Tuesday, July 12, 2011

BERLIN

BAKERIES, COFFEE, ICE CREAM, JUICE & TEA
ORA – 14 Oranienplatz (Kreuzberg); ora-berlin.de; perhaps most beautiful of all repurposed venues in Berlin; opulently restored 18th Century pharmacy that is now all-day cafe with cocktails.
Soluna Brot & Öl – 58 Gneisenaustrasse; 011-49-030-6167-1191; organic breads; cheerful bakery & café.
Two & Two – 6 Pannierstrasse (Neukölln); 011-49-030-5379-1578; twoandtwoberlin.com; French pastries & Japanese stationary.
Five Elephant – 101 Reichenberger Strasse (Kreuzberg); 011-49-030-9608-1527; fiveelephant.com; bakery, coffee roasters & cafe; outstanding cheesecake.
Voo Store – 24 Oranienstrasse (Kreuzberg); 011-49-030-69579-72710; vooberlin.com; high concept clothing & coffee.



BARS & NIGHTCLUBS
Buck & Breck – 177 Brunnenstrasse (Mitte); 011-49-0176-3231-5507; buckandbreck.com; one-room speakeasy; high-end cocktails.
Clarchen’s Ballhaus – 24 Auguststrasse; 011-49-030-282-9295; ballhaus.de; dance hall and outdoor beer garden open since 1913; neighborhood fixture; wood seem frozen in time except crowd becoming increasingly hip.
Cordobar – 32 Grosse Hamburger Strasse (Mitte); 011-49-030-2758-1215; cordobar.net/en; Berlin’s most famous wine bar; good for raucous nightcap.
Geist im Glas – 27 Lenaustrasse (Neukölln); 011-49-017-6553-30450; facebook.com/geistimglas; bar for American expats, as well as Berliners; brunch on Sundays.
Hammers Weinkostbar – 20 Körtestrasse (Kreuzberg); 011-49-030-6981-8677; hammers-wein.de/index2.php; old butcher shop facade hides one of best wine lists; can buy by bottle; sandwiches.
Katz Orange – 22 Bergstrasse; 011-49-030-9832-08430; katzorange.com; name means orange cat in German (inspired by owner’s trip to Peruvian shaman who owned such animal); takes up 19th Century brewery’s bottom 2 floors, tucked away in back courtyard.
Not Only Riesling – 25 Schleiermacherstrasse (Kreuzberg); 011-49-030-6953-8866; not-only-riesling.de; chic bottle shop by day, bar by night.
ORA – 14 Oranienplatz (Kreuzberg); ora-berlin.de; perhaps most beautiful of all repurposed venues in Berlin; opulently restored 18th Century pharmacy that is now all-day cafe with great cakes.
Ottorink Weinbar – 124 Dresdener Strasse (Kreuzberg); 011-49-030-000-000; ottorink.de; almost all wines served by glass; perfect wine bar.
Pauly-Saal Bar – 11-13 Auguststrasse (at Ehemalige Judische Madchenschule); 011-49-030-3300-6070; paulysaal.com; great for cocktails.
Schwarz Bar – 2 Weinmeisterstrasse (Mitte, at Hotel Weinmeister); 011-49-030-755-6670; the-weinmeister.com; popular with locals.
Soho House Club – 1 Torstrasse (Mitte-Prenzlauer Berg); 011-49-030-405-0440; sohohouseberlin.com; if you’re guest, you have automatic membership.
Tausend Bar – 11 Schiffbauerdamm (Mitte); 011-49-030-4171-5396; tausendberlin.com; Berlin’s underground night life goes above ground here; dark, long, rectangular space created by Berlin-based designer Robert Neun anchored on 1 wall by enormous 3-D metallic eye, which reflects entire room while emitting golden glow.
WAU – 32 Hallesches Ufer (Kreuzberg); 011-49-030-2593-2679; wau-berlin.de; semi-official bar adjunct to HAU2.



