Berlin

What's the stroke between the two for? You might as well have said Opera/Heavy Metal is sooooooo over. If anything confirms it isn't over it's that you don't have a fucking clue about it.

Anyone actually been to the Love Parade?

!!

momus to thread

I'm off to Berlin next week, for a few days - anyone who's been over there recently (or lives there?) have any recommendations for stuff to do, places to go? Or should I just spend my time hanging out at the film festival?

Apparently people still go to Tresor after all these years. Might be a place to hang out with non-berlin celebs who happen to have heard of it.

The coolest place is White Trash Fast Food on Tor Strasse in Mitte.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/imomus/

http://www.berlin030.de/
http://www.berlinbiennale.de/eng/index.php3?sid=bb_04
http://www.podewil.de/start/start-e.html
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/german/berlin_class/people/isherwood.html
http://www.das-moma-in-berlin.de/home/
http://www.minimeta.de/ezm/kalender.php
http://www.kw-berlin.de/
http://www.smb.spk-berlin.de/e/m.html
http://www.music-scan.de/nbi/
http://www.musix.de/clubs/index.cfm?fuseaction=adressen&ort=Berlin
http://www.schooldeutschland.com/

Yeah, Skottie, by 'hang out' I pretty much meant 'run around town trying to find whichever cinema's showing Infernal Affairs III'. Although the lure of modern art may be too strong (and I forgot the Pergamum Musee! And Mr Dead and Mrs Free! Ack, so much to do, so little time...).

Last year I found that if I didn't have tickets to a film I wanted to see, holding a sign up that said "suche eine Karte" got me a tic every time. If you see a film at the Babylon Kino on Rosa Luxemburg Strasse, you're steps away from my old apartment. Yell out Hallo!!!!! for me!

There are so many fun places in PrenzlauerBerg, it's impossible to list them all. Cool off-beat places on Simon-Dach-Strasse in Friedrichshain too, like ComMux. For a fancier meal, I liked Umspannwerk Ost on Palisaden Str. off of Karl Marx Allee. That's Momus's 'hood, he may disagree. 12 Apostel under the S-Bahn tracks near Friedrichstrasse Station is the best pizza in Berlin, meine Meinung nach.

I'M ENVIOUS!!!!!! Have a great trip!!!!

£200 = €300ish

Beer: €3 (bars noramlly open till about 4am on weekends)
Food: €3 /4 average at Imbiss's (Takeaway's) | €10 average 2 course sit down | Sunday all you can eat breakfasts €8-10
Clubs €10 (at most, and usually go on till 8am!! don't really get jumping till 2am)
CDs: €15
travelcards: €5 ish for 24 hours (we got the 7day one at €25)

If you can't speak German look out for the A3 english language listings magazine available at various backpacker places.

Best areas: Friedrichshain (bohemian) and Mitte (hip) both in old East Berlin

Enjoy!

My German is ok, but the person that i'm going with used to live near Dusseldorf so we should manage between us languagewise. We're staying in Mitte and the accomodation is getting stuck on the credit card so it's just spending money that i need to think about.

I recommend Prenzlauerberg. and the Fernseheturm. and the Ampelmannchen.

make sure you do not book in to their other branch in past-it Kreuzberg by mistake.

i'm also seeing that it may be possible to rent a flat or a room through an accomodation agenccy, which could be cheaper (and cooler of course, which is what this whole trip is about after all. that and cheapness.)

oh no my friend who's going there will be living in 'past-it Kreuzberg' :(

i cant seem to find the dj t / kompakt dates that ronan /geeta mentioned on the 'tim is coming to europe' thread

are you going to be there when I am? we can go on a Momus hunting exhibition.

when are you going to berlin?

I met a German girl here in New York who told me she lived in Berlin for awhile but thought it was boring, because no one has a job. "How many days can you sit in a cafe until 3 in the morning reading a newspaper?" I actually thought to myself "quite a few."

Thanks for the recommendation, Tracer. I am quite seriously considering booking the Transit Loft. Although mrs Adam likes the look of Acksel Haus. We split when it comes to minimalism!

i suppose what i really dont understand is momus' picture of berlin where cultural heroes stroll about unencumbered by employment, in a state of bliss. does the berlin city government give you free housing, food and pocket money???

guess what, the cd is good too! buy the whole lifestyle!

