Use to be an amazing part of Berlin. Now, it's just full of old people and tourist. It's like "spot…read morethe Berlin'er" - you won't find any.

Friedrichshain is named after Volkspark Friedrichshain. The district was created in 1920. In the…read moreNazi times it was called Horst-Wessel-Stadt. It's going through severe gentrification, but the community does its best to preserve F-stain unique vibe. Children friendly, pets friendly, vegan friendly, my Kiez forever!

What a great area in Berlin. I'm glad we spent most of our time here while our hotel was…read morecity-center. Great train access, cheap meals, loads of interesting graffiti and a craft fair. There was a crowd of art, music, sports fans and an outdoor cocktail stand. Amazing.

This is one of those grand European architectural locations. Once you get anywhere near this area,…read morewhat you will find are great cathedrals, beautiful buildings, and a very large square. The center point of this area is the large square. My suggestion is that you go and stand in the center of it, look around, and study its true uniqueness. What you will experience is one of the best places to view the grandeur of historic Berlin. Around this very large square, what you will find, (occasionally), is that they will have marketplaces. These marketplaces are usually seasonally orientated. Meaning, if it's Christmas season, you will find a great selection of Christmas orientated items. The main reason you come here is not so much simply to go shopping or dining, of which there are a lot of places to check out around the surrounding area, but to go inside some of the structures, and truly bask in the architectural glory of the statues, the way the buildings were constructed, and all of that kind of stuff. This isn't really a highly-touristy Berlin location. Which, is a good thing. Meaning, you can come here and really bask in a historic Berlin, which is deeply rooted in history. It will provide you with the true flavor and culture of Berlin. Overall, I would suggest that you do go here. You just need to know what to expect. There's not necessarily a lot to do, unless you truly appreciate the finer elements of architecture. But, it's a great place to visit.

One visits Gendarmenmarkt to take in the local flavor. There are beautiful buildings and sculptures…read moreto view and appreciate. People come here to hang out with their families and loved ones. I especially enjoyed looking at the expressions on the faces of the sculptures within the gates of the church. The artist truly captures a feeling. I walked here from the hotel I was staying at and enjoyed lunch in the immediate vicinity. It is a place to visit when in Berlin.

This will be short. Right near each other you can go here and see the old apartment building where…read moreDavid Bowie had an apartment while living in Berlin recording his Berlin trilogy - Low, The Lodger, and Heroes - and then you can walk over and see the outside of the studio where he recorded those albums. You can't go in the apartment - it's still apartments rented out, but there is a small memorial to David outside including a drawing and plaque where people leave flowers. You also can't just walk into the studio nearby because it's still a working music studio, but a sign in the window says you can pay for a tour through certain companies. They at least have some cool Bowie photos filling the windows. If you love Bowie why wouldn't you go? It is free and you can take a picture and it takes a second.

Rigaer Straße in Friedrichshain is a street that has long been associated with ultra-left wing…read moreresidents, squats and the occasional scuffle with riot police. After the Berlin wall fell and residents fled the country, buildings that were once completely inhabited were left in various degrees of abandonment. Of course not everyone left. Many stayed behind and a few found accommodations in the newly abandoned buildings. Many West Berliners also flocked to the East in search of free rent and alternative lifestyle. Today, you can clearly see a few remaining squats and social collectives. Some have been removed and a few remain, seemingly stronger than ever. It's important to note that it isn't just left-wing radicals that live here. It's a mostly normal neighborhood, just with a higher proportion of dog poop, graffiti and trash. Also, not all of the graffitied buildings are squats, some are self-organized cooperatives. Be aware: Taking pictures is not advised. While we went out recently and discreetly snapped a few, we would advise against taking photographs of these squats/collectives.

Lovin' the name!…read more Meet up plaza for the walking tours here. One can see the TV tower and Berlin Cathedral at an eye's view while being able to sit on the grass or side benches provided. A pretty relaxing spot and central to most of the monuments around!

Nice little garden the surround by different landmark buildings of Berlin. Because of this is…read moreactually one of the garden the most people took pictures of. In the sunny day, the beautiful Berliner Dom right next to it, made this really a great place just sit down and chat with your mates. When you want to do some cultural adventures, the Altes Museum is right there or you can visit others which in the museums island. There are also many cool shops and restaurants around. When you are hungry, simply go around, sure you will find something great. Well, when you are reading and just enjoying your time (whatever you are doing) in this park, don't get annoy by people who taking pictures. Well, it's going to be lot of them, whether tourists or locals, come and go, so why not just help up time to time and enjoy this beautiful place.

Heckmann Höfe is the small shopping and dining area right in the heart of Berlin. It is one of…read morethose locations that if you do not know about it, you may very well walk right past it, as you must go through a passageway to get inside. Once inside the area, what you will find are a few shops and a couple of dining establishments. The shops that operate here are of the boutique nature. Meaning, they only sell unique, vintage, or one of a kind items. Which makes this place an interesting place to shop. This internal area is surround by buildings, so you really feel enclosed once you are inside. It's kind of claustrophobic. The thing that I find a bit stage about this very small area is that cars will actually dive inside, as there are a few parking spaces. When one is trying to get in, or get out, as there is very little any room for them to do, don't try to walk in or out of the facility when a car is in motion as it could turn out to be a problem. Overall, an interesting and known only to locals place to check out in Berlin.

nice place to work @sdfg$%&read more