HOTELS
Hotel Adlon Kempinski – 77 Unter den Linden (Mitte, on Pariser Platz); 011-49-030-22610; kempinski.com/adlon; prime setting; government’s unofficial guesthouse; until its destruction during World War II, Adlon considered Europe’s ultimate luxury resort; rebuilt in 1997; elegant rooms furnished in 1920s style with cherrywood trim, myrtle-wood furnishings, and brocade silk bedspreads; large bathrooms are done in black marble; book suite for Brandenburger Tor view.
Andel’s Hotel Berlin – 106 Landsberger Allee; 011-49-030-453-0530; andelsberlin.com.
Hotel Amano – 43 Auguststrasse (at Rosenthaler Strasse); 011-49-030-809-4150; amanogroup.de/en/hotels/amano; modern, 163-room hotel that blends Communist-era buildings and attractive staff in tailored uniforms; brushed copper surfaces and slate floor lobby.
Casa Camper – 1 Weinmeisterstrasse; 011-49-030-2000-3410; casacamper.com/berlin; 51-room hotel in Mitte district; run by Spanish urban clothing label, Camper; youthful clientele.
Circus Hotel – 1 Rosenthaler Strasse; 011-49-030-2000-3939; circus-berlin.de; magnificent value with style; Room 401 has large balcony.
Dude Hotel – 92 Köpenicker Strasse; 011-49-030-4119-88100; thedudeberlin.com/en; 27 room boutique in 19th Century mansion; new & old world style.
Lux Eleven Berlin-Mitte – 9-13 Rosa-Luxemburg-Strasse; 011-49-030-936-2800; lux-eleven.com; stately 19th Century building that once housed KGB; trendy hotel is 7-minute walk from Alexanderplatz & 13-minute walk from Berlin Cathedral; modern, airy rooms feature kitchenettes, free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs & desks, as well as open-plan bathrooms with rainfall showers; some have balconies; 2-bedroom penthouse apartment includes fireplace & rooftop terrace; hip restaurant & bar, cafe, upscale shopping & laundry facilities.
Mandala – 3 Potsdamer Strasse; 011-49-030-5-9005-0000; themandala.de/en; high design.
Hotel Michelberger – 39-40 Warschauer Strasse; 011-49-030-2977-8590; michelbergerhotel.com; stylish budget option.
Hotel de Rome – 37 Behrenstrasse; 011-49-030-460-6090; hotelderome.com; in heart of fashionable Mitte district; 146 rooms in this 1889, former Dresdner Bank building; interior design is chic & restrained; handsome bar overlooks Berbelplatz; original glass roof; average food; May through July is when lilacs and linden trees in bloom; deluxe double on 1st-3rd floors have Berbelplatz views.
Ritz-Carlton – 3 Potsdamer Platz; 011-49-030-337-777; ritzcarlton.com; rooms overlook Tiergarten Park; heated bathroom floors.
Soho House – 1 Torstrasse (Mitte-Prenzlauer Berg); 011-49-030-405-0440; sohohouseberlin.com; storied Bauhaus behemoth transformed into international creative set hangout; 40 rooms; homespun, chic, industrial; former (1928) Jewish-owned department store that became Hitler Youth headquarters (1937) and later Communist Party archives building; 7th floor has bar, dining room, and lounge (good food and great drinks); pool on roof; ask for “Big Room,” which rooms have excellent baths.
Weinmeister – 2 Weinmeisterstrasse (Mitte); 011-49-030-755-6670; the-weinmeister.com; affordable; Alice-in-Wonderland whimsy meets avant garde design; deep, cocoon-style beds Schwarz Bar popular with locals.



RESTAURANTS
John Barnett Schiffsrestaurant – 12a Schiffbauergasse (Potsdam); 011-49-033-1201-2099; john-barnett.de; average food and poor service in wonderful location (restaurant is on boat in Schiffbauergasse).
Buchholzberlin – 20 Joachimstrasse; 011-49-030-2404-8354; buchholzberlin.com; combines woodworking showroom & edible garden; chic lunch spot; flatbreads.
