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Need apartment in Berlin available at short notice for month-long rental

maryrosecook — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 08:37:52 -0800

I need an apartment in Berlin (Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg/Mitte) available at short notice for a month-long rental. I can't find anything on Google except expensive holiday apartments. I arrive in mid-January and can't visit Berlin in advance. Budget: €30/night or €900/month. Where should I look? Thank you.

when Wikipedia articles fall short, it's time for a book

bluishorange — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:49:48 -0800

Have you read an informative, engaging book on German history? If so, what is it? After visiting Berlin last year, I became quite interested in German history. In particular I was fascinated by the city of Berlin itself, WWII and the events leading up to and following it, and the Berlin Wall years.

The 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall has me thinking about it again, so I've decided it's time to stop my casual internet reading and move on to a proper book. I read very little nonfiction, so I'm hoping for something that's not too dry. But I was an English major, so it doesn't have to be, you know, a kids' book or anything. Also, military strategy puts me to sleep.

I know this is a very broad subject to ask for A book about, but as of now I'm just trying to get my feet wet. Anything helps. Thanks!

Have you lived in Europe on an artist visa?

the foreground — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:07:44 -0800

How difficult is it to secure an artist visa to live in an EU country? Does it vary greatly from country to country? It seems like there are an awful lot of American musicians and artists living hassle free in Berlin for instance... I know there is plenty of visa info out there for Americans wanting to live abroad in Europe, but I have found little in the way of solid, first hand info on this loophole (?) for working as a writer/artist/DJ in Europe. I understand most of the rules in place regarding work visas are there to prevent non-EU citizens from taking work that could go to a European, that's clear enough. But, say I was a writer who received a decent sized advance for a book from a US publisher and wanted to go write it in Paris, is it simply a matter of applying for the mysterious artist visa, proving I have the means to support myself and voila? Are there other issues at play? It also seems that there are loads of North And South American techno producers living in Berlin now, are they all similarly on artist visas? Doesn't the fact that they are playing gigs on a regular basis over there take away work form German DJs? If anyone has first hand experience of working in Europe legally as an artist and could clarify some of the process for me, I would love to hear from you. Thanks!

Meet Iggy Pop and David Bowie (for beers)?

ClanvidHorse — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:13:27 -0800

Give me your recommendations for good bars in Berlin and Hamburg-with a few provisos! We are going to be in Berlin and Hamburg this week and we already have our sightseeing itineraries worked out. We would like to complement this by going to some great bars when we are there. Five people are going.

A few considerations that I hope you can take into account:

-ideally we would like to go to areas that have a concentration of bars/nightlife. A great bar in an isolated area may be great in it's own right, but being in a group, we would like to be in areas where we can bar-hop and move from one place to the next if the current one's not to our taste.

-we would like the bars to be quite lively.

-we like good dive bars, a little bit scuzzy is good.

-we would rather listen to rock music/electro than hard techno.

-we would like to drink nice beer.

-somewhere that sells great food is good.

-hipsterish is both good and bad. If you know a good hipster bar, please tell me, if you know one to avoid, please tell me.

-any other info such as subway stations, best times to visit an area, anything else that you can think of would be most appreciated.

I've been to Berlin before, read a few of the Berlin websites and previous threads but anything you have to add would be great.

Thanks

This made so much sense last night while falling asleep

rossination — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:08:37 -0800

How is "I should mind" used to mean "I don't really mind"? This and other grammar/language questions inside. I'm trying to describe some interesting wordplay in the second verse of Berlin's "Blue Skies" and I can't figure out exactly how to articulate it.

Here is the section I'm looking at:

I should care if the wind blows east or west.
I should fret if the worst looks like the best.
I should mind if they say it can't be true.
I should smile smile that's exactly what I do.

To me, the first three lines sound like the singer is meaning "I should care" as "I don't really care if the wind blows east or west" (like a sarcastic, "oh, yeah, sure, I should care"), and this is continued over the next three lines as a way of basically saying he doesn't give a damn what anyone else says. The sincere "I should smile" in the fourth line means that what he really ought to be doing is smiling, and that's what he's going to do.

