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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by Frank | Charlottenburg, Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Mitte, Neukölln, Shops
photo: Birgit & Bier.
Our fingers are itching. After months of staring at the woodchip wallpaper of our Berlin flats, we have “BOCK” as we like to say in German (which means to be very much in the mood for something). Bock, to go out again. Bock to sway to smooth electronic or raging techno beats while moving our bodies, sipping on a cold beer. Normally the Berlin crowd is used to completely different circumstances at the start of the summer party season when the painful question is, what party to attend, instead of none at all.
This year everything is different. Or least we thought so. After Berlin’s motivated party crowd heavy heartedly accepted the no-clubbing-corona-rules for 2020, there now appears to be hope. Little by little the bigger clubs with an outside area are opening their gardens! At first only for gastronomy purposes with strict “no dancing” rules, but that’s enough to give our grieving party community a glimmer of hope.
Note: Please consult the corresponding social media pages of each club for any changes in regards to their opening times. These might change according to the weather and the current situation.
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by Franziska | Clubs
Art lovers and exhibition goers have already been looking forward to this since months: the Berlin’s Gallery Weekend! The 15th edition will take place from the 26th to the 28th of April. With 45 galleries and around 1000 international and national guests, the Gallery Weekend Berlin successfully continues to draw in 30.000 visitors every year. It has also developed into a high-selling event on the art market, that many collectors from Russia, the USA or even China come to visit. The event reveals the multi-faceted and important work of the galleries, that help to build and support their artist’s careers, working with them to facilitate and design innovative and thought-provoking exhibitions of their works. Since it is difficult to decide which of the 45 galleries and many unofficial sideshows to visit, we intend to help you by pre-selecting our favorite 10! Enjoy.
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by Franziska | Art
Our team is made up of full time Berlin lovers that are dedicated to the cause – over the years, we have sacrificed both our sleep and social life to keep tirelessly exploring our urban jungle and provide you with tips on the most diverse aspects of the city’s lifestyle. Following our desire to get fully immersed in the Berlin state of mind, we’ve bravely entered some strange territories, like Berghain or even Zehlendorf, therefore compiling a pretty comprehensive guide for the city insiders. But if you’re not ready to commit just yet and only have a limited number of days to spend here – we’ve created this ultimate, one of a kind guide to a 7 day adventure featuring all the essential spots to make your Berlin fling into a lasting memory.
Click here for our 7 Days in Berlin Guide!
by Michalina | City Guide
Gendarmenmarkt, photo: Michael Setzpfandt
Although this year it may feel like the Christmas Markets season came exceptionally early – with still no traces of snow and surprisingly mild temperatures, the festive frenzy is upon us – and we’re excited for all the Glühwein, Plätzchen and proper Christmas shopping. In this year’s guide, we’re reacquianting you with some places from last year and presenting others that are happening for the very first time.
When it comes to Christmas events, Berlin’s just as versatile as you might have expected – you’ll find a few traditional markets, some really design-oriented events, a film festival and even a masked ball.
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by Michalina | Events
Last year we already introduced you to the work of Berlin-based photographer Yuto Yamada who captures abandoned places of the city for his ongoing series “Berlin Raw“. This year he is back with new photos of Berlins forgotten, dirty corners, but for his new exhibition he juxtaposes them with the futuristic and glossy Tokyo full of illuminated billboards and neons. The two very contradicting perspectives of two very different cities is a strong contrast but also something very personal to the artist as both cities represent a part of his life, the past and the present, even though aesthetically you could think it’s about the future and the past. Enjoy a preview of these fascinating places in Berlin and Tokyo below.
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by Frank | Art
Nicolas Defawe
After our interviews with Berlin city shapers PANSY from Yo! Sissy Festival and Yasha Young from Urban Nation we are coming to the third and final part of our interview series that is inspired by Heineken’s Shape Your City campaign. While the winners of The Cities Project are already working to make their bar concept a reality in the beautiful city of Cologne, we had a chat here in Berlin with our latest interview partner Nicolas Defawe. If his name doesn’t ring a bell for you, you might know some of the amazing spaces that he was and is involved in such as the awesome, but sadly closed HBC, the short-lived +-0 in the old Postbahnhof building, and the Urban Spree gallery at the RAW area.
Nico is one of the people in the alternative cultural scene of Berlin that we have collaborated with a lot over the years with many of the events we did with iHeartBerlin and its sister project Designer Scouts. It was always such a pleasure to work with him because he has such a positive and supportive spirit and he is the type of guy that you can easily go and steal horses with (this is a funny expression we like to use in German that means that someone is game with just about anything). In our interview with him and his Urban Spree partner Pascal Feucher we revisited some of the old places and looked into the future for the current one…
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by Frank | People
It was a whirlwind of art that came over us last week. The Berlin Art Week brought together the best and most promising artists and galleries in Berlin, mixed with plenty of parties and cocktails to flush down all the impressions into our creative conscience.
One of the most significant events that happened last week was the latest edition of the Berliner Liste that took place once again at the impressive Kraftwerk. It’s the biggest art fair we have in the city and as far as I remember it’s also the oldest one. They took full advantage of the huge space exhibiting the work from 112 galleries, collectives and artists from 25 countries on 5 continents.
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by Frank | Art
Halle am Berghain, photo: iHeartBerlin
Hey guys, did you know it’s Spring now? The sun is mostly shining, the streets are filling up, and everyone is looking pretty happy. There’s no better way to enjoy the season than to hop around town from one gallery to another, and this is the weekend to do it. Tons of galleries are opening interesting exhibitions with cool receptions to stand around at; there are lots of options, so you have no excuse: Get to a vernissage and mingle! Wondering what to see? Don’t worry – we got you covered. Here are our recommendations for Gallery Weekend Berlin 2016.
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by Keith | Art
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
