Okay, I am no Berliner so take this article as an expat’s perspective on life in Berlin. An expat that didn’t come here for the party scene, I just thought it was useful to mention.
I lived in Berlin for almost eight months now, definitely not enough to experience everything that Berlin has to offer but enough to have an idea of what it’s like to live in Germany’s capital.
Speaking of Germany, the first thing you will learn from Berliners and not only is that Berlin is not Germany. Really, the capital city does not represent the country at all and for the better or for the worse Berlin is said to be kind of a stand-alone city.
Multicultural Berlin
Berlin is a lively, diverse and multicultural city with sights and activities for every taste. From the beautiful architecture and historical monuments to magnificent museums, many green areas and plenty of nightlife options, there is no time to get bored in Berlin.
The most unique characteristic is probably the multicultural aspect, which is visible in the people you meet, the restaurant options and even the areas of the city. There are probably more Asian restaurants that German ones in Berlin! And you can randomly walk around the city and feel like you’re going from Germany to Vietnam to the Netherlands, all within a few blocks.
You don’t believe me? Take a look at these photos. Is this how you picture Berlin?
Berlin capital of loneliness
This may be one of the few downsides in Berlin, but quite an impactful one. It’s crazy to believe that in a city with almost 4 million people from all over the world one could feel lonely. Yet, I found it quite true.
You may or may not have read a few articles from a couple of months ago saying that Berlin is the capital of loneliness. Though this is not something strictly related to the city of Berlin, it rather affects many big cities, I personally felt it in Berlin more than in other cities I’ve lived in before.
Apart from the sad and disturbing statistics about hundreds of people dying alone in their homes each year, loneliness is a thing even among the younger people in Berlin. I have lost count of how many times I’ve seen people writing on Facebook groups that it’s tough to date or simply meet people in Berlin. And I was honestly shocked, I’ve never seen so many of these posts in other groups before. So the sad but true fact is that people often feel lonely in Berlin.
The silver lining of loneliness
Now, if you’re asking me, loneliness is not such a bad thing. Most of the time. I am quite the loner and I don’t mind it. While I like to socialize and meet new people (I’m not antisocial) I actually appreciate loneliness and its benefits.
I got to work on more projects and be more productive than ever since I moved to Berlin. Although this was due to my own choices, probably Berlin had something to do with it. So thank you, capital of loneliness!
But joking aside, while I believe aloneness has great benefits for productivity and self-development, it only works if you choose it. And there’s still a big difference between being alone and feeling lonely. Nobody wants to feel lonely.
The antidote to loneliness
So what to do in a city where it’s so hard to socialize and so easy to feel lonely? Obviously life in Berlin, as in any other place, is easier, and better when you manage to create connections. Luckily the 21st century offers us new and original ways to connect with people and socialize.
I was lucky enough to find out about the co-living concept. Before I only knew about co-working spaces but I soon found out co-living is also a thing. There are plenty of them in Berlin but I found out about Happy Pigeons through a friend of a friend. I had the chance to meet a community of amazing people and live in a beautiful apartment with nice flatmates. I got to meet people and make connections much easier than by being on my own in this big city. My life in Berlin would not have been the same if I hadn’t found out about this community.
So how is co-living different from simple flat-sharing? Well, for starters you get way more services. Apart from beautifully designed rooms, you get things like weekly cleaning, sometimes bikes and most importantly you get to take part in events that are regularly organized among all the people in the community. Plus, like in Happy Pigeons case, you can also get the co-working included.
So I totally recommend, if you’re planning on staying in Berlin even just for a few months, check out co-living spaces. It’s a great opportunity to meet people and make connections. And if you want my very partial opinion, check Happy Pigeons first!
A few more things on life in Berlin
I will not go into the whole touristy part of places to visit and restaurants where to eat, I might write a whole article about that soon. What I do want to mention are a few more things that struck me since living in Berlin. There’s good and bad, like everywhere. But I have the feeling that some people, like me before coming here, have some different expectations. So it only feels right to warn you. Or prepare you, see it as you may.
The weather
It’s not at all bad! I’ve almost seen more sunny days here than in one (particularly bad) winter in Lisbon. Also not really cold. Okay, I arrived here at the end of May and it happened to be right before a massive heatwave, something very unusual in Berlin. But even after that, Berlin has had quite nice weather, beautiful blue skies, and breathtaking sunsets. And winters are quite mild. So don’t get scared about crazy northern European weather, Berlin is quite the exception.
Green spaces
In my opinion, it is the most amazing thing in Berlin, There are huge parks all over the city, with lakes and trees and swans. The whole shebang. You get to breathe pure air in the midst of a busy bustling city and that for me is priceless.
Every neighborhood has at least one park and some of them have a lake. And I am not talking about small playgrounds. I’m talking real, big parks where you can run or walk and enjoy the shade in summer or even sunbathe. I can’t even tell you how grateful I am for living just a few minutes away from a beautiful park with a lake. Just this has made life in Berlin so much better for me. So, nature lovers, rejoice!
Traffic lights
Finally, the part that has been driving me insane for months. Honestly, people, 15 seconds is not enough to cross a six-lane street with a traffic island in the middle. Crossing streets at traffic lights in Berlin is like waiting for the gunshot at the beginning of a race. You gotta be ready to run! And I’m still young and fit. Every time I cross a street I think about those poor old people who barely make it to the half of the first half of the street before the light gets read. Also, no yellow light or blinking or seconds to know how long before you gotta run for your life. Nothing, just green, and before you realize it, red! If you’re planning on living in Berlin, pack those running shoes!
Berlin clubs
Just kidding, there’s not going to be a section on the clubs. You all probably know that Berlin’s techno scene is famous all over the world, I don’t need to tell you about that. The thing is that techno is not really my cup of tea so I didn’t get to experience much of that. I could tell you all about the many stories I have heard but I’d rather stick to first-hand experiences. So if you’re searching for advice on clubbing, I’m sorry but I’m not your girl.
Bureaucracy
Now on this, I could give you a few pieces of advice but that’s not really the purpose of this article. If you do have questions, feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to help in any way. However, I can suggest this blog, Settle in Berlin, which has been a lifesaver for me before moving here. You can find a lot of useful information about the dreaded Anmeldung, health insurance, bank accounts, mobile phone plans, and even the reason why the internet connection is so bad here. Full disclosure: it truly is.
I hope this article gave you some useful insights into life in Berlin. I tried to be as honest as possible but if there’s something you would add or you would like to ask me, feel free to leave a comment or contact me.
If you would like to read more, I wrote a few articles on some travel destinations in Germany, among others: Saxon Switzerland National Park, Meissen City Break, and Dresden.
