The area in which I'm living is called Steglitz. It's found in the South West (formerly American sector) of Berlin, and is beautiful. Gothic architecture, lush parks, grand houses and tree-lined avenues are all around here, and yet there is still a constant reminder that you are living in a capital city, by the amount of traffic, skyscrapers and shopping centres which are virtually unavoidable (as you can see here).
However, Steglitz is just a tiny little part of this huge, expanding city. You can easily travel on the S-Bahn or U-Bahn (underground network) from here into the Stadtmitte, and from there, explore all around the city in whatever way you feel like: Walking, Bus, Boat, Bike, Tandem bike, Horse and cart, Strange multi-person Beer/bike combos (not kidding, these do actually exist- proof below).
Whatever way you choose to explore, you can't NOT be amazed. It's unbelievable. Such a unique city, and there's an awful lot to explore. Thank goodness I'm here for a whole year!! :)
The Berlin Wall
I guess I can't really give my thoughts on exploring Berlin without mentioning the inevitable. I mean, a structure that divided the city completely in two for so many years will obviously have had a lasting impact on it, but I wasn't quite expecting this much!! You can still tell which side of the wall you are on, even now- 23 years after it was torn down. The architecture, the kinds of people, the sorts of businesses you find there, it is almost like a different city in the East, despite the ongoing efforts of the German Government to unite the city as an example to the rest of the country to do the same.
To give you an idea, compare the first photo with this one (taken from the sightseeing bus, a view of Leipziger Strasse, which was formerly in the DDR (East)):
The sky's still the same colour, granted, and there are still lots of trees, but each of these high-rise apartment blocks belong to the era of the 1960s DDR, where children had collective potty training, Trabis (DDR-issued cars) were the transport of the day, engineers earned little more than farmers and everyone (or so it seems) went on nudist holidays.
It's like a different world.
How on earth can these two, distinctly-different sides to one city unite as one, after all this time apart?? It seems impossible.
However, I think, after last night, I might have my answer: The Youth Culture.
There is an immensely strong youth culture here. And when I say immensely strong, I mean students and young professionals (I use that term loosely- most don't have permanent jobs, just love it so much here they don't want to leave) on bikes EVERYWHERE- especially in the "cool" areas of Neukölln and Kreuzberg.
There are no laws against drinking in public places here, there is no tax on beer (so it's ridiculously cheap!), smoking is allowed pretty much anywhere and there is an incredibly relaxed attitude towards drugs as well.
In cometh the inevitable: parks full of young people with their bikes, drinking crate-fulls of beer and smoking I-don't-know-what until goodness-only-knows what time in the morning. Oh, and they listen to a lot of techno music too.
Sounds horrific, right??
Well no. Actually, it's not like that at all.
I was in such a park last night, and it was really good fun. I'm not saying that I have started smoking and doing drugs or anything, but I went and I had a few beers with friends from work, and genuinely really enjoyed myself. Nobody in the park was drunk out of their heads, making a fool out of themselves and throwing up, leaving broken bottles everywhere and making a mess for somebody else to clear up, like they would be in a similar situation in England.
These people get together to have a few beers, and to socialise and relax after a hard week's work (someone even comes round and takes away your empty bottles for recycling!!!). They are a young, liberal, creative people who embrace the attitude of 'live and let live'. There are buskers, street artists, people dancing on the streets and professional graffiti artists as well as street theatre groups and impromptu comedy/karaoke acts all over the place, and they come from all different walks of life, yet all have the same passion for freedom of self-expression.
They don't care if you're from the former West or East. They don't even care if you aren't German! It doesn't matter what you wear, what car you drive, what language you speak, or whether your handbag came from Primark (yes it does exist here) or Prada. If you are proud of who you are, and you make the effort to just go with the flow, you will be accepted as a Berliner- guaranteed.
I think this liberal attitude is what is the key to Berlin's success as a flourishing cultural city. Admittedly, this liberality can go too far- free availability of beds on the dance floor in clubs for those couples who just can't quite make it as far as their own bedroom, for instance- but it's definitely the only way that I can see it possible for them to move forward and look beyond the segregation and division of the past.
Here's to the future, Berlin! Prost!
Alles Liebe,
Louise :) x
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