Café Vux – 38 Richardstrasse; vux-berlin.com; light, sunny café that serves tasty, all-vegan meals; fejoiada (Portuguese stew) on Saturdays.
Cantina in der Bar Tausend – 11 Schiffbauerdamm (Mitte); 011-49-030-4171-5396; tausendberlin.com; 50-seat restaurant; Japanese and Latin American cuisine.
Cream – 55 Behrenstrasse (in alley behind Westin Grand); 011-49-030-2749-2940; cookiescream.com; look for light jumble hanging over door; creative vegetarian cuisine like Parmesan dumplings with cilantro carrots and Amalfi lemon sauce; after 8 pm on Tuesday and Thursday (only nights Cookies open), entrance to club free for diners, so restaurant packed; try pumpkin-lime soup with chutney.
Dos Palillos – 1 Weinmeisterstrasse (Casa Camper); 011-49-030-2000-3413; casacamper.com; Asian and French food, name notwithstanding; casual by day and dramatic at night; 12- and 16-course menus.
Dóttir – 41 Mittelstraße (Mitte); 011-49-030-3300-60760; dottirberlin.com; chef is Chez Panisse alum; German-Nordic cuisine.
Grand – 4 Hirtenstrasse; 011-49-027-8909-9555; the-grand-berlin.com; sleek leather banquettes sit under exposed antique brick in soaring 2-story dining room; continental food.
Horvath – 44a Paul-Lincke-Ufer; 011-49-030-6128-9992; restaurant-horvath.de/en; charming restaurant on leafy, residential street; German food served in 2 distinct styles (modern & traditional).
Industry Standard – 83 Sonnenallee (Neukölln); 011-49-030-6272-7732; industry-standard.de; new German cuisine; try brown bread ice cream for dessert.
Katz Orange – 22 Bergstrasse; 011-49-0309-8320-8430; katzorange.com; name means orange cat in German (inspired by owner’s trip to Peruvian shaman who owned such animal); both deceptively simple meat dishes and innovative vegetarian ones; small, well-focused menu, simply printed on brown paper; dozen appetizers and entrees under 2 categories: classics and seasonal; sample from both; signature entree is slow roasted pork, cooked sous vide for 12 hours and then placed under salamander broiler to create caramelized, crunchy crust; upscale international hipster family crowd; takes up 19th Century brewery’s bottom 2 floors, tucked away in back courtyard.
Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer – 77 Unter den Linden (Mitte, at Hotel Adlon Kempinski); 011-49-030-2261-1960; lorenzadlon-esszimmer.de; Michelin-starred, classic French cuisine; motto is “Tradition eats modern.”
Mogg & Melzer Bistro – 11 Auguststrasse; 011-49-030-3300-60700; maedchenschule.org/en/gastronomy/deli.html‎; New York-style deli and then some; wine list; worth special visit.
Noto – 173 Torstrasse; 011-49-030-2009-5387; noto-berlin.com; German Italian or, better, German Mediterranean cuisine; small with charming atmosphere; worth special trip.
ORA – 14 Oranienplatz (Kreuzberg); ora-berlin.de; perhaps most beautiful of all repurposed venues in Berlin; opulently restored 18th Century pharmacy that is now all-day cafe.
Pauly-Saal – 11-13 Auguststrasse (at Ehemalige Judische Madchenschule); 011-49-030-3300-6070; paulysaal.com; gorgeous restaurant that seems more like art gallery; good food.
Restaurant Reinstoff Berlin – 26C Schlegelstrasse; 011-49-030-3088-1214; reinstoff.eu; 2 Michelin stars; avant‑garde restaurant where chef Daniel Achilles prepares International menu featuring regional products and influences from around world.
Sauvage – 25 Pflugerstrasse; 011-49-030-5316-7547; sauvageberlin.com; “gourmet Paleolithic” (meaning “meat”) menu.
Soluna - Brot & Öl – 58 Gneisenaustrasse; 011-49-030-6167-1191; organic breads; cheerful bakery & café.
