photo: sfreimark / CC
It’s hard to think of anything more quintessentially Berlin than Mauerpark. It contains so much of what this city is about. Is there any phrase more encapsulating of Berlin than “wall park”? It speaks to the city’s storied past, and to our contemporary lifestyle of leisure and charm. Situated on Prenzlauer Berg’s western border with Gesundbrunnen, it’s perhaps the perfect spot to spend a pleasant day, while momentarily reflecting on the city’s history.
Every visitor to Berlin wants to see the wall. To this end, we have options. There’s the East Side Gallery in Friedrichshain with its famous paintings, there’s Checkpoint Charlie, the most touristy and mainstream spot, there’s the stately, dignified Berlin Wall Memorial (Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer), and there’s Mauerpark. Mauerpark is cool because it really is a great destination on its own, and is surrounded by the most vibrant neighborhood out of these options.
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by Keith | Photos, Prenzlauer Berg, Stories
photos: AnaHell
Can a city have imaginary secret friends? Maybe not every city, but Berlin is different in my opinion. Our dear Berlin gets run over by so many kooky inhabitants – why shouldn’t it have some nice imaginary friends to cope with all the mess going on? At least that was the idea of multimedia artist and photographer AnaHell when she came to our beloved city. In her childhood she invented weird but lovely friends to spend her time with and play. Imaginary creatures with little secret stories to live all kind of adventures with. Fortunately for us, AnaHell did not forget about her childhood fantasy and recreated it with the photo series Secret Friends, a playful narration of this story. Documenting a parallel reality of bent-over humans, which form a new creature that share our world but cannot be seen by us ordinary humans. With the Berlin series of Secret Friends she wants to show different aspects of life in a our city, from the clichés to real people in their homes doing what they normally do.
I am totally in love with the concept and the realization of this playful idea. I guess we should all search once in a while after our imaginary secret friends from our childhood. Maybe they are just sitting next to you in the U-Bahn or waiting in line with you at Berghain. What I want to say is that we should be open for the wonder and for the surprise that can come by reactivating our childhood fantasy. Berlin especially is a place that rewards this kind of openness with a charming magic, you won’t find anywhere else. More Secret Friends by AnaHell after the jump. Read on…
by Claudio | Art, Photos
photos: Alicia Kassebohm
Especially when we are overwhelmed with work, when something significant changes in our life, or when we simply leave our usual surroundings to a new place, this is when we notice our most valuable asset: time.
In Friedrichshain you have time to get lost, as well as time to find something you didn’t know you were looking for. It is a place for nostalgia, for living in the moment, but also for seeking the future. It is an unfinished place, where one of time’s most significant effects becomes very obvious: change.
You definitely notice that unfinished character just by walking down Warschauer Straße, seeing all the construction works, graffiti and improvised shops and galleries. It’s always in progress, always changing. But this is what makes it special, what makes all of Berlin special.
The new label Lilienthal Berlin wants to capture exactly this spirit with their brand new watch, representing the individualistic and unique character of the city that is always in between a state of tranquility and movement. The iconic design symbolizes both the diverse history, but also its colorful present and future with subliminal details and aesthetic quotes of the city. With the exchangeable leather wristbands and color options of the body and face, it is adaptable to its wearer as the city itself.
To celebrate the launch of today’s exclusive pre-sale of their first model – the Lilienthal Berlin L1, which comes in a limited edition of 1440, all designed in Berlin and manufactured in Germany – the label sent us on a 24h tour to explore our favorite places in Berlin. We took the watch with us on our way through Friedrichshain, always with the time on our side. Enjoy our highlights after the jump!
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by Alicia | Bars, Cafés, Friedrichshain, Galleries, Products, Restaurants, Shops
One of the most iconic happenings in Berlin is definately the Bearpit Karaoke that is run by Joe Hatchiban on Sundays in the public arena in the center of the Mauerpark. It’s the one thing that everyone will alway recommend you to go to when visiting Berlin. Hundreds of people will gather around the circle stage and applaud everyone courageous enough to sing in front of so many people. And you don’t have to be afraid to fail, because no matter how your performance turns out to be, people will applaud for you like you are some kind of rockstar. And it’s that magical moment when suddenly one inconspicuous looking performer starts to sing so amazingly impressive that the whole crowd goes mute in awe that makes this Karaoke session so special and unforgottable. Of course the applause for those kind of performers will be explosive.
On the third of October you will get the chance to experience the Bearpit Karaoke on an even bigger stage. Joe got invited to join the Coke Festival of Happiness at Brandenburger Tor on the anniversary day of the reunification of Germany. This one is going to be his biggest Karaoke show ever and the performers will sing in front of thousands of people. That’s going to be one hell of a thrill! After the jump we have a little documentary for you about Joe Hatchiban and his Karaoke show. Meet you at the Brandenburger Tor stage on Thursday!
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by Frank | Music, People
Exhibitions, movie screenings, dance parties, karakoe fun and summer sales. What more can you wish for in this week in August. Have a look at the events after the jump.
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by Frank | Art, Fashion, Movies, Party
Finally the rain is over and this week is supposed to be much warmer then the last few weeks. Halleluja! So let’s all get our shorts out and run into the sun and soak up every beam of light we can get. Once the sun goes down we have an array of lovely events and new parties for you this week, right after the jump.
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by Frank | Art, Fashion, Party
Doeskin at HBC
After the wonderful Anna-Lena from artfridge has supplied us with cool art events in the last two months I will now take over again with the weekly event guide, a mix of art, fashion, movie, culture and party. This week is so full already that I’m almost overwhelmed with my first guide. Have a look at my selection after the jump!
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by Frank | Art, Fashion, Movies, Music, Party
Last Monday we went to the open booth night at Monster Ronson’s Ichiban Karaoke. I haven’t actually done Karaoke there in a while. But when I do it is always the same game: In the beginning you are just to shy to start performing on your own. Nervously you flip around in the song book claiming you still haven’t found the right song for your debut. Then you start supporting your friends with the chorus, until finally the ice breaks and you sing your own songs (usually a couple of drinks have something to do with it, too). That’s when the fun beginns. And in our case we almost couldn’t stop! And I have to tell you, Katja from Glamcanyon is actually a great performer. Some fun impressions of our night and the details about Monster Ronson’s after the jump.
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by Frank | Bars, Friedrichshain, Party, Places