How do I describe the wordplay in the first three lines? It isn't really sarcasm, it's sort of a flippant expression. But I can't find another documented use of it (even though I feel like I've heard it before), so I have nothing to refer to to aid my explanation.

Any information is helpful, with or without citations.

Where is the german version of the montreal plateau!

Smegoid — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:25:07 -0800

Berlin-Leipzig-Amsterdam filter. Visiting all three for a conference on a record shopping (minimal, electro, german techno) and cool neighborhood finding adventure. Any ideas? I looked through previous threads but this rather specific. At a conference, first time in germany (and flying out of amsterdam). I'd love to find some good vinyl, especially all the old 2000-2005 minimal/microhouse/electro german music that I've never been able to find back in Canada (labels like bpict, force tracks, kompakt, ware, gigolos). Any hints (for berlin mostly, but leipzig and amsterdam wouldnt hurt).

Also I have some mates with me who are interested in good tips on where to shop for good euro fashion (mid designer stuff, g-star, energie, whatever). Neighborhoods where records and clothes unit would be a plus! Many thanks mefi! Multiple people here appreciate it!

Berlin car sticker duplication?

runincircles — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:56:10 -0800

Berlin-Filter: mandatory car emissions sticker stuck in post... I got a Feinstaubplakat for my parents who are visiting this week from Britain, driving over obvs., posted it but left it too late and it hadn't arrived by the time they left (the photocopy of it, posted simultaneously but separately, did). If I go back to the KFZ-Zulassungsstelle and explain (I have the Quittung) are they going to be willing/able to issue another, or can you not have 2 Plakate issued for the same car? Or should I not contact the KFZ-Amt at all 'cos giving them details of a car without a Plakat is asking for trouble? Or if we just have the photocopy laminated and in the windscreen and the receipt in the car will that satisfy the Beamte if the car gets stopped? Thanks!

20th Century History of Berlin in Moving Pictures

Beardman — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:37:54 -0800

If you were giving a crash course on the history of Berlin 1933-1990, and you were limited to just a couple films, which ones would you assign? Documentaries preferred, and they must have some kind of English language option. Ideally, I would like one film covering Berlin during the Nazi and GDR periods. However, I could deal with, say, two Nazi films and two GDR films.

Damals in der DDR sounds like exactly what I'm looking for in the latter period, but from what I can see, there aren't any subtitles.

Note: I do know about The Lives of Others. If there are similar features that really immerse you in the life of the GDR, I'd be interested in hearing about them, but again, I'm primarily interested in nonfiction, and particularly in films with an 'informative' rather than 'slice of life' tone. Loathe as I am to say it, think Ken Burns.

Thanks!

How do I get from Berlin Schönefeld Airport to Alexanderplatz late at night?

maryrosecook — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:06:26 -0800

How do I get from Berlin Schönefeld Airport to Alexanderplatz late at night? As I understand it, direct trains from the airport to Alexanderplatz cease at 22.55. I will be arriving at the airport after that time. I have been told that it is possible to take the S-Bahn and then change onto a train that goes to Alexanderplatz. Is this possible? Is there a better way? My German is terrible, so the easiest/most-unfuckupable route is preferable.

How to get connected and get working as a retoucher in Berlin?

freudenschade — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:27:52 -0800

Talented, creative, experienced (but mostly non-German-speaking) Canadian digital artist looking for postproduction/retouching work in Berlin. Got any leads or advice for my girlfriend? We moved to Berlin a couple of months ago, and after some much-needed down time, the job hunt has begun. We have visas that allow us to live and work in Germany for at least the coming year. Being fairly competent in German and focused in the tech/software/marketing world, I'm OK for leads for now, but my girlfriend could use some tips.

Background: She graduated from Sheridan College with a diploma in Applied Photography in 2004. Spent the last four years working for Dixon Film & Photography, one of the top advertising photography studios in Canada -- the past two of which were as head retoucher, working on national and international ad campaigns for big clients in partnership with top ad agencies. She's incredibly talented, and able to contribute to projects creatively as well as technically. Basically, she's a postproduction ninja. She just needs someone in the industry here in Berlin to take notice.