La Soupe Populaire – 242 Prenzlauer Allee (Mitte & Prenzlauer Berg); 011-49-030-4431-9680; lasoupepopulaire.de/en; upscale German comfort food; try Mustard Eggs.
Il Teatro Potsdam – 12 Schiffbauergasse (Potsdam); 011-49-0331-2009-7291; ilteatro-potsdam.de; popular venue in Schiffbauergasse.
Restaurant Tim Raue – 26 Rudi-Dutschke-Strasse; 011-49-030-2593-7930; timraue.com; German-Asian fusion with emphasis on small plates.
YamYam Berlin – 6 Alte Schonhauser; 011-49-030-2463-2485; yamyam-berlin.de; Korean.



SERVICES
Berlinagenten – 4 Bornholmer Strasse; 011-49-030-4372-0701; berlinagenten.com; tours.
BerlinandBike – ; 011-49-016-3512-0124; 5-7 Grunerstrasse (Mitte); berlinandbike.com; bicycle rentals.



SHOPPING
Andreas Murkudis – 21 Munzstrasse (1st and 2nd courtyards); 011-49-030-3088-1945; andreasmurkudis.net; men and women’s accessories and clothing, as well as home furnishings.
Big Brobot – 19 Kopernikusstrasse; 011-49-030-7407-8388; bigbrobot.com; comic-themed, quirky, book and clothing store.
Black Door Beauty – 7a Kopernikusstrasse (Friedrichshain); 011-49-030-5471-9098; blackdoorbeauty.com; alternative jewelry emporium.
Blain|Southern – 77-87 Potsdamer Strasse (Tiergarten); 011-49-0162-232-5864; blainsouthern.com; London art gallery outpost.
Broke & Schön – 9-10 Krossener Strasse (Friedrichshain); 011-49-030-7790-6534; accessories, clothing, and shoes affordable.
Buchholzberlin – 20 Joachimstrasse; 011-49-030-2404-8354; buchholzberlin.com; combines woodworking showroom & edible garden.
Camera Work Contemporary – 11-13 Auguststrasse (at Ehemalige Judische Madchenschule); 011-49-030-310-0773; camerawork.de; contemporary photography.
Dittrich & Schlechtriem – 38 Tucholskystrasse & 27 Rosa-Luxemburg-Strasse; 011-49-030-2434-2462; dittrich-schlechtriem.com; art gallery; emerging artists.
Eigen+Art Lab – 11-13 Auguststrasse (at Ehemalige Judische Madchenschule); 011-49-030-246-2840; eigen-art.com/lab; contemporary art.
Freies Museum Berlin – 91 Potsdamer Strasse (Tiergarten); 011-49-030-3472-1814; freies-museum.com.
Galerie Michael Fuchs – 11-13 Auguststrasse (at Ehemalige Judische Madchenschule); 011-49-030-2200-2550; michaelfuchsgalerie.com; contemporary art.
Antonia Goy – 5 Brunnenstrasse (Mitte); 011-49-030-4465-0386; antoniagoy.com; German designer known for silk clothing.
Kaufhaus des Westends Department Store (KaDeWe) – 21-24 Tauentzienstrasse; 011-49-030-2121-2623; kadewe.de/en; “department store of west”; gourmet hall on 6th Floor famous.
Hammers Weinkostbar – 20 Körtestrasse (Kreuzberg); 011-49-030-6981-8677; hammers-wein.de/index2.php; old butcher shop facade hides one of best wine lists; can buy by bottle; sandwiches.
Helga Maria Klosterfelde Edition – 97 Potsdamer Strasse (Tiergarten); 011-49-030-9700-5099; helgamariaklosterfelde.de; cozy gallery in former stationary store; specializes in smaller works.
Konk – 15 Kleine Hamburger Strasse; 011-49-030-2809-7839; konk-berlin.de; avant garde clothing.
LaLa Berlin – 7 Mulackstrasse (Mitte); 011-49-030-2576-2924; lalaberlin.com; founded & owned by Leyla Piedayesh; local label notable for intricate knitwear and Bedouin-inspired cashmere scarves.
