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Okay, here's a thing: Would you rather live in Kreuzberg or in Neukolln? I don't want to live a super-posh place, but at the same time, I don't want to live in absolute scheisse either. I like the idea of some counter-culture scene going on-- and underground concerts and stuff is a plus. Thanks EDIT: I guess I mean, what's the most interesting culturally. And perhaps most diverse. APimpNamedSlickback fucked around with this message at 23:56 on Nov 5, 2012 |
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Nov 5, 2012 23:44
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Nord-Neukölln > Kreuzberg 36 > Friedrichshain > Kreuzberg 61 Disclaimer: I live in Nord-Neukölln so I might be biased.
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Nov 5, 2012 23:50
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schoenfelder posted:Nord-Neukölln > Kreuzberg 36 > Friedrichshain > Kreuzberg 61 What's Nord-Neukolln? And why is it at the top of your list? Also, why is 36 more interesting than 61? And is gneisenaustrabe a cool area? By the station, that is. Is it in 61? Danke
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Nov 5, 2012 23:59
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Nord-Neukölln is the part of Neukölln inside the S-Bahn-Ring (roughly between Tempelhof Airport in the West, Hermannplatz in the North, Landwehrkanal/Neuköllner Schifffahrtskanal in the East and the S-Bahn stops Hermannstraße, Neukölln and Sonnenallee in the South.) Neukölln goes a lot further south with the Buckow, Rudow, Britz and Gropiusstadt neighbourhoods but there is nothing there. I place Nord-Neukölln at the top of the list because: a) it has some nice, hip, counter-culture places (specifically around Weserstraße, Boddinstraße and Schillerpromenade; not many clubs, though); b) it's not over-run by tourists, yet, i.e. it's fairly relaxed and quiet; c) it's very Arab influenced which makes for a really laid-back vibe, many small cheap shops and great food options; d) it's well connected by public transport to anything of interest (U8 is especially handy if you like going out); and e) it's generally just significantly cheaper to live in than the other three neighbourhoods I mentioned. 36 (the Eastern part of Kreuzberg, roughly from U Kottbusser Tor to U Schlesisches Tor) is way edgier than 61 (the Western part). I find 61 to be a bit too "bourgeois" (for lack of a better term) for my tastes whereas 36 is just way more interesting and has a better nightlife. Personally I wouldn't want to live near U Gneisenaustraße (yes, it's 61). Some friends of mine live there and apart from the area around Bergmannstraße there are not too many options for nightlife and I don't find Bergmannstraße very interesting (too posh and the food options are basically 12 Indian restaurants). If you end up there, well, it's not far from 36, Neukölln and Friedrichshain.
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Nov 6, 2012 00:23
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schoenfelder posted:Nord-Neukölln is the part of Neukölln inside the S-Bahn-Ring (roughly between Tempelhof Airport in the West, Hermannplatz in the North, Landwehrkanal/Neuköllner Schifffahrtskanal in the East and the S-Bahn stops Hermannstraße, Neukölln and Sonnenallee in the South.) Neukölln goes a lot further south with the Buckow, Rudow, Britz and Gropiusstadt neighbourhoods but there is nothing there. Best place in the whole city is on the Landwehrkanal, especially right be prinzenstr. because then you have the prinzenbad, a nice place to run and a quick walk to the U1 and u8
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Nov 6, 2012 20:17
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I'm going to be going there in January. Does this make any difference? All of a sudden, what seems to be easy walking distance becomes... 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Is it hard walking in the cold? I mean, I have no problem walking 25, 30 minutes in Northern California. It never gets that cold though.
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Nov 6, 2012 21:01
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Gneisenaustr is alright, but 61 really isn't too interesting. People have been trying very hard to make Neukölln happen for what seems like ten years now, but there is such a thing as trying too hard and while I like Neukölln, I find it all a bit predictable and pretentious (and I live in Friedrichshain, so that's saying something). For me it's Kreuzberg 36 > Friedrichshain > Nord-Neukölln > Kreuzberg 61. What these places all have in common is that there are far too many tourists there, especially in Friedrichshain and 61. If I were to move, I'd probably move to 36 or maybe Mitte. Berlin is a big city (both in terms of population and area), so I think the best strategy is to find a place where everything you need is right there (which might be 36 for you), given the horrible weather during winter and the surprisingly lovely public transportation living near the place where you really want to be doesn't really cut it. Edit: APimpNamedSlickback posted:I'm going to be going there in January. Does this make any difference? All of a sudden, what seems to be easy walking distance becomes... 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Is it hard walking in the cold? I mean, I have no problem walking 25, 30 minutes in Northern California. It never gets that cold though. Previously on GBS fucked around with this message at 21:10 on Nov 6, 2012 |
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Nov 6, 2012 21:04
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Previously on GBS posted:For me it's Kreuzberg 36 > Friedrichshain > Nord-Neukölln > Kreuzberg 61. What these places all have in common is that there are far too many tourists there, especially in Friedrichshain and 61. If I were to move, I'd probably move to 36 or maybe Mitte. quote:Berlin is a big city (both in terms of population and area), so I think the best strategy is to find a place where everything you need is right there (which might be 36 for you), given the horrible weather during winter and the surprisingly lovely public transportation living near the place where you really want to be doesn't really cut it.