You can view samples of her professional and personal (fine art) work here: www.lunaland.net

So, creative industry Berliners (and others in the know), what can she do to make some more connections locally and find the right position? Full time would be ideal, but regular freelance is an option as well. Again, she doesn't really speak German, but it seems like it would definitely be possible to find work as an English speaker in the mostly English speaking creative/advertising industry.

Any and all feedback is definitely appreciated. Specific suggestions for related work (i.e. art direction) would also be great. Danke schön in advance!

Alles frei!

molecicco — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 02:45:10 -0800

FreeCycle equivalents in Berlin? Inspired by this FPP, I joined Berlin's FreeCycle group - but it looks like it gets offers posted about once a week. Any Berlin/Germany-residing MeFites know about a more happening group doing the same thing?

Where to stay and what to see in Berlin?

gramcracker — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 09:11:41 -0800

Where should I stay and what should I do in Berlin for a 4 day trip? (Single, clean, safe, cheap, easy to get to the major sights.) Heading to Germany to see a friend who recently moved there, but going to spend some time in Berlin first, never been there. Single, late 20s gay traveler, see the museums, shop a bit, maybe grab a drink. Neighborhoods/sights/attractions to avoid or not to miss? Thanks!

Best computer shop in Berlin with aggressive prices?

thewalrus — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 08:08:18 -0800

In Berlin, what's the best computer shop with good prices and a wide selection of products? The prices seem to suck here. I need to buy a couple of 1.0 or 1.5TB USB2.0+IEEE1394B external HDDs and some 16GB SDHC cards in the next few days. Near Aleskanderplatz if possible. I've found Saturn (www.saturn.de) but the prices seem stupid, 30 euros for a 8GB SDHC card, which is $15 (10.50 euros) from Newegg... Hard drives that would sell for $110 in North America are the equivalent of USD$170 after the USD:EUR exchange. Is there a proper computer shop somewhere near Aleksanderplatz that has reasonable prices?

Perhaps I have been spoiled by years of ordering online in the USA from Newegg and Zipzoomfly, but the prices of computer stuff at retail in Germany seem rather high (even before the VAT). I'll be taking the tax refund at the airport on the HDDs when I leave.

Berlin cabaret help needed.

Xalf — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:22:14 -0800

We will be in Berlin from this Saturday until Wednesday. Please recommend a cabaret-type performance that will be comprehensible to non-German speakers, is not overly risque, and will make for a fun evening.

Looking for Berlin's Akihabara

elpapacito — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:05:55 -0800

Few hours after work travel in Berlin and looking for local Akihabara or good electronics store. Any place close to S/U-bahn is ok.

Planes, trains, and lots of bags; Germany, France, and the UK.

Devika — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:35:17 -0800

InsaneLast-MinuteEuropeanTravelFilter: How to get one procrastinator and three bags from Berlin to France and England. Read on, it's probably crazier than you think! I'm coming from Canada to do a semester abroad in Glasgow, and I'd like to do some traveling before the start of term. Currently I'm finishing up a summer program in Berlin. The plan is to meet a family friend in Reims, travel around France with them, visit my aunt in London (with a few days in Hampshire to see the partner), then head up to Glasgow.

A couple of problems with this pretty good plan. The first hurdle is that none of the tickets are booked yet. Strictly speaking I should be out of Berlin by the 17th, but am considering spending a night in a hostel or begging the institution to let me stay another day if the saving is significant enough.

The second complication is the three bags I brought over. I'd started out one hard suitcase and one soft bag, but added another suitcase to keep under the weight limit. The two hard suitcases weigh 30 and 50 pounds (about 14 and 23 kilos) respectively, and the soft bag weighs 50 pounds (23 kilos). Lugging three bags around Europe seems like it would be a nightmare, and very costly if I fly an airline like EasyJet or Ryanair. It seems around 108 GBP to ship two suitcases from Germany to the UK according to this site, assuming the same rate applies backwards. Is shipping one or two heavy bags to London a good idea, or not cost-effective?

