Berlin Notes

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Next Wednesday (26th September) Berlin will get its second new shopping centre this month. Following hard on the heels of Alexa, the new Wilmersdorfer Arcaden will be opening its doors on Charlottenburg's Wilmersdorfer Straße shopping street. The Wilmersdorfer Arcaden will have around 100 shops, cafes and restaurants, and an unusual main mall three storeys high running in a 180 metre long curve.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

The tram line M2, which runs from the north of Berlin via the Prenzlauer Allee through the increasingly popular Prenzlauer Berg district, finally received a direct connection to Alexanderplatz earlier this year, replacing the former route inherited from the GDR which took a circuitous route through the back streets to Hackescher Markt. The new section of line, although just 900 metres long, cut around 10 minutes off the typical journey time to Alexanderplatz.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger is presenting his first photographic exhibition in Germany from Thursday, September 20th. The show, titled "Noise - Listening Pictures", features six young, up-and-coming American photographers: Chris Patterson, Tim Barber, Brandon Lattus, Slater Bradley, Robin Graubard and Ofer Wolberger.

"Noise" can be visited in Kreuzberg's Falckensteinstraße 47-48, 10997 Berlin (location of the 103 Club). Short walking distance from U-Bahn station Schlesisches Tor (U1). Until October 3, 2pm - 8pm.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

No doubt you've seen the pictures of savers queuing outside the British Northern Rock bank, anxious to protect their savings from the vagaries of the international finance markets. If you've got some Euros stashed away in one of the many German banks, you may be asking yourself right now whether it'd be worth making an Überweisung (bank transfer) directly to the underside of your mattress.

Monday, September 17, 2007

The O2 World Berlin, currently under construction near the Ostbahnhof, is celebrating its topping out ceremony (Richtfest) on September 20th. On the evening of the 19th there'll be a free concert - The Streets Open Air - from 7pm on the construction site featuring UK artist Mike Skinner.

Entry will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Some more information (in German) available here.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Popkomm is an international trade show, congress and festival for the music and entertainment business, and since 2004 takes place annually in Berlin. This year's Popkomm takes place between October 19 - 21.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

There's more to film festivals in Berlin than just the Berlinale: coming up fast is the PornfilmfestivalBerlin, which according to its website "prides itself on showcasing the best porn-related films and videos from around the globe".

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

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As I was in the area late last night, I wandered by the new Alexa shopping centre which was supposed to be opening at midnight. I was expecting it to be busy - electronics superstore MediaMarkt has been splashing its heavily discounted opening offers over the whole of Berlin for the last couple of weeks - but I wasn't expecting the crowds to be backing up across the street to Alexanderplatz (the police had even cordoned off part of the road). The picture on the right (click to enlarge) shows what it looked like just before midnight, and this is a video from someone who made it inside:

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Tuesday, September 11, 2007

The body charged with marketing Berlin's surplus real estate, the Liegenschaftfonds, has just announced the sale of a 20,000m² ("Diplomatenpark") plot in the Diplomatic Quarter near the Tiergarten. Around 100 upmarket apartments are to be constructed on the plot, which is situated between the Tiergartenstraße and Köbisstraße, by 2010.

For an idea of the property on sale here, click here for an expose (PDF format).

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

The new Alexa shopping centre on the south side of Alexanderplatz is due to open tomorrow (Wednesday, September 12th) at 8am. Electronics superstore MediaMarkt will be opening what will be its largest store at midnight.