DAS IST VERBOTEN!

They were always having to stop people doing that when I was there.

arghhhhhh *collapses*

yes please please drag me, also pay for my flights and finish my dissertation ok thnx bye

Jason

ambrose, what is your dissertation on? I know very little about anything important.

Has anyone been to Ata's club Robert Johnson? Is it cozy/nice?

i'm going to berlin first w/e of jan (6-8).

i would like recommendations of 1 bar, 1 club, 1 restaurant...would really like to hear some kompakt stuff live if pos.

any further hotel/area recommendations also good.

-decadent
-debauched
-delightful
-fabuliscious

If poss it would be useful if it were gay friendly (and straight friendly too natch) as my friend is unfortunately cursed with that affliction.

check geetas blog for a run down

I can suggest a few places to start your night, most of them in P-Berg. Chagall's on Kolwtizstr is a good Russian joint which is dirt cheap and good. Babel on Kastanienallee, near Schwedter has amazing falafel and haloumi pitas, with chile and mango sauce. Der Imbiss down the road is great. Morgenrot is a good punk bar with cheap beer and a good attitude. There's a nice Weinerei near Zionkirche Str. as well, where it's "pay what you think it's worth." Pretty cheap if you play it right.

Check out Dr. Pong on Eberswalderstr for Ping Pong and lotsa booze and bit of fun and games before you really start the night.

You can head down to CCCP on Tor Strasse, a great Russian disco (and a pretty good antidote to that other Russian Disco, which can be quite packed). Things don't start to happen until after midnight.

You might finish your night at White Trash, which can be a perfect closer to a debauched evening. It's gay-friendly as well. It's moved to Schonhauser Allee as far as I can recall.

P-Berg is still a good place to hang out, but Kreuzberg has its charms as well.

The thing to do is grab a Zitty, Ex-Berliner, one of the city guides and have a gander.

if that is a cheapo eat in place, I've been there, and it rocks. Yum yum

Der Imbiss down the road is great.

is that the CURRYWURST place?

Transit House is a great hostel-cum hotel in Prenzlauerberg .. you can get your own room, they have great breakfast, a bar, etc.

indeed, and you can do private rooms or hostelly rooms. winner.

Can't recommend cookies, but boy do I miss German bread. I suspect if you find a decent bakery, you'll be sorted for tasty baked goods.

Will it be snowing?
Where are the best places to shop? (Wouldn't mind picking up some old "skool" addidas trainers)

Hotel-wise I'm looking at booking up to stay in Ku'Damm 101(http://www.kudamm101.com/) anyone stayed here before? I know most folk are saying stay in the East of the city.

the adidas shop! on oranienberg strasse(?) it's pretty easy to find, or head up to Kreuzberg for http://www.overkillshop.com/

Kurfürstendamm, Charlottenburg... you are a richer man than I! I don't like the Kurfürstendamm much, shops, shops, shops and hardly a soul to be found :( I kind of preffered shopping up towards Bergmanstrasse... and there are lots of nice bits and pieces around Oranianberger Tor

I dunno if you're coming with family or what your circumstances are but I'd just get a single room for the stay in Mitte or K'berg myself, or even better hit up craigslist and see if you can get an apartment for the week.

-- Guymauve

me too!! I seriously, seriously need to find somewhere selling good landesbröt over here (I think it's quite tricky to make at home) I haven't felt satisfied once since I got home by our puny efforts.

We should invent an ILX Berlin game... maybe you could score points for doing quintessentially ILX things in Berline.

My Villalobos fanboy friend and I are taking a trip to Berlin by way of Frankfurt in August. We're planning on going to this party: Merkwürdiges Verhalten Am Strand at King Kamehameha Beach on the 14th before we head to Berlin.

We're gonna be in Deutschland from the 13th to the 23rd of August. My friend has been once to Berlin on New Years 2009, and I have never even been out of the country (except to Canada).

Just got my passport yesterday, and I am super excited.

