city
guide
Berlin
The rugged-but-beautiful vibe of
the city is one of the reasons Berlin ranks among our favorite places in Europe. The
contrast between worn out DDR-era apartment buildings, graffiti covered walls and 18th
century houses describes the city accordingly. Once filled with political tension, The
Zeitgeist Metropolis has become one of the most creative and lively capitals in the world.
Now Berlin isn't a brand new 'cool city', but being one of our favorite cities, we
figured it would be appropriate to feature it in our first issue.
One of the first things you'll
notice about Berlin is that its not all very pretty. Many of the old-new buildings are in
rough shape; dreadful looking apartment building from the 70's covered in tags and
satellite dishes sit among 150-year-old pillared mansions and glass covered office
buildings. Even the landmark TV tower looks kind of ugly, a meatball stuck at the end of a
stick. Despite all that, Berlin more than certainly has its own odd and distinquishable
harmony which has drawn in creative people and businesses.
The central city is built up from
several neighborhoods, Mitte being the old city center and home to many restaurants and
boutiques. Charlottenburg is partly a posh area with many designer flagships, banks,
upscale hotels and residential areas. Kreuzberg, historically a more scabby neighborhood,
is nowadays a multicultural area full of life. several other neighborhoods provide
different atmospheres and areas for browsing. if you’re in Berlin for shopping and
food, Mitte is your spot. the area between Rosenthaler Platz and Alexanderplatz is packed
with great shops and lovely small restaurants.
eat.
Leo Bettini | while this adorable little café lacks meats on the menu, it should
suit even the most obstinate of meateaters. the good pasta and salads come second to the
amazing knödels - big potato dough meatballs sans meat, but with tomato and mozzarella,
mushrooms and other wonderful ingredients. you’ll be coming back for these.
Mulackstraße 33. www.leobettini.de
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Susuru |
delicious noodles in a hip and lively atmosphere. the name means slurping for a reason.
try the chicken curry! rosa luxemburg strasse 17. www.susuru.de
Atame |
great tapas food in a cozy, dimly lit setting. pick many dishes, eat outside on a warm day
and watch the trains go by.
www.atame-tapasbar.de
Eve and
Adam’s | organic salads and smoothies made from fresh ingredients, great
pit stop in mitte. rosa luxemburg strasse 24.
drink.
CSA bar | located
inside an old czech airlines office, this bar/lounge has a very unique interior and a
neat atmosphere. karl marx allee 96. www.csa-bar.de
40 seconds |
this restaurant and club has one of the best views of the city, the outside
terraces don't hurt either! potsdamer strasse 58. www.40seconds.de
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Weekend |
if clubbing, as in clubbing, is your thing, then this could be the place for you.
two separate floors plus a roof terrace. alexanderplatz 5. www.week-end-berlin.de
White Trash
Fastfood | trashy burger dive slash bar slash tattoo shop? exotic to say the
least. schoenhauser allee 6-7. www.whitetrashfastfood.com
for more
drinking/clubbing/partying, see the links.
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shop.
The Corner |
a staple in berlin, this large, posh boutique is home to many exclusive brands ranging
from Lanvin and balenciaga to rick owens. In addition to mens and womens wear, corner
carries an interesting selection jewelry, magazines and books. franzoesische strasse 40. www.thecornerberlin.de
Ulf Haines |
a clear favorite, this small boutique carries hard to find labels such as attachment,
label under construction and kiminori morishita along with fave designers such as ann
demeulemeester and stephan schneider. rosa-luxemburg-strasse 9. www.ulfhaines.com.