Markthalle Neun – markthalleneun.de; last 19th Century market hall; eclectic grazing; stalls to check out is Heisser Hobel (for kässpätzle, German mac & cheese), Glut & Späne (fish, famous for tartines of cold- and hot-smoked fish), Knödelwirtschaft (comfort food like Bavarian dumplings) & Bao Kitchen (Taiwanese bun burgers).
Andreas Murkudis – 77-87 Potsdamer Strasse, Haus E (Tiergarten); 011-49-0152-2253-5791; andreasmurkudis.com; avant garde fashion emporium.
Mykita – 6 Rosa-Luxemburg-Strasse (Mitte); 011-49-030-6730-8715; mykita.com; eyewear.
Nolan Judin Gallery – 83 Potsdamer Strasse (Tiergarten); 011-49-030-3940-4840; nolan-judin.de; art gallery.
Not Only Riesling – 25 Schleiermacherstrasse (Kreuzberg); 011-49-030-6953-8866; not-only-riesling.de; chic bottle shop by day, bar by night.
Oona – 26 Auguststrasse (Mitte); 011-49-030-2804-5905; oona-galerie.de; high-concept jewelry.
Schoene Schreibwaren – 6 Niederbarnimstrasse (Friedrichshain); 011-49-0176-6289-3430; schoeneschreibwaren.com; elegant, small shop specializing in beautiful writing accoutrements.
Two & Two – 6 Pannierstrasse (Neukölln); 011-49-030-5379-1578; twoandtwoberlin.com; French pastries & Japanese stationary.
Umasan – 40 Linienstrasse (Mitte); 011-49-030-2408-5534; umasan-world.com; androgynous yoga clothes made from sustainable, vegan materials.
Yack Fou – 21 Gabriel-Max-Strasse (Friedrichshain); 011-49-030-6050-2530; yackfou.com; clothing boutique.
Voo – 24 Oranienstrasse (Kreuzberg); 011-49-030-69579-72710; vooberlin.com; huge “concept” store in former locksmith’s shop; well-priced vintage wear to cutting edge labels.


SIGHTS & SITES
AquaDom – 3 Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse (at Radisson Blu Hotel); 011-49-030-238-280; radissonblu.com/hotel-berlin; 25 m tall cylindrical acrylic glass aquarium with built-in transparent elevator; also on-site is aquarium Sea Life Centre.
Bebelplatz – Unter den Linden (Mitte); formerly known as “Opernplatz”; infamous Nazi book-burning site (held evening of May 10, 1933 by SA members (”brownshirts”), SS, Nazi students, and Hitler Youth groups, at Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels’ instigation; burned around 20K books, including works by Thomas Mann, Erich Maria Remarque, Heinrich Heine, Karl Marx, and many other authors; now, memorial by Micha Ullman consisting of glass plate set into cobbles, gives view of empty bookcases, commemorated by Heinrich Heine line from his play, Almansor (1821): “Where they burn books, they will in the end also burn people.”
Boros Collection – 20 Reinhardtstrasse; 011-49-030-2759-4065; sammlung-boros.de; 32K' square former Nazi bunker; contemporary art repository; can check-in online in advance; open only on weekends.
Dutch Quarter (Hollandisches Viertel) – either side Mittelstrasse (Potsdam); built by Dutch architect Boumann around 1740 to house Netherlands workers; attractive, gabled houses all painted in different colours; now many cafes and shops.
Ehemalige Judische Madchenschule – 11-13 Auguststrasse; 011-49-030-3300-6070; maedchenschule.org; formerly, school for Jewish girls opened in 1930; now holds exhibition spaces and restaurants.
Einstein Tower – 16 An der Sternwarte (Potsdam); 011-49-033-1749-9464; einsteinturm.de; restored, curvy structure used for solar research.
Filmmuseum Potsdam – 1a Breite Strasse (Potsdam); 011-49-033-127-1810; filmmuseum-potsdam.de; in collections’ and permanent exhibition’s center is world’s oldest film studio, reflecting history of Bioscope, UFA , DEFA, and Studio Babelsberg; movie theater with several performances daily, silent films accompanied by historic Welte cinema organ; in city’s oldest surviving building.