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Nov 6, 2012 21:51
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On the gym thing, I was a member of superfit and used the one at alexanderplatz. It's the best gym I have ever used, really big, lots of equipment, and the staff were cool and helpful.
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Nov 7, 2012 00:41
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So I need to find an apartment in Berlin, for 4-8 months, where should I look and how much will it cost me (warm)? I'm going to be working at 1 Platz der Republik, so how can I have easy access to there/still be near the "cool" areas?
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Nov 8, 2012 17:49
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Are you looking for an apartment or a room in a shared apartment? How big? How much are you willing to spend and what comforts could you sacrifice? For rooms in shared apartments you can have a look at prices at wg-gesucht.de, for apartments it's immobilienscout24.de. For easy access to Bundestag I would check the areas with decent access to Alexanderplatz/Hauptbahnhof, e.g. Friedrichshain near Karl-Marx-Allee/Frankfurter Allee (U5 goes through there) or Kreuzberg 36 near the U8.
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Nov 8, 2012 18:51
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I just signed a lease on a new place near Stuttgart about 2 hours ago. I set up immobilienscout24 to send me an e-mail whenever new offers came up that fell within my criteria. That also gave me a chance to get a good comparison in terms of size, amenities, etc. for my money. It's always a roll of the dice as a renter, but it's been a really great experience so far. By the way, my boss said that it would be great if you could have a Probewohnzeit for a week or two before signing a contract. I think that would be just brilliant if it really were that way...
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Nov 8, 2012 20:07
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I have never in my life heard of Probewohnzeit.
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Nov 8, 2012 20:24
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niethan posted:Rauchbier is kinda cool for cooking, like that classic beer chicken recipe can be done with rauchbier and that tastes quite nice. I love reducing (or rather, cooking in) a somewhat mild Rauchbier from my town when stirring up a batch of bbq marinade when I'm not going with a vinegar base. I've never tried just using a dash or so when cooking regularly because opening an entire bottle for "just a dash" seems like a waste and I'm not the kind of guy that enjoys drinking bockbier on the side. Spezial Rauchbier, 2nd from the left  Troubadour posted:By the way, my boss said that it would be great if you could have a Probewohnzeit for a week or two before signing a contract. I think that would be just brilliant if it really were that way... As in "I'll decide whether I like this place and stay after 2 weeks"?
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Nov 8, 2012 21:22
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Yeah wouldn't that be cool? Just to emphasize, obviously it isn't/won't be a thing. But think about having the ability to see if your neighbors are assholes, if the heater makes a weird noise and all those other fun little surprises you get to find out after you sign the contract.
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Nov 8, 2012 22:42
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schoenfelder posted:Are you looking for an apartment or a room in a shared apartment? How big? How much are you willing to spend and what comforts could you sacrifice? I'm looking for around 250-350 warm, and considering I live in a Studentwerk Muenchen WG anything will probably be an improvement. Think I'll have any luck whatsoever getting in the 36 area of kreuzberg or is that just wishful thinking?
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Nov 9, 2012 01:10
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Landsknecht posted:I'm looking for around 250-350 warm, and considering I live in a Studentwerk Muenchen WG anything will probably be an improvement. Think I'll have any luck whatsoever getting in the 36 area of kreuzberg or is that just wishful thinking?
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Nov 9, 2012 07:26
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schoenfelder posted:A room in a shared apartment should be doable for 350 EUR in 36. Not gonna lie to you, though, finding something will probably be a bitch. Also, since you're going to stay only for a couple of months keep in mind that many people renting out their rooms for Zwischenmiete will try to pocket a nice profit (you will see ads asking 500 EUR for 12 qm rooms). Yeah, gently caress people. Do you have any Kiez suggestions for me? I want something decent, but not crazy expensive, which I know is hard as poo poo to do.
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Nov 9, 2012 07:45
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Landsknecht posted:Yeah, gently caress people. Do you have any Kiez suggestions for me? I want something decent, but not crazy expensive, which I know is hard as poo poo to do. You might also want to look at the area around U Heinrich-Heine-Straße. Technically that's Mitte but you can easily walk to the nightlife spots in 36 and that area should be a bit cheaper (not many Altbau buildings there). Outside of the immediate Kreuzberg area: Friedrichshain near S Warschauer Straße would give you a great connection to Bundestag and the nightlife in F'Hain and 36 but apartments there are definitely more expensive. You might also want to look at the area just north of Ostbahnhof. Great connection to Hauptbahnhof, one stop from Warschauer Straße, and Berghain and Magdalena in walking distance. It's all DDR-Plattenbauten, though. Another idea would be Wedding around U Voltastraße and Gesundbrunnen. A bit rougher and less counter-culture but U8 will take you to Kottbusser Tor in less than 15 minutes and two of my favourite clubs are in Wedding. Definitely cheaper than 36 and F'Hain.
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Nov 9, 2012 08:28
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Out of curiosity: which clubs are those? I'm guessing Stattbad and the one with the elevator. There's definitely some free flats around Voltastrasse and Gesundbrunnen, ZIP code 13357 while searching should give you plenty of results, but 300 euro apartments are pretty scarce.
