My first dad contributor to the Berlin Locals series (I have to admit that I live with him), enjoy.
Which Kiez or neighbourhood of Berlin do you & your family live in?
Neukölln
How long have you been living there?
Been in the hood just over a year now.
What do you like most about your neighbourhood?
I love being in the middle of a thriving neighbourhood. I love the fact you can walk down the street and pop into a Turkish sweet shop, turn the corner and find a great Scottish bar with an awesome juke box and then nip down the road to Richardplatz which is the oldest and one of the most beautiful squares in Berlin.
Are there any aspects you don’t like about your neighbourhood?
I generally like it but I guess there are two things. No real Kinder cafes as such and the ever present Berlin scourge of the Dog Do.
Has your opinion of your neighbourhood changed since first moving there?
It has certainly changed from what I heard through word of mouth. The area used to be written off as horrible and now is written off as being full of hipsters and for me, neither is true. I love the mix of all aspects that make Berlin what it is and they can all be found down my street.
Where do you most like to go in your neighbourhood during the Spring / Summer months with the kids?
I love taking the kids to Richardplatz in the Spring and Summer. There are playgrounds all around it, I can think of 3 off the top of my head, an amazing ice cream shop and a great Beer / Pizza Garden where you can have that early evening family meal where all can be kept entertained. Not to mention the fact that it is the oldest part of Berlin and has some incredible old houses, beautiful old stables and eccentric private gardens.
Where do you most like to go in your neighbourhood during the Autumn / Winter months with the kids?
The one gripe is that there are no real indoor activities in our neck of the woods. No real kinder cafes as such but we do love to go to Zimt and Mehl, a local Turkish cafe which is not a kinder cafe as such but is very child friendly and is a great place to warm up after a nice Winter’s afternoon stroll.
Are you aware of many other international families living in your neighbourhood?
There are a few, we seem to meet a fair few at playgrounds and I have met a few dads from the area in meet ups but it is certainly not in the same league as Prenzlaurberg.
Do you think your neighbourhood is suitable for families who can’t yet speak German?
My German is not great by any of stretch of the imagination but I do okay. I find everyone is friendly from the Supermarket to the Kita to the corner shop.
Is it easy to get around your neighbourhood with public transport or is having a car more vital where you live?
Public transport is pretty good from here. We are close to the S-bahn Ring, have a local bus that goes to Hauptbahnhof via Potsdammerplatz (Great for Original language cinema treats) and two U-bahn lines, the U7 and the U8 (which goes straight through Mitte). The U-bahn could be closer but it is no great bother. I suppose you could argue that a car with a family would be great wherever you live as then you can head out of town easily to see all the amazing areas outside of Berlin but I love getting around town on public transport and my trusty bicycle.
What is the quality of playgrounds in your neighbourhood and do you have a favourite? (if so, can you tell us where it is/it’s name if it has one)
We have a good number of playgrounds here, I can think of 8 in the local area, and they are all pretty good. I would say my favourite is in Weserstrasse. It isn’t too big (no lost children yet, touch wood) it is great for climbing for the older one and swings and bouncing things for the younger one and then it has a water area and 2 football courts for a bit of social interaction. Oh and a ping pong table for us so called grown ups.
Did you find it easy to attain a suitable childcare spot in your neighbourhood?
The Kita the boys are at is great. I love it. Friendly and the boys are doing grand.
Are there any bilingual schools / kitas in your vicinity?
I have no idea. Ask the misses please.
Do you have a favourite child-friendly restaurant or cafe nearby?
No kinder cafes really but Zimt and Mehl is a lovely child friendly Turkish cafe with great coffee and great food to warm you up after a Winter stroll.
Can you describe your neighbourhood in five words / adjectives?
Urban, Friendly, Raw, Multi-cultural and creative.
Do you have any tips for a family considering a move to your neighbourhood?
Don’t do it, move somewhere else, we need the prices to go down so we can get a bigger place.
Neukölln
How long have you been living there?