If I'm traveling by train, I'd think that the bags would be less of an issue. However, booking by train at the last minute seems rather costly. I've been poking around the Deutsche Bahn website for ages and can't get it to tell me how much money a ticket would be before asking me to put in a credit card number. I remember seeing a fare of around 230 euros (Berlin-Reims) on another rail site, as opposed to 88 euros (Berlin-Paris, assuming Paris-Reims will be a cheap train journey) from EasyJet on the 18th. A random thought also occurred - would it be more cost-effective to fly on a better airline, even perhaps first class, if I can take my bags with me?

My question in all its barely suppressed hysteria basically boils down to this - when making travel plans within Europe at the last minute and with considerable baggage, is it better to take the train or fly, and should I keep my bags with me the entire way or ship two of them up? I'm having trouble conceptualizing all of this, and the partner and I have been at our wits' end trying to figure it all out at the last minute. I hope the all-knowing hive mind can give me some much-needed guidance!

hungary for traveling tips!

MaddyRex — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:21:21 -0800

Things to see in Budapest & Berlin I'm going to be in Berlin and Budapest this summer. Do you have recommendations of interesting or quirky things to see or do in either city? Any information about the sights, food, events etc in either city and traveling between them is much appreciated.

I want to read Alfred Döblin's Berlin Alexanderplatz. Should I read Ulysses first?

parkbench — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:01:41 -0800

I want to read Alfred Döblin's Berlin Alexanderplatz. Should I read Ulysses first? I've been watching Fassbinder's adaptation of the novel recently, and so naturally, the prospect of reading the original novel intrigues me. What I'm wondering is if its impact will really be felt if I have no experience with Ulysses.

Of course, I understand that theoretically I could read any derivative work on its own and like it on its own merit. This has often been my entry way into original works, so I'm not necessarily opposed to the idea. On the other hand, I'm quite fond of syllabi, precisely because the idea behind it is that someone has taken the time to think carefully about the best way to take in the information/content at hand. I know if I hadn't read things in a certain order for some authors, I certainly would never have liked them as much as I did, and when I suggest them to other people, I often relate my own journey as a potential model--syllabus--to follow (obviously allowing that other paths are also possible).

So given all this, I'm just wondering if it makes more sense to jump right into Döblin, since I'll be done with Fassbinder soon, or if I should take the time to really see how Döblin evolved his work and made it unique from Joyce's Dublin. The continuum would be interesting, I think. Then again, I'm worried about having a 'forgettable' read--which often happens to me when I'm not in the right mindset--if I'm not prepared.

And as a side note, part of what's making me hesitate at all is a perusal of the secondary literature out there on Fassbinder--many of the essays seem to have familiarity with both Ulysses and Alexanderplatz as prerequisites for really getting at the profundity of their arguments.

Thoughts?

London to Berlin by train - what is the fastest/cheapest route?

maryrosecook — Thu, 07 May 2009 02:42:32 -0800

London to Berlin by train. The best option I've found is Eurostar to Paris then sleeper to Berlin for £250. This seems expensive. Are there faster/cheaper options?

Suggestions for a visit to Dublin and Berlin?

ersatzkat — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:10:20 -0800

Husband and I are leaving Friday night for 10 days split between Dublin and Berlin, looking for any "can't miss" recommendations! Our time is split fairly evenly, and in both cases we're staying in the thick of things. Some of you must live there or have visited there, and we'd love to hear any personal recs for things to see/do/eat. We've read all the travel guides (he's Lonely Planet, I'm Rough Guide), we're both into architecture, art, all kinds of food, history, geeky public works stuff, music and books. I love to take pictures. Oh! I make jewelry, too. Any bead shops (new or vintage)? I've been combing through previous questions, but we'd appreciate any pointers. Thanks!

What bird is this over Berlin?

