Typology of Kiez in Berlin

Tips on choosing the right area to live in Berlin

When preparing to move to another city several administrative aspects need to be approached. Perhaps one of the most difficult decisions to be made is choosing the right place to live. From choosing the district of the city to choosing the right apartment and
furniture, this step often requires a great deal of time and attention.

But don’t worry; this article is aimed at facilitating your choice if Berlin is your destination.

Berlin is often described as a fun, modern, colorful and a vibrant, full of history city. There is no way you can perfectly express the complexity of motivations to move to this city, but choosing the right place to live can drastically enhance the Berlin experience.
Generally, Berlin is famous for it’s laid-back attitude and the lifestyle variety it hosts.

Fast fact:

Most of the apartments in Berlin are rentals but the trend is shifting toward home ownership!

However, whether you choose to rent an apartment, to share a flat or to buy your own property in Berlin, you should first check the areas of the city in order to make sure you will make the right choice.

So let’s have a look at the 23 districts of Berlin!

Charlottenburg

19th-century town houses
High end of the real estate market
Many celebrities live in this area
Populates also by students from Berlin Technical University
First shopping centers in Germany
Historical highlights: the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, Charlottenburg Castle, Egyptian Museum

Friedrichshain

Known for the large number of students and for its alternative scene
Many second-hand clothes shops and trendy clubs
Young peoples quarter
East Side Gallery – the longest preserved piece of the Berlin Wall, covered with graffiti art.

Hellersdorf

Large areas of greenery and numerous parks and playgrounds
Modern Hellersdorf was created as a new residential area for eastern Berlin in the 1980s

Hohenschönhausen

Numerous parks – suitable area for families with children
Former prison and torture chambers used by the Stasi, are now transformed into a museum
Nature reserve on the Fauler See lake

Köpenick

Large district with a low population density (75% of the area is consists in forests, fields, lakes and rivers)
Köpenick Castle, a beautiful example of baroque architecture
Müggelsee, Berlin’s largest lake
Several amusement parks

Kreuzberg

Famous for its cultural diversity (biggest Turkish city outside turkey)
Centre if the alternative artistic scene
Berlin’s geographical centre
Numerous museums ( and famous Checkpoint Charlie, Jewish Museum)
Contemporary architecture

Lichtenberg

Blend of the village-like atmosphere and modern urban areas
Friedrichsfelde Zoo
Schloss Friedrichsfelde Castle, the Central Cemetery (where the Bauhaus architect Mies van der Rohe designed a special monument to the revolutionaries Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht)

Marzahn

Brightly colored buildings surrounded by green spaces
“Erholungspark Marzahn” park – hosts the biggest Chinese garden in Europe
“KulturGut Alt-Marzahn” – workshop for painting, textile design and ceramics

Mitte

Brandenburg Gate, the symbol of Berlin and of German division and reunification and undoubtedly the city’s most famous landmark
formerly the center of East Berlin
popular residential district
The area is full of bars and clubs
housing prices are rising fast as a result
numerous institutional buildings and some important embassies (United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia)
chic department stores
The Pergamon Museum, the Neue Museum and the Bode Museum are located in the famous Museumsinsel, a museum complex on an island on the river Spree

Neukölln

Known for its immigrants
Karl-Marx-Strasse – popular shopping street.
Neukollner Oper – Germany’s unconventional opera house
Numerous canals and waterways
“Britz Garden”, Böhmisches Dorf (Bohemian village)

Pankow

Named based on the river Panke (dates back to 1230)
Schönhausen Castle
Many embassies to East Germany were located there

Prenzlauer Berg

Old working-class district
Headquarter for artists, writers and cultural activity
vVbrant night life and many students from Humboldt Univeristy
Kulturbrauerei – ex- 19th-century brewery complex

Reinickendorf

Imposing tower blocks and industrial estates
Small quiet areas with forests and lakes
Tegel Airport
Tegel Castle (“Humboldt-Schlösschen”)

Schöneberg

Stylish pubs, cafes and restaurants
Motzstrasse/Fuggerstrasse – the centre of Berlins gay and lesbian scene
The Wednesday and Saturday morning Winterfeldtmarket – perhaps the most popular market in Berlin.
Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe) – Europe’s largest department store

Spandau

Different feel compared to the other districts
Italianate Citadel – oldest non-Christian building in Berlin and it is now used mainly for exhibitions
Nikolai church – gothic style
Many restaurants and excellent shopping

Steglitz

Exclusive residential areas, suburbs and a green areas
Botanical Garden – 20,000 plants from all over the world
Quiet and sedate

Tempelhof

Old Berlin airport that is now a very tranquil area “Tempelhofer Feld”
well connected to the center
Ideal for families wanting a bit of peace and quiet
Mariendorf horse track

Tiergarten

Berlins green oasis
Germany’s political center (Bundestag parliament, the new Bundeskanzleramt and the presidents residence – Bellevue Castle)
Numerous embassies
Shopping centers, cinemas, a casino and restaurants
Large multinational companies have offices here

Treptow

Treptower Volkspark
Soviet Memorial – where 5,000 Soviet soldiers are buried
Albert Einstein made scientific history at the local Archenhold observatory
Treptower Hafen – a restored port

Wedding

Well preserved original character
Strong multicultural atmosphere
Old style Berliners live here
Shopping facilities
Humboldthain park and the Pltzensee lake

Weissensee

Jewish cemetery, one of the largest in Europe
Least populated district
Combines the excitement of urban life with the tranquility of a rural existence
Art school – considered one of the best in Germany
No over-ground or underground stations in the district!

Wilmersdorf

Exclusive residential area in Berlin – some of the most expensive real estate in the city
Beautiful 19th-century buildings
not particularly quiet except for a few purely residential areas
Grunewald forest with its parks and nature reserves
exclusive shopping and nightlife

Zehlendorf

Exclusive residential area
Small lakes & idyllic surroundings– Nikolassee, Krumme Lanke, Schlachtensee
River access to the houses
Parking is rarely a problem and children can run about safely as traffic is rare
Free University of Berlin
Quiet at night

As you might have noticed, a great amount of the city’s surface (over a third) is covered by parks, forests, lakes, rivers and canals; making it the ideal place to live for those who love big cities but value the time spent in the nature. Furthermore, the
public transport system is very well organized and easy to adopt, so you should not worry about the access to any district or area. For more information about Berlin’s public transport follow this blog.

You should also know that the public transport is thorough and efficient and people usually learn their way around the capital pretty fast.

This being said… Welcome to Berlin! You will definitely enjoy it!