The Berlin vibe
It’s not about the place... Berlin‘s alternative subculture gives the city a unique feel, a “Berlin vibe” – one that can only be felt and understood by being fully immersed in it. by Kimberly JY (www.kimberlyjy.com)
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t was an unusually warm afternoon as the sun peeked out from behind the clouds hovering above Berlin. I walk ed under a bridge that is Kottbusser Tor station, towards two guys (a friend of a friend and his friend) who I had never met before. When I say it out loud, it sounds like something that would worry my mother terribly. However, I was welcomed with gracious smiles, a light hug and a large cold bottle of beer. The thing about traveling to foreign places is that you need to learn to read body language and trust the well-meaning locals. It also helps when you’ve got friends or their buddies in the right places like I did. I immediately felt comfortable and familiar with the two. We opened up and drank our beers to cool off as we made our way to an open-air bar in Kreuzberg. GET INTO IT The moment we stepped into Birgit & Bier, I felt like I was transported to a nostalgic playground for adults. It is furnished with a repurposed carousel, a ping pong table,
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WOW Power to the people
a broken-down piano, wooden benches, stalled rides and old-school bumper cars, carnival garlands and a dusty foosball table. We could not let the opportunity pass. We put down our new set of beers (when in Germany, right?) and invited a man sitting on the bleachers with a pen, paper and a smile (we later learned that he’s a writer) to join us for a match of tabletop football – and what a game it was! I initially planned on leaving early but we ended up spending the rest of the evening chatting and appreci ating the people around us. “You see,” one of my new friends said, “what makes Berlin so special isn’t its location or physical attributes; it’s the vibe.” And he’s right. AN ALTERNATE STATE OF MIND Looking at the city itself, there is nothing quite “spectacular” about its esthetics. Berlin is lined with post-war buildings and graffiti, and there are some areas that are still in need of a clean-up. That said, Berlin is in the process of revitalization. What’s special about this city is the locals’ ability to find life in—and make the most out of what
Perched on top of Neukölln Arkaden, once a parking lot, Klunkerkranich has been turned into a proper (legal) gathering place with unmatched views of the city. Klunkerkranich: Rooftop views with a collective soul