Your Time Machine Sucks — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 07:01:47 -0800

Blurrybirdidentificationfilter: what raptor is this? Hello,

I was on my balcony the other day when I noticed a bird doing the usual bird-of-prey things, and figured it was one of our local kestrels about to do in a sparrow, but then I saw that it was a lot less flappy and notably bigger. It was too far away to identify by sight but I was able to get some (truly awful) photos of it (sorry, it was very fast and distant, and I really underexposed and then had to push the levels in order to see anything other than a silhouette):

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

I've included some of the worst photos just so you can see the tailfeather shape during a few different types of flying.

I haven't been able to recognize it from the photos and my bird books are not helping. It was probably slightly smaller than a crow, and the 'fingers' give me the impression it's a hawk or harrier of some kind, but I'm not an expert. Anyone recognize this bird? Location is Berlin, Germany, and we're on a waterway and see a fair amount of unusual birds due to the former-iron-curtain wilderness effect and intense local preservation and veterinary efforts, so suggestions don't have to be restricted only to birds you'd be likely to see in farther-west cities.

Thanks!

Have son, will travel (to Berlin)

lgandme0717 — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:00:56 -0800

Will be in Berlin at the beginning of September with nearly 5-year-old son. What family activities you would recommend?

Navigating London Airports

mannequito — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 07:29:54 -0800

London-Airports-Filter : Is this trip realistically possible? Apologies in advance if this is a stupid question but I'm not all that familiar with the airports around London (I've only ever been to Gatwick before).

So - I am planning a trip from Berlin to Vancouver in April, one way. I have managed to find a great combination of two flights that total out to a little over 400$ CAD and would just like to make sure that I won't end up missing the second.

My first flight would take me from Berlin to London's Stansted airport, which I am totally unfamiliar with. I would arrive at 10:25 am on a Thursday. Then, my flight to Vancouver would depart from Gatwick at 6:20 pm. Basically I would just like to be confident that this would leave me enough time in the morning to collect my bags, pass customs (do I go through customs if I'm coming from another European country?) and travel to Gatwick airport, I'm assuming by train, in time to check-in for the Vancouver flight. I'm guessing I should be there 2 to 3 hours in advance since it's an international flight. Oh, if it helps the firstr flight is RyanAir and the second is Air Transat.

If I've left out any important info just ask and I'll try to fill it in. I'm also open to any better travel suggestions to get me between these two cities although I don't expect it will get any cheaper than this. Thanks everyone!

Guide me to a travel guide.

waltzing astronomers — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:48:13 -0800

What are the best guidebooks for exploring Stockholm, Berlin, and Amsterdam? I'm going to be spending 4 or 5 days in each city this April. I'm looking for guides that are easy to carry around and give a good overview of each city.

When I went to Rome I had the Lonely Planet Encounter book and liked it because it could fit in my coat pocket, gave me some history, and was put out fairly recently so all of the awesome gelato places mentioned were still open. I didn't like it because of its ridiculous overuse of the words "nosh" and "filthy-fresh," because it considered under $20 for a meal, not including wine/water, to be cheap (uh, more like $10), and because all of the shops mentioned were super high end.

For Amsterdam, this Get Lost! guide sounds cool to me, but it was put out in 2006 and I am worried that it will only cover the seedy/underground parts of Amsterdam, which although I'm interested in many such aspects, I also want to see the more "conventional" stuff.

Help me get back to Berlin

null14 — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:21:30 -0800

I'm a college senior who wants to move to Berlin next year. Any suggestions? I'm currently finishing up my senior year of college and will soon have a BA in Linguistics with a minor in Psychology. I spent time abroad in Berlin last year, and I really fell in love with the city. I understand that unemployment is high there and that EU citizens tend to be preferred for English-teaching jobs (I am an American).

Given that, does anyone have any suggestions for how one could (legally) earn a living in the city? I speak German fairly well, but probably not well enough to find a job that requires complete fluency. If ESL teaching is a reasonable goal, I would be willing to invest in some sort of certification program (however, given my budget, I would rather avoid that if it isn't necessary). I haven't given grad school much thought because I kind of want to take a break from being a student, but I'm starting to think that it might be the only way.

Could my native English be at all marketable? How about my decent German? Thanks in advance.