Friedrichstadt-Palast – 107 Friedrichstrasse (La Diva); 011-49-30-2326-2327; palast.berlin/en; largest & most modern show palace in Europe; has to be seen, if only just for stained-glass.
Gemäldegalerie – Matthäikirchplatz; 011-49-0302-6642-4242; smb.museum; Caravaggio’s Amor Victorious (1602) & Piero della Francesca’s Saint Jerome in Wilderness.
German-Russian Museum Berlin-Karlshorst – 4 Zwieseler Strasse (Karlshorst); 011-49-030-5015-0810; museum-karlshorst.de; located where German armed forces (Wehrmacht) unconditionally surrendered on May 8, 1945; building was officers’ mess for Wehrmacht pioneer school and then Soviet Military Administration headquarters in Germany; in 1949, at this location, Soviets handed over administrative authority to German Democratic Republic’s (GDR) 1st government; from 1967-94 building contained “Central Museum of Armed Forces Moscow” branch; after German-Soviet agreements on Soviet armed force’s withdrawal in 1990, Germany and Soviet Union decided to recollect jointly in museum German-Soviet war and Nazi rule history; permanent exhibition attracts about 40K visitors annually; museum heart is surrender room, which is in its original state and where film continuously shows Act of Surrender signing in 1945.
Grüntaler9 – 9 Grüntaler Strasse; gruentaler9.com; performance space.
KINDL Brewery (Center for Contemporary Art) – 2 Am Sudhaus(Neukölln); 011-49-0308-3215-9120; kindl-berlin.com; arts complex.
Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics – 16 An der Sternwarte (Potsdam); 011-49-033-174-990; aip.de; successor to Berlin Observatory (founded 1700) and Astrophysical Observatory Potsdam (founded 1874); latter was world’s 1st observatory to emphasize explicitly astrophysics research; AIP founded in 1992, in re-structuring following German Reunification; Einstein Tower solar observatory and great refractor telescope on Telegrafenberg in Potsdam belong to AIP.
Madame Claude – 19 Lübbener Strasse; 011-49-030-8411-0859; madameclaude.de; concert venue in basement bar.
Markthalle Neun – markthalleneun.de; last 19th Century market hall; eclectic grazing; stalls to check out is Heisser Hobel (for kässpätzle, German mac & cheese), Glut & Späne (fish, famous for tartines of cold- and hot-smoked fish), Knödelwirtschaft (comfort food like Bavarian dumplings) & Bao Kitchen (Taiwanese bun burgers).
Martin-Gropius-Bau – 7 Niederkirchnerstrasse; 011-49-030-254-860; berlinerfest.spiele.de; applied arts museum near former Berlin Wall.
ME Collectors Room – 68 Auguststrasse; 011-49-030-8600-8510; me-berlin.com; eccentric private art collections, displayed in constant rotation.
Memorial to Murdered Jews of Europe – 23 Georgenstrasse 23; 011-49-030-263-9430; holocaust-mahnmal.de; memorial Holocaust’s Jewish victims; designed by architect Peter Eisenman and engineer Buro Happold; consists of 19K square meter site covered with 2.7K concrete slabs, arranged in grid pattern on sloping field; slabs are 7'10" l and 3'1" wide and vary in height from 8" to 15'9"; produce confusing and uneasy atmosphere; aims to represent supposedly ordered system that has lost touch with human reason; attached underground “Place of Information” (Ort der Information) holds all known Jewish Holocaust victims’ names, obtained from Yad Vashem.
Metropolis Halle – 200 Grossbeerenstrasse (Potsdam); 011-49-033-1721-2710; metropolis-halle.de; name comes from film Metropolis by Fritz Lang; architecture inspired by early film studios.
