good description of it. Is that where the TV tower is?
Manuel:
[23:09] Yeah. Yeah. The TV tower.
Jae:
[23:10] Gotcha? Okay. So yeah, from what you described to me, it seems like not necessarily the touristy area, but it's the kind of, I guess you described it the best, is if you order like a European city, that's pretty much it.
Wedding
Manuel:
[23:25] Exactly, yeah, pretty boring, actually don't spend too much time there. I mean, I would be okay living there - and actually I do live there. So, Wedding is technically a part of Mitte, but it is ... like people know Wedding as its own thing, because Wedding is - and it's Der Wedding, so it has an article: Der Wedding - is, like Neukölln, a little more rough around the edges, a little bit more kind of more diversity, and more affordable places still. And my place is really affordable, as we learned recently, and but it is close to the center and kind of the north to Prenzlauer Berg which we'll talk about. So yeah, Wedding and Gesundbrunnen which are bordering each other, I would really recommend.
[23:25] Exactly, yeah, pretty boring, actually don't spend too much time there. I mean, I would be okay living there - and actually I do live there. So, Wedding is technically a part of Mitte, but it is ... like people know Wedding as its own thing, because Wedding is - and it's Der Wedding, so it has an article: Der Wedding - is, like Neukölln, a little more rough around the edges, a little bit more kind of more diversity, and more affordable places still. And my place is really affordable, as we learned recently, and but it is close to the center and kind of the north to Prenzlauer Berg which we'll talk about. So yeah, Wedding and Gesundbrunnen which are bordering each other, I would really recommend.
[24:20] If you don't want to live in the south for some reason or you can't find a place in Friedrichshain or Kreuzberg or Schöneberg, Wedding is a good place to look, because it it's still affordable, but it is ... I mean, there's a joke, which has been a joke for a long time, that people say: Der Wedding kommt, and what that means is like it's turning into like a hip place right? Like it's still not a hip place, but it's going to be: It's going to be the next Kreuzberg - just wait! And the joke is that people have been saying that for twenty years now, and it still hasn't really happened, but I like that. I like that it hasn't happened. Like, you know, it's not super hip, there's not that much nightlife here or whatever, but it's close to everything, it's affordable and it feels cool.
Jae:
[25:14] That's good. No, that's good. I didn't know that. That's a funny statement, that it's not there, but it is there. I mean like what would you say the demographic is? Is it a lot more people like more in their 30s and 40s? Is it more an older crowd?
Manuel:
[25:32] So I'm googling this so that I don't make too many mistakes. Wikipedia says, "Along with Kreuzberg," and I would add Neukölln here, but that's just me, "Wedding is one of the most ethnically diverse localities in Berlin. The multicultural atmosphere is visible in the bilingual shop signs, predominantly German and Turkish, or German and Arabic," and so on. So yeah, it's very multicultural, which I really like and enjoy. And then there's the young people that moved to Berlin and are able to find a place there, or at least a place that they can afford, which is great, and also dangerous because gentrification ... people that have been here for a long time are being pushed out. In a way that's a problem everywhere in Berlin, of course, but that's just the reality I think.
Jae:
[26:29] Yeah, that's everywhere in the world. We have that. We have a big problem with that in Austin, Texas.
Manuel:
[26:33] No, so yeah, we covered a lot of the kind of important ones. The one that we definitely still have to talk about is Prenzlauer Berg.
Prenzlauer Berg
[26:48] And if you watch Easy German - I know a lot of Easy German viewers and listeners are listening to this - then you know Prenzlauer Berg from the videos. It's a beautiful place. It used to be in the east of Berlin, which leads to the fact that it has pretty wide sidewalks, which makes it great for filming videos, but also it's just very walkable. It's just nice to walk around there because there's space for pedestrians there, and it is very hip. So this place is definitely already there, it's extremely hip. Millions of restaurants, it feels like, and just cafes and hip shops. And the Mauerpark Flohmarkt, like this famous flea market, is in Prenzlauer Berg, and the Mauerpark, which is a famous park. And, yeah, just a really nice place, but pretty much impossible to find an affordable place these days. The stereotype is that rich people coming from the south of Germany are moving there. It's a little bit of a stereotype, but yeah, it is true that there's people with money coming to Berlin from the south, and they want to go there with their families and it's really nice. And so the stereotype is young, rich people with kids go there. And there's also a lot of famous people who live in Prenzlauer Berg. Kind of everyone who has money moves to Prenzlauer Berg, it feels like.Jae:
[28:29] Gotcha. Okay, so that's like ... All right, that's the celebrity area. That's what I'm going to call it!
Manuel:
[28:35] Yeah, that's good. And then Prenzlauerberg is technically a part of Pankow, as you can see on this map.
