Every one of us experiences individual struggles around the ongoing pandemic. One undeniable reality of the current time is the struggle of shop owners to attract customers, which especially impacts those with little to no online presence. That’s where the project Senior Shops comes in: this new initiative started by a group of Master students from the HWR Berlin school is devoted to highlighting various businesses run by elderly people.
If you are looking for a cute thing as a gift for a friend, loved one or even just for yourself it’s sometimes not so easy to know where to start looking, right? But don’t worry, that’s what we are here for. We went through our mental archive of all the shops in Berlin to find those that would fit the bill for this very purpose and came up with a cute little list of the best concept stores in Berlin that are perfect for gift shopping.
As far as sustainability goes, we’re super lucky to be living in Berlin. I’m reminded of this every time I speak to friends and family back home. Often marketed as trendy, time-consuming, and expensive, a lot of people assume you have to completely overhaul your lifestyle to be more sustainable…but that’s simply not true. Being more sustainable is about figuring out what you use the most, and then finding a way to get those same products in a way that doesn’t have such a negative impact on our planet.
There are some fantastic unpackaged stores to choose from in Berlin that not only enable us to support local businesses and encourage innovation but also give us the power to refuse — to send a clear message that we don’t want our products wrapped in plastic. And because we live in Berlin, we can achieve this without too much extra effort on our part, and without breaking the bank.
La Case Paulette. photo: Vitaly Soroka.
Celebrating and empowering Black communities should not just be limited to Black History month, but this is a good time for us to reflect on how we as individuals can help dismantle institutionalized racism in the spaces we occupy.
To keep the conversations surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement from 2020 alive, it’s important to continue to do our part in uplifting BIPOC communities going forward. One way you can do so from your own home is by supporting Black-owned businesses and donating to community organizations. Needless to say, any contribution is particularly valuable during these times due to the negative financial impact of the ongoing pandemic.
To get you started, here is our curated list of Black-owned shops, restaurants, and organizations for you to get to know. Make a donation, share their pages on your social networks, enjoy a delicious takeaway meal or find your next favorite clothing item from our guide below.
With most places closed during these months, there is really very little we can do these days, not even going shopping. It’s been an interesting time for us not really being able to give you the guides we are used to compiling. But there is one last type of place that has not yet closed during the lockdown: Book shops! We already have a guide about book shops, but we noticed some places have closed and some are new, so it’s time for a new one!
With the rise of the digital and our attention span shrinking by the minute, it’s actually a miracle that so many cool book shops still exist and have not been killed by online mega shops. We’re glad that there are so many people out there still appreciating physical books and we hope it stays like that. Berlin has a lot to offer in terms of book shops, from big to small, from mixed to super-specialized. We picked some of our favorite book shops that offer a variety of different books. We hope they give you a place to head out to when you wanna leave your house for a change. Happy reading!
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Christmas season is upon us, and for many, it is connected with the necessity to assort a collection of suitable gifts for a number of people. If your schedule is so tight you can barely make it to any of the alternative Christmas markets we’ve listed here, there’s another option with more regular opening hours: the concept shopping mall Bikini Berlin with their many awesome stores and a unique gift-wrapping station, ready to welcome you right until December 24th!
photo: Liz Ketcham.
I think for the longest time of my adult life I assumed I would not have a thing for plants because I had a hard time keeping them alive. It wasn’t until I started living with my former flatmate Sandra who brought a whole bunch of plants into our house that I started to take an interest. And this is really what made the difference: Once I took an actual interest in them, the plants started to thrive. A plant dad was born!
By now I’ve developed a bit into a plant nerd, even started my own plant-themed Instagram account @frankyfolia to indulge in my green obsession. The plant community online is pretty big already and the enthusiasm for plants is quite infectious. Be warned 😉
I thought it was about time to bring my new passion here to iHeartBerlin in the form of a new guide showing you the best places for plant enthusiasts. If you’re not into plants yet, you might just be after reading this…
photos: Liz Ketcham.
When I first moved to Steglitz around two years ago, I was just happy to have found a place. Since my last room was located some distance away from most public transportation, being only 10 minutes away from the Ring seemed like a definite upgrade. Over time, I realized that in moving to Steglitz, I might have inadvertently found a dream location: the South-West Berlin charm, the peace and quiet, and the maybe somehow illusory feeling of anonymity since few of my friends ever wander around here. For this particular guide, I teamed up with Franzi, who’s originally from the hood, and together, we came up with a list of places to visit around Rathaus Steglitz. Regardless whether you’re looking for a new place to live or for a surprising day trip destination, we hope you enjoy this article!
There’s something lively about wandering down Bergmannstraße in the evening. The lights hanging from the awnings of restaurants cast an orange glow on the sidewalks to match the colorful facades of the surrounding buildings. As you stroll west from artsy Zossenerstraße to peaceful Viktoriapark, you’ll encounter something for everyone. From cozy coffee shops and hip restaurants to edgy record stores, Bergmannkiez is buzzing early in the morning to late at night.
As a newcomer in Berlin, Bergmannkiez was the first place I got the chance to explore. In fact, it’s the place I get to call my home (for the next two months, anyway). I’ve taken note of some of my favorite spots that make this neighborhood the ultimate destination for a fun and relaxed day out in Berlin.
One of the many facets of Berlin that people really love and cherish is the rough, urban and industrial style of the city. It’s something that Berlin has in common with places like Brooklyn or South East London. But combined with Berlin’s history, the division, the Soviet influence of the East, it developed a quite particular style that sets it apart from the other cities. Raw brick walls and concrete, factory lamps and Edison light bulbs, this is pretty much an aesthetic you will see all over the world. But Berlin adds old GDR relics, remains of the Soviet military, and remnants of old industries that were specific to Germany. The outcome is a unique mix of history, design, and patina that feels specific to Berlin.
In our newest guide, we want to introduce you to 3 shops that have specialized in industrial vintage design, all of which combine common aesthetics with more particular ones. We love all three of these shops as they capture so much an essential part of the style of Berlin. Enjoy!