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Apartment | this
store might seem stranded as the ground level is an enormous, white empty hall with only a
small staircase. don’t be fooled though, below the floor you’ll find a varying
selection of clothing from raf simons, rick owens and undercoverism among others.
memhardtstrasse 8. www.apartmentberlin.de
Cash |
run by apartment, this outlet store just around the corner carries what they call 2nd hand
and 2nd season clothing. occasional good finds. www.apartmentberlin.de
Firmament | streetwear
extraordinnaire. this boutique hidden in an apartment building is one of the worldwide
staples in the market of premium streetwear with a well picked selection ranging from
visvim to supreme. schröderstrasse 8. www.am-firmament.com
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Andreas
Murkudis | very interesting small shop hidden inside a courtyard, carries martin
margiela, raf simons, Y’s yohji yamamoto along with guidi boots and other hard to
find goods. store next door is womens wear. münzstrasse 21. www.andreasmurkudis.net
Acne |
berlin flagship for the swedish jeanmakers, selection of denim and clothing for both
sexes. münzstrasse 21. www.acnejeans.com
Truffelschwein
| small, classic menswear store carrying engineered garments, paul&joe, YMC,
sugarcane denim and others. rosa luxemburg strasse 22. www.trueffelschweinberlin.com
Best Shop |
concept store with local and european designers and collections rotating every 2
months. regular brands include such as henrik vibskov. alte schönhauser strasse 6. www.bestshop-berlin.de
Woodwood |
The store run by the danish label also carries a wild selection of other brands ranging
from polo ralph lauren to bernhard willhelm. yes, you read correctly. they also have
vintage novelty items, comme des garcons perfumes and various other goods. rochstrasse 4.
www.woodwood.dk
APC |
the berlin outpost for the beloved french label is one a quiet sidestreet next to some
other nice boutiques. classic, clean cut clothing and quality denim in a nice interior.
mulackstrasse 35. www.apc.fr
Harvey's |
exclusive small boutique with japanese and european designers. rare carpe diem pieces,
yohji yamamoto, martin margiela and others. too bad the store is literally stacked to the
roof and challenging to browse! kurfürstendamm 56. www.harveys-berlin.de
Bless | next
to APC, this home of the german design team is filled with their conceptual clothing and
wacky accessories and goods. always fun to check out. mulackstrasse 38. www.bless-service.de
Lil Store | the
original comme des garcons guerilla store, now simply a store carrying a variety of cdg
goodies including junya watanabe. brunnenstrasse 184. www.lil-shop.com
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see.
Walking around mitte
gives a good view of Berlin, take the s-bahn to Charlottenburg for some contrast. The view
from the TV tower is quite good on a clear day. The Museuminsel is filled with museums and
sights, if that’s your thing you can easily spend a day here.
The Sony Center in Potzdamer Platz is a complex of
entertainment, the area is fun for people watching and you can catch an english movie here
on a bored day. Walk through the park to see the parliament building (Reichstag) as well
as Pariser Platz and the Brandenburg gate. Nearby, the eye catching jewish memorial is
worth a look.
If you require more
sightseeing, we recommend grabbing a book! oh, and skip checkpoint charlie unless
you’re looking for a desperate tourist trap.
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galleries
and events.
there are a thousand
small galleries in berlin with varying exhibitions. Check out Intoxicated Demons and The Future Gallery for interesting showcases. But
lets face it, if you read this in a few months, there’ll be several new galleries and
a few closed, so the best way to stay up to date is to check websites focusing on news and
events in the city - see the links below.
getting around.
Using the U-bahn and
S-bahn are rather easy and the most effective ways to get around town. the trams can be a
bit more difficult to figure out, taxis are quite easy to find. A taxi from Tegel airport
to Mitte costs about €20.
stay.
Plunge - Ritz-Carlton
superb quality = superb price. potsdamer platz 3.
Spend - Lux 11
very hip and cutting-edge boutique hotel in the heart of Mitte. A minute away from various
shops, restaurants and bars. rosa luxemburg strasse 9-13.
Save - St. Christopher's Inn
ultra-friendly, quality hostel with shared and private rooms as well as apartments. Best
hostel location in Mitte, steps away from U-Bahn. rosa luxemburg strasse 41.
further
reading and links
superfuture
- store listings
iheartberlin - guide to
events etc
luxe guide -
small and posh city guide
berlin.unlike - unbeatable berlin info |
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