Since Berlin has been in the news quite a bit this week, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, I thought I would take you on a quick trip to the Berlin I know and love.
Recently renovated Potsdamer Platz at night -- formerly what was "no-man's land" during the Cold War
I’ve made it no secret that Berlin is my favorite city in the world — the vibrancy, diversity, and creativity are unlike any other place I’ve visited. It’s gritty and grimy — I lived across the street from what we were pretty sure was a brothel – and quite eclectic. The contrasts between new and old, capitalist and communist, and East and West fascinate me — and can be seen both from high atop the Communist TV Tower looking down on the city, as well as within a single block.
The Brandenburg Gate at Dusk
The food in a city tells a lot about its character, and Berlin is no exception. They are quite proud of their German heritage, and love their beer and meat (an indelible memory is walking through the U-Bahn to catch my train and seeing a guy walking along with just a fork and a huge wurst on it). At the same time, though, it’s quite cosmopolitan, and while there I had lots of Indian, Asian, and even Cuban food. The one food that Berlin is known for, above all else, though, is the Currywurst — a pork sausage slathered in ketchup and doused in curry powder. But, I’ll be honest: I think there are about a dozen things about it that violate my California palate!
The Berliner Dom
The neighborhood I lived in, Kreuzberg, is among the most eclectic in a wildly diverse city. It has a huge Turkish population as a result of the “guest worker” program decades back, and, as of late has attracted a vibrant artist community. However, located in East Berlin, it still has some traces of its pre-1989 past; there is one bar my friends and I would walk by every morning on our way to class, which, even at 9 AM, would be filled with blue-overalled Germans drinking beer. Finally, during our last week in Berlin, we summoned the courage to enter inside, where we were greeted by pseudo “wild wild west” decor, random American license plates hanging from the walls, and incredibly friendly people eager to talk with us.
Graffiti in Kreuzberg. Translation: "But it really is art!"
My time in Berlin was filled with surprises, as just when I thought I had finally figured the place out, I was greeted with a new — and wonderful — contradiction. With the world’s attention focused firmly on Berlin this week, I hope you’ll consider checking it out — but I won’t judge you if you don’t try the currywurst!
Alex Budak is a recent graduate of UCLA and is currently enrolled as a graduate student at Georgetown University where he studies Public Policy and Social Entrepreneurship. You can see more of his travels on Sosauce, his blog, or follow him on Twitter, @TheBudak.
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