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Nov 9, 2012 15:43
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Zwille posted:Out of curiosity: which clubs are those? I'm guessing Stattbad and the one with the elevator.
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Nov 9, 2012 17:11
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Here's a question: I currently owe techniker krankenkasse 160 euro for some old health insurance bill that they threw at me after I cancelled my coverage. As the address they have for me is in Canada and they have no other billing details (my old Girokonto is closed), what's the worst that happens if I don't pay?
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Nov 14, 2012 21:08
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They hunt you down and kill you. Depends, are you still in Germany?
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Nov 14, 2012 21:11
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I think he plans on going back so that might be an issue. If he isn't in Germany anymore, I mean.
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Nov 14, 2012 21:18
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Zwille posted:I think he plans on going back so that might be an issue. Yeah I'm not currently in Germany. I guess I should deal with it since I want to go back? e: I'm back at the beginning of the year
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Nov 14, 2012 21:25
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They might pile a ton of Mahngebühren/late fees on you and I don't know if they will find you upon your return... though you probably want to sign up with them again, don't you? Then they'd have your name. But otherwise I don't know what recourse they have. They could sell your open bills off to some collection agency, no clue.
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Nov 15, 2012 00:42
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Landsknecht posted:Here's a question: I currently owe techniker krankenkasse 160 euro for some old health insurance bill that they threw at me after I cancelled my coverage. As the address they have for me is in Canada and they have no other billing details (my old Girokonto is closed), what's the worst that happens if I don't pay? Look at it this way: If you don't pay that bill, then the rest of us (or at least I) will  Then again, it's reported that the German health insurances are basically swimming in cash and are not really giving those profits back to the people. 
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Nov 15, 2012 11:27
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Without getting into technicalities. If you return to germany and live/work here they can garnish your wages/bank account. Theoretically they can try that abroad as well depending on what country you live in. That's a huge bureaucratic mess though, so they probably won't even try it.
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Nov 15, 2012 13:05
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elwood posted:Without getting into technicalities. If you return to germany and live/work here they can garnish your wages/bank account. Theoretically they can try that abroad as well depending on what country you live in. That's a huge bureaucratic mess though, so they probably won't even try it. yeah, I'm just really wondering if the headache may be worth the 150 euros, I mean it's from TK, so I could try and get insurance from AOK or someone when I need it next. I'm also getting a visa from Canada and I'll register my Wohnsitz in Spandau (fastest lines in berlin), so I wonder if they could catch me. That being said the german legal systems does suck to navigate, especially as a foreigner.
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Nov 16, 2012 07:16
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No clue. They may or they may not get you, and the fees may or may not be exorbitant. If you got the money to spare, just pay. If you register in Spandau, wouldn't you need a Spandau residence as well? Now that would suck if you want to live/work in Berlin proper.
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Nov 16, 2012 08:38
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Zwille posted:No clue. They may or they may not get you, and the fees may or may not be exorbitant. If you got the money to spare, just pay. Someone told me that all of the 12 areas all count as Landkreis Berlin, so you if you live centrally you can go to a less populated one to get fastracked for stuff. Confirm/deny? Also looking for a place to live is proving somewhat difficult, uggghh I hate this.
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Nov 16, 2012 08:53
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You can register a residence in Berlin in any of the Meldeämter there, but I don't see why that would make a difference. Just pay what you loving owe.
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Nov 16, 2012 09:00
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Oh I see, I thought you had to go to your local Meldeamt. I don't see how going to Spandau is going to save you any time, though, it's a pretty long ride from anywhere that's not Spandau, i.e. Berlin 
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Nov 16, 2012 09:15
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Landsknecht posted:Someone told me that all of the 12 areas all count as Landkreis Berlin, so you if you live centrally you can go to a less populated one to get fastracked for stuff. Confirm/deny?
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Nov 16, 2012 09:42
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Landsknecht posted:Yeah I'm not currently in Germany. I guess I should deal with it since I want to go back? The question is not whether or not they'll find you. They'll find you. The question is whether they deem the debt uncollectable because of an indication that you're no longer in country or hand it off to a debt collection agency. And those aren't good odds to balance a fuckton of fees on when all you had to pay was 150 bucks.
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Nov 16, 2012 13:26
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It's now been one year since I moved to Germany and it's been great so far. I still dread the Bürgerämt though. For the holidays I'll be flying back home to see some family, any ideas for gifts (that could also be mailed) that I could bring back? Christstollen is one thing, but I'd like to add some variety.
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Nov 26, 2012 08:56
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You can get whole truckloads of beautiful overpriced handcrafted trinkets from the Weihnachtsmarkt. Soap, candles, calligraphy sets, whatever.
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Nov 26, 2012 09:25
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Also, don't forget Baumkuchen!
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Nov 26, 2012 10:16
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Chocolate. Always chocolate.
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Nov 28, 2012 02:43
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How comprehensive should my Haftpflichtversicherung be? Am I fine with a 60 euro one or do I want something more serious?
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Nov 28, 2012 08:01
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