Pankow
[28:42] But the actual Pankow, which is north of Prenzlauer Berg, is really nice and a little bit more normal, like not quite as hip and bustling with restaurants and cafes and tourists and people. It's a little bit more residential but also just really nice and beautiful. And for example, Florastraße is another beautiful street in Berlin, and if you can find a place in Pankow, I think that's pretty awesome because you're really close to Prenzlauer Berg and it's minus the craziness, right, and maybe a little bit more affordable. It used to be affordable 'cause there was the airplane noise from the airplanes landing in Tegel, the airport Tegel, but that airport closed in favor of the new BER, Berlin Brandenburg Airport, so now there's no airport noise anymore, and I think the prices are quickly rising as well. But Pankow, I would definitely recommend. And then you can go further north on this map, but then you're going to get further and further away from the rest of the city.Jae:
[30:00] Are there still parts of the city that are, would you say, like are still being developed? Like there's still construction, you can see buildings being created every now and again?
Manuel:
[30:11] Everywhere! Everywhere. And that that's also another thing that people say about Berlin: that is just a giant construction site. And it used to be true, and it's still true today, and I think that's a good thing because, as we talked about, Berlin really needs more apartments, and so the apartments are being built. I guess it's happening way more ... well it happens more where there's space, right? So I don't know, Prenzlauer Berg or Freidrichshain or Kreuzberg, I don't think there's that much space, and there's these really nice old buildings. I don't know that you can build that many more buildings right there. But if you venture out a little bit north of Pankow maybe, or if you go to the east or to the west, definitely places are being built. There's one big area here that's still very much in the center, and that's Charlottenburg or Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. And, yeah, Charlottenburg, the actual smaller area, is bordering Mitte. So it's west of Moabit and Tiergarten.
Tiergarten
[31:28] Which, by the way, I didn't mention that in Mitte, there's this area called Tiergarten. And Tiergarten is the other really big park in Berlin. Like if Berlin had a Central Park, it would be Tiergarten, not Tempelhofer Feld, and it's just this really big park near the Brandenburg Gate and stuff. But bordering that is Charlottenburg.Charlottenburg
[31:53] And Charlottenburg also has a very particular flavor. And if you are coming to Berlin but maybe you are a little bit more on the conservative side, or maybe you like, I don't know, a little bit less of the craziness and ... You know, Wedding, where I live, definitely has a garbage problem, which is something that bothers me, and I sometimes go outside and clean up my own street just because it's ... you know, it's so messy. You won't find those problems in Charlottenburg. Charlottenburg used to be kind of the ... when Berlin was still divided, like that was where it was happening in West Berlin. Kurfürstendamm, that really famous shopping street, is there, so maybe Paris has the Champs-Élysées and Berlin has Kurfürstendamm, right? And the KaDeWe - Kaufhaus des Westens, one super famous department store that sells everything, is there and Berlin's first Apple Store is there, and that's just kind of West Berlin high society people, be-seen, see-and-be-seen whatever ... that kind of flavor is there.Jae:
[33:11] Is that where the mall is as well?
Manuel:
[33:14] There is a mall there called, what's it called? There are several malls in Berlin obviously, but there is a famous one there.
Jae:
[33:24] It's kind of big. It's like two parts and you can like walk to the other part where it has like a food court or whatnot.
Manuel:
[33:35] I think you're thinking of Mall of Berlin and that would be in Mitte still, or Moabit. That's close to Potsdamer Platz, that whole area. The one in [Berlin] Charlottenburg is called Bikini. Bikini, and that's a mall. And even the mall, it feels a little fancier. I remember going there and everything feels a little bit high-society and fancy. And there's a rooftop bar on the building next to Bikini, next to that mall, and you can have a drink there and see the monkeys in the zoo because the zoo's right underneath from there, and I think it's called Monkey Bar. And nowadays if you ... It used to be kind of a secret tip. Now if you go there, you'll queue for a very long time, and it's not that great of a bar that it warrants queuing for two hours, I think, personally. So Charlottenburg, I have friends who live there and they love it, but it is kind of a little bit less crazy, you know. It's kind of the opposite of Friedrichshain. Like if Berlin had a more conservative population, it would be in Charlottenburg I would say.
Jae:
[34:58] Gotcha, gotcha. So this is the area that I'll be when I want to feel rich and I want to feel like I have the money to afford half that stuff.
Manuel:
[35:05] Yeah, I don't know, I don't know about that. I mean it's nice to go shopping on Kurfürstendamm, lots of stores there, there's an H&M and a Starbucks every 10 meters it feels like, and all the chain stores and stuff. I used to work there. I used to work in the Apple Store there, so I used to go there a lot. But I lived in Schöneburg, which is not that far but feels like it has a little bit more character, to be honest! Charlottenburg, I feel like is more older people who have been there their whole lives and don't want to leave.
Jae:
[35:47] That makes sense. That makes sense. I have that area up here in Austin, in those places where the more established people,who are experienced and have found their really strong grounding in the city, live.
Other Neighborhoods
Manuel:[36:05] Yeah. I would say those are the most well-known, talked about, you-should-know-about areas. Maybe we can go through the rest of the ones on this map quickly, just to, you know - I'm a completionist, I like to not leave anything out - but I don't know that much about them. So Reinickendorf is even north of Wedding and, like I said, it already feels like I'm living pretty far in the north, so it includes Tegel, where that airport used to be, Reinickendorf, Wittenau. So yeah, you're living kind of far in the north if you live there. That's pretty much what I know about Reinickendorf. Spandau is west of Charlottenburg, and I think it's just extremely residential, people who have been here for a while or who are moving their families. I'm sure kind of very normal, a little bit further out.