What should we do? What sites to see that are on or off the beaten path? Also, I've been couch surfing, but only one affirmation out of many requests. What's the best/cheapest hostel to stay at?

How do I maximize my fun and goodtime on a budget in Berlin?

we stayed at the wombat hostel when I was there. really cheap, clean, fun. best hostel I've ever been to actually.

Feel the fire, feel my love inside you it's so right

^(way to maximize your fun and goodtime on a budget)

Captain Ahab - try the Transit Loft in Kreuzberg or Prenzlauerberg. They do the job as either hotel or hostel accomodation.

Anything else to mention?

I'm in Schöneberg

Too much hassle to repost what I've already said, but there's more hints and tips in these two threads:

Things to in Berlin when you're there

weekdays in Berlin

I am going to Berlin - or that's the plan.

I am not worried about finding things to do, but does anyone have a tip about where to stay? Areas if not specific hotels?

also, thinking of going by train, from London, via Paris. Good idea?

Berlin is a long way from Paris by train. It'd probably take 12 hours or something. Factor in the time to get to Paris from London and you'd be in for a very long and tiresome trip.

yeh but overnight is ok go for it pinefox

Thanks!

Conrad and Zelda look like two great modernist names.

I've stayed in these places before and would recommend either:

http://www.berliner-bed-and-breakfast.de/english/zimmer.html
http://www.hotel-sarottihoefe.de/en/

A friend of mine went by train in a day last week. London-Brussels-Cologne-Berlin was the route I think. 12 hours is about right, leave 8am arrive 8pm. Verdict: very pleasant, smooth and reliable, Eurostar trains looking a little tired by now, Deutsche Bahn ones somewhat funky.

When we went we stayed in a big hotel on one of West Berlin's main streets - I want to say Kurfurstendamm but fear that might be in some other city and i'd embarrass myself. It was fine. I didn't stay long enough to be able to give a reliable recommendation I'm afraid.

Berlin is brilliant though, lucky you.

I stayed in mitte, near the medical school when I visited. Very handy for Friedrichstrasse and historical East Berlin.

I'm sure the Ku-damm is indeed Berlin. Thanks for these tips. Seriously hoping to do it by train now.

I made a semi-mistake of staying in Potsdammer Platz, which was extremely cheap and convenient to everything but had no charm or atmosphere whatsoever. So, I guess don't do that unless you just want the cheapest option (my hotel was fine and cheaper than anything else I could find).

Yeah, Kurfurstendamm is definitely in Berlin. I agree with Hurting and would not stay in P Platz. Prenzlauer Berg is a really nice area. Jealous!

Kdamm is okay. Bulowstrasse is good if you don't mind the working girls on the street. Make sure you're within a short walk to the UBahn 1 & 2 lines. Housemate just left for there today, I'm going back next week.

Going to Berlin tomorrow!

If anyone is in Berlin and would like to meet, let me know, though I doubt that this will happen.

I have bought a guidebook and hope to start reading it soon.

going to berlin again next week!

Berlin. It seems terrific.

My mom is in Berlin, running around with her old college roommate and apparently having the time of her life. So jealous.

Anyone who is in Berlin, let me know - though I doubt Lukas's mother is reading this.

Seems like a smashing place. Think I'll take a guided tour today.

A good friend has just moved over there.. hope to make it over to visit maybe later this year.

tour skimmed, from the outside:

Scheunenviertel
Friedrichstrasse
Museum Island
Unter den Linden
Gendarmenmarkt
Checkpoint Charlie
Berlin Wall
Finance Ministry
Holocaust memorial
Brandenburg Gate

fabulous weather. The Fernsehturm looks fine against the blue sky.

The Alter Gallerie is worth a few hours. I'm there Thursday.

And of course I mean the 'Alte Galerie'

It is funny how people seem to be converging on Berlin!

I will have to look up this gallery.

Dahlem again today

Museum Island properly at last tomorrow?

Fuck 'converging'. I'm just going there to see The Fall.

