Berlin Recommendations
A good number of friends have asked for Berlin recs, so I thought it would be smart to post them here for easy reference.
Note that it’s been a few years since I was last there, so some things may not be relevant anymore.
Anyways, here it goes:
CLUBS (first on the list for obvious reasons)
- Panorama/Berghain - the most intense/iconic of Berlin clubs, great sound system, I would recommend getting there late and staying late. Also, don’t bring a camera - no pictures allowed, they will confiscate it
- Cookies - only opened Tues/Thur, one of my favorite spots when I was there, more low key than Berghain/Watergate but still fun
- Watergate - great views of the Spree River, they have some good DJs swing through
- Weekend - cool because of the view/music and I hear the rooftop opens up during the summer, but not as cool because it’s a bit more meatpacking crowd-wise
- Horst Krzbrg – def more grungy, but it’s got a nice vibe
- Club Der Visionaere – On the river, should be great now that the weather is warmer!
CULTURE/SIGHTS/HISTORICAL STUFF
- Brandenburg Gate
- Reichstag - German Parliament Building, it is open to the public, the dome architecture is incredible, free registration here: http://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/visits/kupp.html
- East Side Gallery – very cool art gallery on remaining section of Berlin Wall
- Holocaust Memorial
- Potsdamer Platz
- Berliner Dome/Berlin Cathedral
- Altes Museum
- Jewish Museum
- Checkpoint Charlie
- Alexanderplatz (TV Tower)
//art
- Hamburger Bahnhof – Berlin’s primary contermporary art museum that is in an old train station
- Neue Nationalgalerie - great modern art museum with some awesome exhibitions
- Bau Haus Archiv – never got to check it out myself, but I hear it is great
RESTAURANTS/CAFES/BARS
* Unfortunately, I don’t remember a single German restaurant I ate at (and I went to quite a few). I’m sure you will stumble into something delicious!
//food
Hasir – you will eat a lot of döner kebabs, this one was my favorite, I believe there’s a few locations
Curry36 –best Currywurst in the city! Must-go.
Dada Falafel - awesome falafel, made fresh when you order
Monsieur Vuong - pretty legit Vietnamese if one so desires
W-Der Imbiss – great snack place, indian-inspired dishes
//drink
Weinerei – pay-what-you-want wine bar (2 euro for the glass, the rest is up to your discretion), great pregame spot
Kaffee Burger – old school Russian bar, really fun
SHOPPING
//vintage
Calypso – vintage shoe heaven, a little pricier but the selection is good
They own several cool vintage shops in the city, my two faves below:
*Made in Berlin
Well-selected assortment. That area around Neue Schönhauser Straße has great stores in general
*Garage
Buy in the bulk—one kilo of 2nd hand stuff for around 15 Euro. It’s amazing. Overwhelming just because there is so much to sift through, but there can be some gems. If you just want to pick up some basics, this place is good, nothing horribly fancy.
Optiking – great selection of vintage eyewear
//neighborhoods
Hackescher Markt - the SoHo of shopping areas (cos is around here)
Prenzlauer Berg - Schönhauser Allee and Eberswalder Straße are the main drags, more East Village-y in vibe
Bergmannstraße in Kreuzberg – more LES/grungy, vintage shops galore
//flea markets
Mauerpark Flohmarkt – best flea market in town, opened on Sundays, great place to people watch
OTHER
LiquidRom - One of the best finds of Berlin for me. It’s a spa/sauna complex that is complete with a pool outfitted with underwater speakers. Apparently sound travels better in water—super awesome and they have live DJs. I highly recommend this
Note: bring your own towel, slippers, etc, so you don’t have to rent stuff
GOOD RESOURCES
For comprehensive guide to Berlin happenings in English: http://www.exberliner.com/
For what’s happening in the clubs: http://www.residentadvisor.net/local.aspx?ai=34
Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble, German electro-orchestra
New Grizzly Bear, “Sleeping Ute”
Really solid — more complex layering, but still maintains the serene quality of the band.
Gorgeous modernist classical vinyl from the 1950s. And let’s not forget the man to whom we owe the very concept of album art.
The Disciples – James Mollison’s portraits of music subcultures, captured by photographing fans in front of concerts and compositing the individual portraits into panoramas. Pictured here, fans of The Cure.
Girl Talk's All Day Album, broken down.
Visualization of the All Day album, breaking down all the samples used in each song.
Check out recap and photos from MoogFest :D
Here’s a link to the Flikr album
Indulging in the Fake Empire
Write up and photos courtesy of Brooklyn Vegan, but I wanted to at least give a shout out to the National and the Antlers for a great show @ Radio City Music Hall on 6/16. The venue is incredible, my first time setting foot in the enormous building. I sat three rows from the front (thanks to Maddie), and it makes me appreciate the National on a new level. Their two albums are fantastic, but the live show really demonstrates what talented musicians they all are. And Sufjan and the girl from St. Vincent made a cameo?! I KNEW the girl with big hair was her…
I didn’t really know the Antlers too well before seeing them, but they are quite good. The first of many great music performances I’m sure to attend this summer. Reason #38 about why NYC is so great.