[37:17] Steglitz-Zehlendorf in the south, south of Charlottenburg and Gruneveld, is known for ... Well I know it because there's a shopping street there that I was at once. There is a Globetrotter if you want to buy a backpack! Otherwise, yeah, Dahlem, Zehlendorf, once again, to me, who's always lived pretty centrally, it feels further out, but I have a friend who lives in Schmargendorf close to Dahlem and, yeah, it's a little bit further out but it's nice, and there's families there and stuff.
[38:00] Then we have Treptow-Köpenick, which is that whole part in the southeast of Berlin. Once again, I don't know that much about it, lots of nature there, I think you can even tell, kind of from the names, Oberschöneweide almost sounds like it's very green. I haven't been there, but the Spree, the river, Berlin's river, goes through there, so there's some water there for sure. Anecdotally, I know that several people who moved to Berlin from other countries found places there, so I assume that it's a little bit easier to find a place there and then you just take the S-Bahn when you have to go, or when you want to go, to the city.
[38:52] And then there's Lichtenberg, which is actually still pretty central. There's also an IKEA in Lichtenberg. There's three IKEAs in Berlin! Lichtenberg is the biggest one and, yeah, once again, I don't think there's much that's happening there, but you're still close enough to Prenzlauerberg and Mitte that it's probably okay to live in Lichtenberg. And then Marzahn-Hellersdorf. Marzahn, basically it's known for these high rises, these gigantic Plattenbauten. Plattenbau, in English, is a building made from prefabricated slabs. So these giant buildings where there's hundreds of apartments in one high-rise building, that's kind of what Marzahn is known for, quite far outside and just these very large buildings housing a lot of people. I'm sure it's much more affordable than living in the center, but definitely you are kind of further out, and you're probably going to live in one of those giant buildings.
Jae:
[40:09] Gotcha. And what about Treptow?
Manuel:
[40:14] Yeah, Treptow I grouped with Treptow-Köpenick. But Treptow is kind of the northern part, right? So we have Alt-Treptow there. So yeah, so that northern part, Alt-Treptow. Plänterwald, that is south of Friedrichshain. So it's kind of on the same height as Neukölln. Obviously these are really big groups, so there I would just look at the map and see how far is it from Mitte. I actually have a friend Jack, my friend Jack, who is definitely going to come on this show to talk about bicycles among among other things, lives in Treptow, and there's a nice park there, Treptower Park. So yeah, that's definitely also a cool place to live, close to Kreuzberg, close to Friedrichshain.
Lakes, Parks and the Outdoors
Jae:[41:09] I see there's like a lake and stuff like that. Are a lot of these lakes and stuff, accessible?
Manuel:
[41:17] Yeah, man, I feel like we need to invite an expert on this podcast to talk about where to go if you're craving nature, because the only place that I've gone to recently a lot is Grunewaldsee, which is the lake in the forest called Grunewald. And it is a very nice lake to go to if you have a dog - and I had a few foster dogs - because it's very dog friendly, you can take a walk all around the Grunewaldsee and there's even a dog beach, there's a beach for dogs, and it's very lovely, and it's very ... it's a nice reset. Just going there, walking around the whole lake takes you an hour and you feel refreshed, and there's definitely many more places like that in and around Berlin. But I'm really not an expert on it because I usually just sit on my butt at my desk!
Jae:
[42:21] Mm hmm. So this is very, very informative.
How to Choose a Neighborhood
[42:25] I already know the areas that I'm looking at, but obviously I think one thing that I have to keep in mind is whenever I get there I might not be in the ideal area that I want to be in, but I think that makes it easier to look for a place that you do want to be in, you know. Because I think that was one of the daunting things about like where to be in Berlin, and looking online, it was like: What area do you want to be? And I'm like: I don't know! Like I don't know these different types of areas. But I feel like I definitely have a lot more clarity on places that I'll probably feel the most comfortable exploring and grounding myself in.Manuel:
[43:03] So given the information that you now have, what's your top three? Which places do you see yourself in?
Jae:
[43:11] Schöneberg. Okay - also just forgive me for my pronunciation because it's a struggle!
Manuel:
[43:13] You are forgiven!
Jae:
[43:20] Schöneberg, Neukölln, and then Friedrichshain, and Kreuzberg.
Manuel:
[43:31] Yeah, man, okay. Nice, okay. Yeah, definitely. I mean I also really associate my Berlin beginnings with Neukölln, and then Schöneburg and those areas, and I think it's good, 'cause, those places are very Berlin I feel like you're really going to get to know Berlin when you're there. Not that you don't get to know Berlin, when you're living in other places, but the place that I'm living in now is definitely a lot quieter and less, I don't know, less crazy in a way. Which I now like. But when you first get here, I think it's nice to just throw yourself into one of those places. And even if you don't find a place there, you can just go there and hang out and go to places. And I wouldn't worry if you can't find a place right there.