Planning to be here Friday afternoon if anyone wants a FAP though.

http://www.hopsandbarley-berlin.de/

round Museum Island and Unter den Linden one more time just to be sure I'd seen all the sights

lunch at Hackescher Markt

walk into the East, to Marienkirche and the Fernsehturm and even up and down the Galerie shopping centre before rain and fatigue sent me back to the hotel

planned to go to an art gallery for free as it's Thu: then the rain came back heavier than ever

where will you watch the eurovision final?

is this a key question facing Berliners ? ... I saw an advert for it in the lift of my hotel, think they are holding a viewing party in the Circus Hostel at Rosenthaler Platz. how about you?

I think you should watch it with Robert Fripp. Just get him to fly in for the evening.

This seems like an unusually good excuse to mention that I was here last night:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=021qiWnL944

robert fripp and I arrive in berlin on saturday evening but too late for eurovision unfortunately

This is Fripp's opportunity to improvise over each entrant's song, live, onstage, in real time, as it is performed. Onstage. Live. (As it is performed).

Hops & Barley = dozens of people watching a weekly cop show on TV

Maybe I should aim for a Radler at the Tiergarten Biergarten tomorrow.

top 12 Berlin

1 Zoo Berlin
2 Neukolln scenes
3 the Circus hotel
4 Fernsehturm horizon
5 a bar in Bergmannstrasse + environs
6 Pilsner (Berliner, Radelberger, Jever)
7 Vapiano, Potsdamer Platz
8 ... I've forgotten since making this list earlier, but could insert Bernauer Strasse's Mauer memorial
9 Bertolt Brecht Haus
10 Kottbusser Tor as elevated trains pass over the roundabout
11 green suburbs and biergarten of Dahlem
12 junction of Eberswalder Strasse and Kastanianallee in the glow of an early Friday evening

but where is Karl Marx Allee?

I also liked the Holocaust Memorial.

And die Topographie des Terrors.

Karl Marx Allee is in Neukölln, my friend lives on that street. Not a particularly interesting area, though she told me that parts of Neukölln are getting "hip" now that Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain have become more gentrified.

Not far from Karl Marx Allee there is a whole abandoned hospital complex, we went to explore it with my German friends. It was kinda cool but spooky; you could shoot a horror movie there.

I didn't know KMA was in Neukolln. Surely not, isn't Neukolln in the former West?

My work PC can't do umlauts.

KMA is in Mitte and Friedrichshain. Former US quarter.

Mitte and Friedrichshain were in the former East. Kreuzberg was in the American Sector, which ended at the river.

from a Wikipedia map (but in agreement with ones I have seen elsewhere):

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/EastBerlinBoroughs.png

Karl Marx Allee is Mitte/Friedrichshain, Karl Marx Strasse is in Neuköln

NDV, you're complete right (it was originally called the Stalinalle for god's sake :)
That map reminds me - I really liked the Treptower Park (a Soviet memorial park. Very spaceous with awesome huge soviet statues/constructions).
Another tip: rent a bike! Berlin is very bike-friendly and you can see so much more at your own pace. Highly recommended.

I know people like riding bikes, and in theory I'd like to be able to ride one, but I wrote here, after a day in Berlin, about why I inevitably wasn't going to do it:
http://reelingatall.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/berlin/

I went to Treptower Park also and walked all the way around it for 2 hours.

I didn't see much of KMA, though it was on my list for days; when I reached it I was sore from all that walking, with the East Side Gallery after the park, so I just got on the U-Bahn.

Nice piece, pinefox.

Karl Marx Allee is Mitte/Friedrichshain, Karl Marx Strasse is in Neuköln

Oops, sorry, I mixed up Karl Marx Allee and Karl Marx Strasse. The latter is where my friend lives.

I hear Marzahn is where to go if you want to see the real Berlin.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5185/5732598849_b2bd430eb3.jpg

If you're still there, have lunch or breakfast at Barcomi's (Sophienstraße 21). Their NYC (they're expats) cheesecake is fantastic. Beautiful location, too.

I'm not, thanks W, but curiously that picture is from just round the corner from Sophienstrasse -- a hostel around Grosse Hamburger Strasse or Oranienburger I think.

your special character German S is a lot better than my, um, SS.

also, walking up Sophienstrasse I heard ROCK GUITAR being played out of a window above. Look out for the video.

