Colliding Continents

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Berlin Calling, It's For You

As the lump of ice rotates in my 10dl of vodka, a friend talks about the powerful draw that Berlin has on those looking for a completely Bohemian lifestyle. The sense of idealism is powerful here and very noticeable on everyone's face. I don't know if the bartender is from Berlin, nor do I know how many people sitting around me are Berliners. What I do know is that this local East Berlin watering hole that I have been introduced to is pretty cool. Great music, outdoor seating, the building is old and worthy of all the graffiti, ahem street art, that decorates its exterior which is so very different from the buildings in Mitte (the middle of the city) which are very modern and seem to have so much less character as a result of gentrification.

After the Berlin Wall fell many East Berliners evacuated the east leaving a lot of areas relatively empty. This brought the price of living in the east crashing down and the demand for housing in the area seemed long gone. The low cost of housing inadvertently began to attract those in the creative field; artists musicians etc. Today East Berlin neighborhoods attract artists from all over the world. A strong sense of liberalism thrives here along with anti-establishment sentiments. Don't be surprised to see tons of luxury vehicles in Mitte and practically none in neighborhoods such as Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg. Quite frankly they aren't welcome there and their owners are, quite simply, labeled as 'Posers.'

This sentiment is most apparent on the first of May when extreme liberals stage the annual riots in Berlin, leaving many cars burning on the side of the street. Every year the collective voice of the people remind governments and capitalists that humans are not stupid, that the current state of the economy is not acceptable and more importantly to say that it is wrong that a handful of crooks can get away with millions while people suffer the pressures of unemployment. This year 5,000 police officers in full riot gear were deployed to counter the protesters, this was not enough. The head of Berlin police had only one suggestion to residents of the city: Try to park your car indoors.

Perhaps now you are thinking "stay indoors is right! I'm not going to Berlin" - well, that is not the point. The point is that this is a place with character, a character that you won't find in many other places. People here have a strong sense of life and expression of opinions and this is something that everyone traveling to or through Berlin needs to experience. It is not that hard, just stay off the touristy path and follow the graffiti.

The most noticeable result of this character is the creative expression apparent all over the building walls, street signs, poles, lights and just about in every crevasse of public space that has been untouched. This creative expression is gong to be a lasting feeling that I have for Berlin primarily for the fact that it feels good to be in a place where you can feel uninhibited to freely express yourself in any way you want.

Written at 11:39 AM by Sebastien.

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