10 observations about Berlin
As part of my nomadic lifestyle, I decided to spend two months in Berlin this summer. And what better way to reflect on my first month here, than with a Buzzfeed-like list…?!
1. Rents 🛌
They’re cheap. Berliners are mad because they’ve increased a lot in the past years, but a (big) room in a shared flat is around 50% less than what you could get in Paris or London. That’s how it should be. Good job Berlin.
Everybody’s using this ugly website called wg-gesucht.de to sub-let and/or sub-rent rooms. See here for Berlin offers: notice how big the rooms are, it’s actually standard to have an extra couch in them!
Demand is exceeding supply in terms of available rooms though. Flat owners always mention how they’re flooded with requests. This does not look good for future rent prices, unfortunately.
At first, I wanted to get a room in a coliving space as there are some options but there seems to be a legal requirement to stay at least 3 months — which was a deal-breaker for me (only staying 2 months).
2. Wasps 🐝
Seriously, what the heck?! So many wasps in Berlin! As someone who got stung a while back (on my neck while riding a motorbike on a highway) the first weeks have been challenging: I had to learn to be chilled with wasps… The most shocking thing is not the wasps, but the fact that Berliners don’t give the slightest fuck about them! It’s apparently not a new thing:
This article claims that under the Federal Nature Conservation Act you could be fined up to 50k€ for killing a wasp. Even though it’s never happened, that might explain why germans have learned to live with them so well!
3. Cash 💵
There is no doubt, here in Berlin “Cash is King” — but apparently this is the case for the entire country:
For many Germans, using cash isn’t just a personal preference; it’s a cultural value that they’ve grown up with — and one tied closely to a national value with centuries-old roots.
Nothing annoys me more than banknotes (or even worse, coins!) and this cash-only society feels almost surreal when you think that most countries are trying to get rid of cash, especially in COVID times. For instance, it’s been common in London, for quite some years already, to have no-cash coffeeshops. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
4. PayPal 💸
What’s the favorite way to settle accounts with friends here? You might think of something like Revolut, N26, or Lydia. But no, it’s the good old PayPal that’s making a comeback! Shocking I know, but I had to create an account to feel like a local.
Could be linked to the fact that the German equivalent of LeBonCoin is an eBay site. It’s super popular here.
All in all, these might be reasons why Berlin will leapfrog from cash to crypto as they’re lagging behind in terms of financial infrastructure adoption.
5. Bottles ♻️
Bottles, glass bottles. Spend one afternoon in Berlin and you will encounter many (young) people with glass bottles in their hands. Something like this:
I don’t know why but I love that! Bottles could be beers or the famous Club-Mate drinks. Sizes are always bigger than 0.33L (no tiny 0.25L bottles like we have in France).
Here’s the kicker though: you get a deposit back when you return an empty bottle. Consequence? You can leave bottles anywhere and someone will collect them to claim the rewards. I don’t know if there are hidden negative externalities with this system, but it looks pretty clever at first sight.
6. Späti 🏪
Where do Berliners get their glass bottles you might ask. The answer is simple: they all get them from the Späti.
A Späti is like a corner shop where you can buy many things, including lots of different drinks. But the very important difference is that you have tables and benches in front of them so people actually hang out at the Späti. And it’s cool! That’s no small feat, turning convenience stores into something “cool”.
It’s such an important part of the culture in Berlin that there’s even an Airbnb experience on the topic:
First time I really felt like a local was when I was mixing vodka and mate-mate seated outside a Späti.
Side note: did you know about the “convenience store” 🏪 emoji?!
7. Veggie 🌿
I kind of knew about this one before arriving in Berlin when I was searching for a room and was reading listings with specific “vegetarian/vegan only flatshare”.
So yeah, Berlin is definitely vegetarian/vegan friendly. So many veggie food options that I only got one currywurst so far! Ok, I actually got some döner kebaps too.
Also, if you don’t have basil (and/or other growable aromatic plants) on your kitchen window, are you even a Berliner?!
8. Party 👯
It’s quite hard to miss that one. Partying is a religion in Berlin. It’s in the DNA of the Berliners. Just looking at people in the streets, you’re already in the club! According to my estimates, you can over-hear the word “rave” every 5 minutes here.
I also learned that it’s not a real party if someone is not naked. That’s the Freikörperkultur and I can confirm I saw naked dancing men among not-bothered-at-all clothed people.
Something definitely less cool is the fact that you can smoke anywhere be it in bars or clubs. That’s crazy. It’s been forbidden in most developed countries for years (since 2007 in France).
Last but not least when it comes to partying: drugs. Drugs (weed, keta, coke, MDMA etc.) are omnipresent in Berlin. Everybody seems to know that. If you want to get proof of it, just go for a walk in Görlizer Park, day or night!
9. Bikes 🚴♀
Berlin is spread out. Eight times more than Paris for instance. As a consequence, distances here are measured in bike-minutes. I’m a walker so I had to adapt and convert distances from “it’s super close just 15 minutes away” to “you have to walk an hour to get there”.
But to be fair, the city is really good for bikes. They are everywhere (along with the other micro-mobility solutions like the kick or e-scooters). I think Berlin is ready to go a step further and forbid all non-electric cars (except taxis etc.) altogether — this would be amazing!
I’m tempted by this bike leasing startup they have here. It’s called Swapfiets. You pay 20€ per month for the worry-free lease of one of their bikes (with blue front tyres).
10. Tschüssi 🇩🇪
People tend to regard German as a not-so-sexy language. I disagree! For example, I find the way they say hi (“halo”), bye (“tschuss”), or “sorry” is quite cute. I’ve come to learn some words which are also charming:
- apotheke (pharmacy)
- friseur (hairdresser)
- handy (mobile phone)
- pom pom hund (see below)
But you don’t have to speak German to live in Berlin, I’ve met many foreigners who’ve been living here for years and get by without speaking the language. It’s a very international city.
Anecdote: I went to random friseur and the guy didn’t speak English so the client before me had to translate my requirements. A good reminder of how painful the language barrier can be. Thankfully the haircut was a success (or so he told me)!
Conclusion
I love the energy here in Berlin. The summer has been nice and hot. I will surely come back next year. For three months this time.
Berlin’s appeal as a city drenched in history, with a taste for living life a bit differently is well-rehearsed.