I do quite like the spontaneous ingenuous techno-joy of the computerizing fraulein in the pic above.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5104/5734485403_6d141f69be.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3117/5744250891_93f07cf0d4.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5226/5746500656_8773d41611.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2274/5750082773_1f0d497965.jpg

Hops & Barley = dozens of people watching a weekly cop show on TV

ive heard about the berlin intelligentsias addiction to "tatort" but i never believed it until i read this post.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2691/5757755173_0a7ba4cf54.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2298/5757800389_303201c40c.jpg

Sorry to interrupt the pinefox's Flickr stream, but are any ILXors going to Matmos at Hebbel Am Ufer Haus Eins on Sunday (apart from Drew, presumably)? Or indeed Parts & Labor (sans Whiney G) Saturday or Low on Sunday?

Also Keith Richard's signature looks a bit like a penis there.

Low on Monday that should be.

not me

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5186/5763985285_035f3b5ccc.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3113/5764019895_2d575d394d.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3332/5774994927_0b763ceac4.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5023/5777137713_9b2b68937a.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3054/5789692394_77912de385.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3085/5799672602_4db7ab6532.jpg

I've just booked a five day trip next week with a friend, very cheap and last minute. Does ILX have any recommendations of things that will be taking place while we're there?

I think I will go to Berlin for a few days in November! What's up with Berlin?

The Ritter Sport store is fabulous.

ooh that sounds dangerous

make your Ritter Sport!

Fassbender & Rauch is another great choco shop near the former.

There are museums there too but you know...

your OWN Ritter Sport! pick your flavs

Ah man, the Ritter Sport store was closed when I was there. I just looked into the window like a sad child.

going to berlin tomorrow for a week, are there any berlin ilxors here? anything worth checking out while i'm over? more interested in gigs/bars/good food than 48hr clubbing marathons. may well head to this for the neneh cherry or keiji haino http://www.radialsystem.de/rebrush/rs-alarme.php

going on the 28th myself for about 10 days, so would also like good food/bars recommendations. i've never had really great food in berlin... though plenty of good ethnic restaurants or whatever.

going to berlin tomorrow for a week. anything worth checking out while i'm over?

enjoyed this bar last time i was there: http://johnmuirberlin.com/

and this one: http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/geist-im-glas-berlin

the food is v simple and bland mostly imo, or bad. except the kebabs are good.

go to the russian monument in treptower park.

thanks!

someone knows how is the pub owned by dude from Mogwai?:

http://dasgift.tumblr.com/

Yep... https://twitter.com/DasGiftBerlin

I enjoyed this bar - http://www.luzia.tc

And the Mauerpark flea market on Sundays - http://www.mauerparkmarkt.de

Just got back. Seven Americans running around Berlin together is too many. Bouncers tended to agree. Had a great time though.

Food: Dos Palillos is fantastic if you want to splurge. Gingi Izakaya. Curry 36 best currywurst I had by far.

For bars, liked Ä and Hotel.

Walk around a lot.

oh i've been to luzia, it is good.

are you into techno stuff, nostormo?

not really into techno..more of a rock/indie kinda gut..

anyway, thanks guys!

i'll report my impressions when i'm back..

I quite enjoyed the various "Maria" Mexican restaurants

There is a museum/prison in the pretty far east section of the city that is off-the-beaten-path and worth touring, if you can get one of the English tours (assuming you don't speak German). It was basically a secret prison right in the middle of a residential neighborhood -- didn't even appear on maps. Tour was very interesting, lots of insight into stasi methods.

It's also worth it just for the tram-ride to see what "regular" (non-gentrified/artistized) East Berlin looks like.