Neues Museum – 1-3 Bodestrasse; 011-49-030-26642-4242; neues-museum.de; located north of Altes Museum (Old Museum) on Museum Island; built between 1843-1855, closed at WWII’s start in 1939, and heavily damaged during Berlin; officially reopened in October 2009 and received 2010 RIBA European Award for architecture; exhibits include Egyptian, Prehistory, and Early History collections: iconic Egyptian Queen Nefertiti bust.
New National Gallery – 50 Potsdamer Strasse; 011-49-030-26642-4242; smb.museum/smb/service/preise.php; Mies van der Rohe’s “temple of glass and light”; make sure to see joint work by Frank Stella and Santiago Calatrava.
Neues Palais (Sanssouci) – 10 Am Neuen Palais (Potsdam); 011-49-033-1951-3583; havelbuch.de; palace situated on Sanssouci’s royal park’s western side; building begun in 1763, after 7 Years’ War’s end, under Frederick Great; completed in 1769; last great Prussian baroque palace.
Orangery Palace – 3-5 An der Orangerie (Potsdam); 011-33-1969-4280; spsg.de/index.php?id=157; also known as New Orangery on Klausberg; built by “Romantic on Throne,” Friedrich Wilhelm IV, 1851-1864.
Hans Otto Theatre – 11 Schiffbauergasse (Potsdam); 011-49-033-198-118; hansottotheater.de; located in UNESCO World Heritage site; designed by Cologne architect Gottfried Boehm in concrete and glass.
Hebbel am Ufer (HAU) – 29 Stresemannstrasse; 011-49-030-2590-0427; hebbel-am-ufer.de; international performance center & theater; founded by fusing 3 theaters, namely, Hebbel Theater (HAU1), Theater am Halleschen Ufer (HAU2) & Theater am Ufer (HAU3).
Peres Projects Kreuzberg – 26 Schlesische Strasse; 11-49-030-6162-6962; peresprojects.com; purportedly very cutting edge.
Peres Projects Mitte – 17 Grosse Hamburger Strasse; 011-49-030-2759-5-0770; peresprojects.com; purportedly very cutting edge.
Radialsystem V – 33 Holzmarktstrasse; 011-49-030-2887-8850; radialsystem.de; modern dance troup that performs in otherwise gritty area (is in former pumping station) that does have some clubs; coffee served on waterfront terrace.
Schiffbauergasse – Potsdam; schiffbauergasse.de; surrounded by Prussian gardens and palaces; innovative commercial and cultural diversity on 12 acres on lake; listed buildings including hussars’ horse stables, laundry, and machine shop restored as art exhibit venues and artists’ residences; also Volkswagen Design Center with its architecturally sophisticated building and Oracle headquarters (Koksseparator, restored former gas station); waterside park with marina and pier, promenade along lake depths and cycle paths between new garden, ship’s lane, and Babelsberg Park.
Soviet War Memorial – Treptower Park (along Spree River, in former East Berlin); built after WWII to commemorate war dead from Battle of Berlin; at once, moving midcentury political art and Stalinist pomp piece; central axis leads from grieving Mother Russia statue, across long, landscaped plaza, to 70-ton bronze soldier statue, brandishing rescued German child and standing upon crushed swastika; plaza is actual burial plot for 7K Red Army soldiers; can venture down street to former western district Kreuzberg, where several murals by Italian street artist Blu.
Studio Babelsberg – 26-53 August-Bebel-Strasse (Potsdam); 011-49-033-1721-0000; studiobabelsberg.com; oldest, large-scale, film studio in world; founded in 1912; covers 270K' sq; 100s films, including Fritz Lang’s Metropolis and Josef von Sternberg’s Blue Angel filmed there.
Volksbühne Berlin – 227 Linienstrasse; 011-49-030-24065, ext. 5; volksbuehne-berlin.de; built 1913-14, designed by Oskar Kaufmann, with integrated sculpture by Franz Metzner; origin is in Freie Volksbühne (Free People’s Theater"), which sketched out vision for peoples’ theater in 1892; goal ; original slogan was Die Kunst dem Volke (“Art to the people”); heavily damaged during WWII, but rebuilt 1950-54 according to architect Hans Richter’s design.

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