Paul's Blog

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Berlin Sucks



I've been debating about whether or not I should post something to my blog about how great it is to live in Berlin. You see the problem is, I don't want people to know it's so great cause then they will start moving here in droves and drive up the low rents and scare away all the fun, creative people. If they knew that Berlin was like New York city circa 1978, they would probably turn it into a New York city circa 2007 within a short time (or worse, London). So here's to hoping that people will only read my headline and stay away....

For those of you who don't want to stay away, I'm renting a great Berlin 1 BD apartment right on Kastanienallee.

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posted by Paul at 11:08 AM

9 Comments:

  • Hi, I stumbled across this blog...i just moved to Berlin this summer, and is it just me, or Berlin really not all that awesome? I was hoping that it would be lively and exciting and artistic and whatnot, but I just don't get any of that so far. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places?? Help. I'm stuck here for two years, and i feel like i'm suffucating.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:30 AM  

  • Hey, I saw your post on the Berlin Couchsurfing forum and somehow ended up on your blog page. Great photos and interesting read! You are so right about Berlin - it's the most amazing city I've ever had the fortune to live in. I studied there for a year and spend 6 months there last year looking for work to noavail. SO I ended up in New York, which is where I am just now. Man, you are so right. I wish I was here in '78 and that it had the vibe and edge that makes Berlin so wonderful. New York just feels so soul-less, or maybe it's just me pining for Berlin. Enjoy the city and drink a Gluhwein for me!

    By Blogger Unknown, at 6:09 AM  

  • My impression of Berlin is the quality of life is high, and everything looks great (including the people) but personally I find it dull. Whenever I go to London I feel like a weight is lifted. But I can see how people could have a great time here, just not for me I guess. I dont like the people. Not in a racist way, just I dont like their scowling.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 11:21 AM  

  • I did a search for "Berlin sucks" and your site came up. Just want to join the party and say, yeah, it's not that great.

    I was in love with the city when I visited for 4 days in 2007. I went back for 12 days recently (June 2008) and found that it's really not as lively as everyone says it is.

    NYC right now is blowing up - you just have to find the right places. Maybe that's true in Berlin, but to be honest, I got the vibe that I would *never* be accepted in Berlin, whereas I feel New Yorkers are by nature friendly and accommodating. Just my 2cents.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 2:52 PM  

  • berlin is in deed not that great. it was pretty lame when the wall was up, had 10-20 great, exciting years after the thing finally came down (esp if you like techno), but now it seems all hype. attracting lots of people who buy into an image that never was real.
    its not all bad of course. the housing, food, etc are cheap. its safe for a city that size, but say compared to a city like london (with all its downsides like criminality, horrendous cost of living..) its nowhere close

    By Blogger Unknown, at 7:13 AM  

  • I've stayed in a lot of major cities in the world and Berlin's amongst my least favorite. I'm here during the Weinachtsbar season so that helps, but in my opinion it's really not all that great. Nor has it anything on New York. Maybe I've met too many wannabe rap singers since coming here but I don't find it very lively. Wish I did, though.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:13 AM  

  • As someone stuck living here with his German wife, I can say Berlin is a big flat sprawling city with some very interesting history and a major dog poo problem. There are pockets of interesting neighborhoods (certainly not in Reinikendorf!) on the former East side and indeed the rents are cheap in general. The job market is abysmal but it's a great city to sit-on-ass drinking beer all day. If you love wasting your measly earnings on clubs and drinking and drugs, it's a great place I suppose. The people are generally not friendly and quick to scowl or spew their displeasure over usually petty things. Nobody seems to mind the dog crap everywhere though.

    By Anonymous mike, at 5:29 AM  

  • NYC right now is blowing up - you just have to find the right places.

    That is hee-larious. New York is 'blowing up' if by blowing up you mean stuffed full of preening, self-regarding 20 and 30 -somethings who, via a trend in the American educational system have been completely indoctrinated into believing that each of them is special, unique and wonderful. The spend entire evenings talking at each other, or doing the same stupid dance listening to the same stupid music.

    There is not a more declasse place on earth than New York right now. Anyone who loves it at the moment, has to be a complete idiot, especially if they are comparing it unfavorably with Berlin.

    New York phones everything in and charges ten times what it's worth.

    Most boring nightlife of any major city. Most boring people also.

    New York is over because America is over. The money rot has eaten away all virtue.



    NEW YORK SUCKS.

    By Anonymous impendingexpat, at 6:18 PM  

  • I lived in NY in the 70's and nothing will ever compare to that experience. But at least in Berlin you can afford to live there as an artist and money is not GOD like it is in every other major city in the world. Anyway if you want to meet boring, rude people try the former Soviet bloc countries!

    By Blogger Paul, at 3:32 AM  

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