This:

http://salmonnationeuroblog.wordpress.com/inside-east-berlins-secret-stasi-prison/

(NOT the "stasi museum")

Oh, and the Turkish Market.

that museum looks worth a trip, am in berlin myself in about two weeks.

ok, im back:

the stasi prison is indeed a must.

the Barry Burns (mogwai) bar in Neukoln is a fine enough bar, but nothing special really, unless your'e scottish and/or feel comfortable in over crowded bars.

we had the best night at the Bassy Club - a 60's garage bar with a different live band every night: awesome place, nicely decorated to the final, hilarious details (like Berlin in general i guess). no music from after 1969.

great Asian food all over the place.

and Friedrichshain>Kreuzberg imo.

great city.

p.s. the prison has now organized tours in english at 14:30 only!

and visitors can't get inside without a tour.

for your consideration.

yeah even when I was there I got the sense that P-Berg and K-Berg were already kind of like OVER man (but still very pleasant and nice in a west village sort of way), and friedrichschain and increasingly neukoln were more where it was at. Neukoln was just starting to get the hipster/gentrification thing going so there were a few of that kind of shops and cafes but it felt very local and not much of a destination yet. May have changed since then.

also I liked Mitte more than either P-berg or K-berg

Neukoln has MORE shops, cafes and bars now i guess, but it still feels "authentic" - basically it is still a turkish neighborhood.

Friedrichshain already felt pretty gentrified when I first visited Berlin in 2007. Last time I was there a couple of years ago, I stayed at a German friend of mine in Neukölln, and she said the area is definitely becoming more hip now.

Neukölln also has this creepy but cool abandoned hospital complex, apparently a former children's hospital. It's at Mariendorfer Weg. Very much worth the visit if you're into places that could be horror movie sets, though this blog post suggests you might run into squatters or bums there. (When we were there a few years ago we saw no one, though it was clear some homeless people were using is as a shelter.) One person in the comments even says he came across some people shooting a porn movie! :)

And yeah, I second the recommendation on the Stasi prison, it's kinda depressing but eye-opening to see the places where people were actually tortured, and to hear about the various corporal and psychological interrogation methods. Many of the tour guides are actually people who were imprisoned there, though I think they only give German tours..? Our English guide was a younger person with no personal history with the place, though she still could illustrate everything quite well.

yes, I think the ex-prisoner tours are german only. we also had a young woman tour guide, and she brought a lot of deeply felt concern and interest to the tour so I didn't feel we missed out on that much.

How awful it would have to be -- I'd think -- to give tours of your own former prison.

the amazing thing is, except for the prison manager, all the Stasi prison staff weren't sentenced for what happened there after the union with the west.
as a matter of fact, most of them are now high socieity german lawyers and judges. it was a part of the peace agreement that they would not go to trial for their actions.

yeah stuff like that is fascinating/chilling ... i've been looking for a good book on the reunification for a while now.

if anyone has any suggestions ...

except for the prison manager, all the Stasi prison staff weren't sentenced for what happened there after the union with the west.
as a matter of fact, most of them are now high socieity german lawyers and judges.

When we took the tour, the guide told us that one of the other guides, a former prisoner, now lives in the same Berlin neighbourhood as one the men who used to interrogate him, and he sees him quite often on the streets. I can't imagine what that would be like, especially considering that the guy was never brought to justice in any way.

yeah even when I was there I got the sense that P-Berg and K-Berg were already kind of like OVER man (but still very pleasant and nice in a west village sort of way), and friedrichschain and increasingly neukoln were more where it was at.

i've been prob 10 times in the last 5/6 years and i'd say friedrichshain seems the most gentrified of these, loads of families, dunno if it's a factor but the apartments there seem to be a lot bigger. neukolln does seem to be good now though, a lot more time spent there in recent visits.

tbh the quality of bars you just walk into is quite high ime.

ya friedricchsain has the nicest flats

ya there are like 3 packed bars per block in neukolln. and even then often like, dozens of ppl just sitting on the curb outside corner stores (what do they call these again? shpetzis or something?) that was my fav neighborhood but there's not a tonne to do during the day (which i guess u could say abt the whole city lol) just a turkish neighborhood

Back to Berlin for the first time in 5 years, not sure why it has been so long but glad to be going back finally.

Pretty sure we have the nightlife plans pretty well covered, but really interested in knowing some places to go to for €1/2 record bins to do some serious digging and punting on random stuff (don’t have the cash for anything new at the moment). Mainly interested in house/techno/disco/boogie etc. but all record shops are good. Staying in Mitte, but willing to travel.