Been in the hood just over a year now.
What do you like most about your neighbourhood?
I love being in the middle of a thriving neighbourhood. I love the fact you can walk down the street and pop into a Turkish sweet shop, turn the corner and find a great Scottish bar with an awesome juke box and then nip down the road to Richardplatz which is the oldest and one of the most beautiful squares in Berlin.
Are there any aspects you don’t like about your neighbourhood?
I generally like it but I guess there are two things. No real Kinder cafes as such and the ever present Berlin scourge of the Dog Do.
Has your opinion of your neighbourhood changed since first moving there?
It has certainly changed from what I heard through word of mouth. The area used to be written off as horrible and now is written off as being full of hipsters and for me, neither is true. I love the mix of all aspects that make Berlin what it is and they can all be found down my street.
Where do you most like to go in your neighbourhood during the Spring / Summer months with the kids?
I love taking the kids to Richardplatz in the Spring and Summer. There are playgrounds all around it, I can think of 3 off the top of my head, an amazing ice cream shop and a great Beer / Pizza Garden where you can have that early evening family meal where all can be kept entertained. Not to mention the fact that it is the oldest part of Berlin and has some incredible old houses, beautiful old stables and eccentric private gardens.
Where do you most like to go in your neighbourhood during the Autumn / Winter months with the kids?
The one gripe is that there are no real indoor activities in our neck of the woods. No real kinder cafes as such but we do love to go to Zimt and Mehl, a local Turkish cafe which is not a kinder cafe as such but is very child friendly and is a great place to warm up after a nice Winter’s afternoon stroll.
Are you aware of many other international families living in your neighbourhood?
There are a few, we seem to meet a fair few at playgrounds and I have met a few dads from the area in meet ups but it is certainly not in the same league as Prenzlaurberg.
Do you think your neighbourhood is suitable for families who can’t yet speak German?
My German is not great by any of stretch of the imagination but I do okay. I find everyone is friendly from the Supermarket to the Kita to the corner shop.
Is it easy to get around your neighbourhood with public transport or is having a car more vital where you live?
Public transport is pretty good from here. We are close to the S-bahn Ring, have a local bus that goes to Hauptbahnhof via Potsdammerplatz (Great for Original language cinema treats) and two U-bahn lines, the U7 and the U8 (which goes straight through Mitte). The U-bahn could be closer but it is no great bother. I suppose you could argue that a car with a family would be great wherever you live as then you can head out of town easily to see all the amazing areas outside of Berlin but I love getting around town on public transport and my trusty bicycle.
What is the quality of playgrounds in your neighbourhood and do you have a favourite? (if so, can you tell us where it is/it’s name if it has one)
We have a good number of playgrounds here, I can think of 8 in the local area, and they are all pretty good. I would say my favourite is in Weserstrasse. It isn’t too big (no lost children yet, touch wood) it is great for climbing for the older one and swings and bouncing things for the younger one and then it has a water area and 2 football courts for a bit of social interaction. Oh and a ping pong table for us so called grown ups.
Did you find it easy to attain a suitable childcare spot in your neighbourhood?
The Kita the boys are at is great. I love it. Friendly and the boys are doing grand.
Are there any bilingual schools / kitas in your vicinity?
I have no idea. Ask the misses please.
Do you have a favourite child-friendly restaurant or cafe nearby?
No kinder cafes really but Zimt and Mehl is a lovely child friendly Turkish cafe with great coffee and great food to warm you up after a Winter stroll.
Can you describe your neighbourhood in five words / adjectives?
Urban, Friendly, Raw, Multi-cultural and creative.
Do you have any tips for a family considering a move to your neighbourhood?
Don’t do it, move somewhere else, we need the prices to go down so we can get a bigger place.
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the Berlin Locals Series, get in touch
Regular tips and information is also shared on the Berlin for all the Family Facebook page
Sign up to the BFATF email newsletter to receive the latest posts
direct in your inbox here.
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