Stella | iHeartBerlin.de

The Importance of a United Europe for the Young Generations

photos: Alejandro Arretureta.

Europe, not the continent, but the union, played a pivotal role in how my life turned out to be, and consequently who I am today; Europe, for me, meant belonging to something greater than just your own country, it provided this new identity you now have, you’re not just Greek, Spanish, French, you’re also European. This second identity connects you to so much more than what you could relate before it.

Because of Europe, I was able to travel abroad as an exchange student and also stay abroad as a young adult and work, an experience that has changed me in a million ways. I’ve met cultures I could never dream I would; not only met but thoroughly known, lived with, worked with, been friends with, laughed with. I’ve learnt about others, but also about my own self, got my head out of my own ass a little bit more than if I had just stayed in the perfect homogeneity of my country, where all I can see around me are reflections of me, of how I’ve grown up to think, what I’ve grown up to believe, nothing ever challenged.

The iHeartBerlin Show #01 with Daniel-Ryan Spaulding

by Stella | People, Videos

As iHeartBerlin grows and spreads its metaphorical wings to encompass more platforms, we are delighted to present you with the iHeartBerlin Show, our new online video show where we’ll have the chance to talk all about Berlin with prominent figures of this amazing city.

And our project couldn’t have started stronger, as the first episode hosts the magnificent Daniel-Ryan Spaulding, the Canadian standup comedian who became viral through his series “It’s Berlin!” where he satirizes Berlin’s techno and hipster culture in a way we all find relatable.

Our excitement to have him was big, and we didn’t miss the opportunity to ask him as many things as possible: what inspires him, his favorite spots in Berlin, how his sexuality connects to his comedy, and lots more.

Watch the full episode to learn more about this gifted human, and come out to watch his stand-up shows on March 12+13 at the English Theatre Berlin; the venue is almost sold out, so hurry to secure a seat! It’s a guaranteed blast and of course, we’ll be there too!

The Best Coffee Places in Friedrichshain

by Stella | Cafés, Friedrichshain

One of Berlin’s hottest neighborhoods, home to the longest surviving part of the Berlin Wall turned into the East Side Gallery, as well as some of the best clubs and bars, Friedrichshain couldn’t be missing from our coffee guide: little spots, great coffee. Some very dedicated coffee enthusiasts make sure each coffee experience we have in this neighborhood is an amazing one. Make sure you try these places out when you find yourself around this part of the city.
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The Mysterious New Street Art Characters in Berlin

by Stella | Art

Have you noticed anything new on the city’s walls recently? While strolling around Berlin, we keep bumping into these mysterious, eyeless ladies and gentlemen, giving us the sense of being spied on and maybe judged at the same time, for not looking as cool as them.

We couldn’t help but wonder who scatters these stylish figures around different corners of the city. Doing our little research, we found the art duo who spreads the acrylic love around, Kam and Laurene, who live between Paris and Berlin. Other than their street art, the duo paints on canvas and takes part in exhibitions with their work, as well as collaborations with brands like the Pioc and Akasha. For more of these pretty figures, follow their work through their Instagram account.

The Best Coffee Places in Kreuzberg

by Stella | Cafés, Kreuzberg

photo: Auste Skrupskyte

Setting out to discover the best places one can enjoy their cup of specialty coffee, always-busy Kreuzberg was a stop we enjoyed making, full of cute little cafes, offering coffee that blew us away. Once you find yourself around there, make sure you don’t miss out on these places.

The Captivating Street Art Murals of Teufelsberg

by Stella | Art, Photos

Teufelsberg was one of the first places I discovered upon arriving in Berlin, because I used to live really close (yes, I lived in Heerstrasse. Yes, people live in Heerstrasse). It is a green, beautiful hill one can choose to go hiking, cycling, and if you’re a lazy potato like me, just to chill on top and enjoy the amazing view. Getting its name from the lake nearby, Teufelssee, Teufelsberg is a man-made hill, created out of the rubble and debris the WWII left behind. It also covers the never completed Nazi military technical college, which after the War, was easier to bury than demolish (literally, the devil’s mountain). Its fascinating history doesn’t stop there, since during the Cold War it was used by Americans as a Listening Station to spy over the DDR.

Has Berlin become too Touristy?

by Stella | Stories

photo: Christian Schirrmacher / CC

Since the early 90s, after the Wall in Berlin fell, the city has seen slow growth in tourism, still not compared to that of London or Paris, but which in the last few years rocketed to the sky. And that of course hasn’t left the ready-to-complain Berliners without something to say about it: Locals nag about the city having become too busy, too noisy, and of course overpriced. The Berliners’ sentiment for foreigners has gone so far that there are even anti-tourists movements who hold real protests, against the city’s enemy: you. But how serious are Berliners in their detest of visitors?

Dealing (or not Dealing) with Berlin’s Crappy Weather

by Stella | Stories

photo: Maximilian Streich

My infatuation with Berlin knows no boundaries. If all else fails, I plan to become like one of these viral stories ladies who marry Eiffel Tower or something, and be officially Mrs. Berlin. Its unpretentious coolness, its chilled vibe and inclusive, tolerant attitude, makes it #citycrusheveryday. There’s only one instance when Berlin poops right inside my soul: those grey, rainy days when Berlin experiences an identity crisis, raining cats and dogs for hours at a time, forgetting completely what season it’s supposed to be.

First of all, this is not even a season. I mean in winter you look out the window, grey, wet: you process this information and dress accordingly. With this mess of a weather you don’t know what to wear anymore, because even if it’s pouring it’s 25 degrees, so you’re both cold and sweating, ending up in a fur coat flip flops and an umbrella, looking like a pimp in the middle of Kotti. Setting aside the constant headache from the humidity, this weather also messes with your general will to exist: suddenly the outside of your house feels so hostile, the slightest relocation is certain to have you drenched, so there goes your motivation to go to work, to the supermarket, to your friend, anywhere.

9 Cool Alternatives to Typical Berlin Tourist Sights

by Stella | Stories

You know the drill: Someone is coming to Berlin for the first time, and you, with them, have to visit the same typical, commonplace “Berlin musts” for the thousandth time, along with flocks of tourists who push you in order to make their 13th shot of the same angle of the Berliner Dome. To save us all the distress of touring around what everyone is expected to see in the city, we gathered their alternatives one can visit instead, through which the real Berlin is revealed. (disclaimer: maybe your mom will not enjoy it).

10 Fun Ways to Insult Someone in German

by Stella | Stories

illustrations: Berk Karaoglu

It’s the first thing someone wants to know when finding out about a new language: before learning how to say hi, or or how to introduce yourself, you want to learn how to curse. I’m sure there is a sociological angle to it, but science aside, swearwords are just amusing. Looking into the magnificent world of German swearwords, one isn’t at all surprised with the creativity levels the country of Goethe and Schiller has. We’ve collected some of the most noteworthy examples, that will have you regret every time you’ve called someone an idiot instead of an ass violin.

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