The Mauerpark flea market on a sunday is a safe bet - http://www.mauerparkmarkt.de

I had my most enjoyable digging experiences there when I visited Berlin a few months ago.

I liked Q-Tip Records a lot too - http://record-shops.org/berlin/kreuzberg/q-tip-records

This website is a nice starting point...
http://record-shops.org/berlin/

Thanks, I law Record-shops.org the other week but had forgotten about it. I have been hearing that Belin is rather overpriced for second hand records, probably a combination of cheap large apartments able to hold lots of records, and lots of DJs. So perhaps won't be the digging I’d hoped for, but I shall see what I find.

Berlin record stores

In the end I didn’t think I had enough money to do a proper shop, so only went into a few in passing, although I did find €30 in my pocket after I got back, doh!

But, for a grand total of €7, I got:

R.I.P. Productions – Club Trax Vol 1
My Mine – Hypnotic Tango
Bobby O – Freedom In An Unfree World
Fox The Fox - Precious Little Diamond
Diana Ross - Diana

I'm in Berlin next week to present at a conference and am sticking around for a few days afterward. Will have four free evenings from November 20-23. Any recommendations for shows or other happenings?

I am going to Berlin for 9 days (with possibly a 2-day trek off to Leipzig)!!! I think we're staying in Kreuzberg!! What should we do??!?!?!?!!?

like what are good days of the week to go to Leipzig, ugh, so much to plan

stevie d, you must must must walk around hansaviertel. it is so beautiful and i promise you will love it very much.

http://www.e-architect.co.uk/berlin/hansaviertel-buildings

buy drugs in görlitzer park, go to berghain on sunday afternoon, eat schnitzel or artichokes at markthalle restaurant, see soviet war memorial, drink lots of beers while strolling along landwehr canal...

Consume thyme-heavy drinks until dawn in Café Kreuzberg, try to squeeze through the improbably narrow gap between entrance and bar directly on the left, convince the bartender to play The Idiot LP at regular intervals (he will probably do it anyway).

I mentioned this upthread, but the Gay Museum (Schwules Museum) is a small but cool and super informative museum, they've got material on the German and Berlin gay and lesbian scenes from the 19th century 'til today. And there are English translations available of everything. If you're into gay history or social history in general, go there.

I was there in October, and I ate the best veggie burger I've had in my life in this place, it's between Kreuzberg and Neukölln. (They were playing music super loud, so that kinda made the atmosphere not so awesome, but the food was great.) The Neukölln area in general is worth checking out (it's southeast from Kreuzberg), I think it's the current "happening" neighbourhood after Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain have become gentrified.

Getting into Berghain is going to be my top priority; multiple ppl have recommended going Sunday afternoon and wearing all black and not smiling or talking.

i know someone who shaved his eyebrows in line because he was afraid of not getting in lol

i watched the door while taking a smoke outside when i was there and tried to find a logic to the bear's denials, seemed like he was mostly turning away straight squares (esp if solo) but he definitely throws a little curveball of randomness into the mix just to keep you on your toes. funny cause everyone you talk to will have a different theory of what his process is

the club on a boat is pretty cool

xp that is exactly what I hear over and over. What percentage does he turn away? like 70 or something?

No, 30 surely? I spent 15 hours in berghain the weekend before last. I stayed for so long I just couldn't leave. I was scared to leave! I left because (believe it or not) it was closing. Yes, closing.

It was Monday lunchtime btw.

i would say he turns away around 1 in 20, maybe 1 in 15. if he turned away 70% no one would bother standing in line

i wasn't in culinary tourist mode when i went but ime the food in berlin is pretty whatever. cheap kebabs are great and you can definitely find nice turkish blaces. and german supermarkets have like, half an aisle devoted to fresh produce and 4-5 aisles devoted to meat cheese and bread. there's one pwyc vegan brunch place (i think in friedrichsain) that was really good, may be necessary if you are a vegetarian

Go to the Newton Bar and have an Adios Motherfucker, then go to Tresor and stay until about 3:30am, I did that and it was fun.

