GUIDE TO EAST BERLIN, GERMANY

I lived in East Berlin for 6 months in 2002-2003. It's a city that is super fast paced and most things happen beneath the radar. This a very abbreviated guide for this huge city, and it does not include the main sights (Tiergarten, Alexanderplatz, Tacheles, etc.), however these are the gems I discovered in my short time there.

This guide is arranged by different neighborhoods in East Berlin.

Prenzlauerberg

This is where I lived in Berlin. Lots of families and young people live in Prenzlauerberg. Helmholtz Platz has a good cafe and an all-languages video store (Jim Jarmousch in English, subtitled in Finnish? This is the place). Kathe Kollwitz Platz has some good cafes as well. Look for the kinderspeilplatz (children's playgrounds) all around Prenzlauerberg- they are so funny! Also walk along Eberswalder Strasse near Schonhauser Allee, for more cafes and shops.

my specific recommendations for Prenzlauerberg:

Vitra Design Museum, Berlin Kopenhagener Strasse 58
A satellite of the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, the excellent little museum is tucked away in northern Prenzlauerberg and well worth the stop.

Cafe Moskau Karl Marx Allee 34
I attended a design conference here and went dancing in the basement. There is constantly new art, music, media circulating through here.

Coffy Winsstrasse 65, Prenzlauerberg
Right around the corner from my old apt., this place was my neighborhood favorite. Small, dark, and red, they served good cocktails. Late at night (12:30pm) it turns into a crowded, smokey dance party.
www.coffy.de

Knaack Club Greifswalder Strasse 224, Prenzlauerberg
A good place to see indie rock from all over Europe and the U.S.
www.knaack-berlin.de

Mitte

This is the most chic and busy part of East Berlin. Historic government buildings, hotels, restaurants, shops, galleries, etc. Lots of the small galleries and cafes move quickly through this neighborhood. Go to Hackescher Mart and walk in any (and all) directions.

In Mitte be sure to find:

Pro QM Bookstore Alte Schoenhauser Strasse 48
The BEST bookstore. Hands down. Small and well-selected collection.
Some of the best books & periodicals from around the world.
www.pro-qm.de

Apartment Neue Schoenhauser Strasse 3-5
A very good independent fashion designer shop. If you want to know what is hot and new in Berlin, go here first.

Freidrichshain

A little bit off the beaten path, Freidrichshain is a low-key young people's neighborhood. Boxhagner Platz is center of Freidrichshain. There's art squats and the Berlin wall crops up around here as well. Be sure to go to Boxhagner Platz on a Sunday afternoon; hip kids and old folks hawk their goods. Great for old Eastern books, jewelry, and weird stuff.

Kreuzberg

This is the Turkish area of Berlin. Home to artists, musicians, anarchists and squatters. Good cafes, renegade art galleries, trailer squats, theatres, old cemeteries, thrift stores, and record stores are tucked away here. Walk from Kottbusser Tor to Gorlitzer Bahnhof.

In Kreuzberg:

Judisches Museum Lindenstrasse 9-14
Built in 2001 and designed by Daniel Libeskind the building is a metaphor for the history of Jewish (specifically German Jewish) people. If you can only go to one museum in Berlin, go here.

Etc.

The Exberliner
The monthly English-language newspaper for ex-pats in Berlin. Look for it in cafes and shops. Great for shows, reviews, and a current pulse of Berlin.
www.exberliner.com