The better part of Brandenburger Tor was walking past the embassies to get there. The story I was told goes that after reunification the US built first, so we're closest to the Tor, but not the biggest. The Russians built second so they're bigger than the US, one block down, and then the UK built third and has the biggest of the three.

It was a lot of fun walking past Checkpoint Charlie chatting with my Russian government counterparts.

Berlin food is def not the reason to go, but it's worth eating flammkuchen and spaetzle at least once each imo. And go to the Turkish market, I think in Neukoln on weekends.

Are there many parties on weeknights or is it a mostly-weekend thing? Is Berghain at noon on a Sunday comparably fun to Berghain at 3am on a Saturday?

i went out every night i was there. there's definitely more options on the weekends. time is kind of nonexistent in berghain lol, except that at some times only panorama bar is open

yes, and another good berlin experience is to end your monday night at 6:30am riding the ubahn home with commuters on their way to work. suggest dark monday at dunker for one of those. you might want to decide how nocturnal you plan to be ahead of time because you can easily lose days to sleep if you like to dance and drink a lot.

Stevie pls report your findings. When are you going? I'm heading there for the first time in June, and even tho I have some friends there idk how free they'll be and I'm thinking you will be a reliable guide for actual fun things to do. Plus I like to explore cities on my own in between socialising. Likely to be there for around the same length of time, not sure where I'm going to stay yet but have a few places in mind, just depends on how affordable it'll be when I have the $ saved to book. Looking for venue recommendations apart from Berghain, not sure I care that much to risk being turned away, and I'm probably going to see the kind of DJs that would play there a week or so later anyway.

Does anyone have any good recommendations for swimming lakes and forest walks? Also day trips to the fringes and idk any cool recent free/cheap stuff.

We'll be there around the last week of March! I will def report my findings.

the Cafe Am Neuen See is wonderful in June. You can get a rowboat from there, too.

xp don't be too scared about Berghain. regardless you should check what's up on residentadvisor ahead of time. if you do get turned away, just get in a cab (there are tons of them waiting next to the BH line) and head to one of the other places!
some venue recommendations: Arena, Suicide Circus, about blank, Golden Gate, Watergate maybe.

oh that's excellent advice! So basically if you want to go out and you don't get into Berghain you will still have a fn incredible night

Yes

Stevie, I wouldn't worry about not getting in. I actually didn't see a single person get knocked back that last time. It's a business, ultimately, and is vast and needs punters. I've a feeling you can pull off a queer enough vibe that the chances of you being turned away were extremely negligible :)

otm

Do ppl have recommendations of cool stuff to do in Leipzig?

hope this isn't too late. i was there last year in wintertime and these were some things i did that i particularly enjoyed:

grundmann cafe: a viennese cafe with a beautiful if understated deco design and a lot of nice graphics courtesy of a local cartooist who design ads for them which line the staircase to the bathrooms. This cartoonist seems to also have a small shop-studio on the west side of town. the atmosphere is very charming for passing some time in and has a nice old world charm and seemingly a lot of regulars. while i was there a woman came in with some cut flowers and a waiter brought her a bucket of water to keep them in while she ate. the food is good too. i had a great wiener schnitzel that overhung the plate.
http://www.cafe-grundmann.de/

try a local gose beer. i enjoyed the ritterguts gose.a little sour, kinda salty.

it seems the panorama is closed, but if not, that was well worth it for a fun survey of leipzig history combined with a very unusual artwork that gave a taste of public entertainments before the cinema age, in an impressive industrial structure.

there was a nice antique shop-gallery called unterholz with a friendly owner at Arthur-Hoffmann-Straße 47. at the time they had an exhibit of photos of black metal acts and also sold some of the owners interesting self-published photo books and other works.it's in a fairly quiet area but there were a couple of other nice shops selling curated junk on that street.

i enjoyed walking through the johanna park and the area around it, which had a nice glass pavilion and seemed like it would be lively and pleasant in the spring-summer months.

there seemed to be more of a hip district west of the river, along karl-heine strasse, with some local design boutiques and small restaurants, but nothing stood out for me.

Going for a long weekend. Will be looking but in the meantime suggestions appreciated.

*at this thread later