Working mom on maternity leave with (soon) four small(ish) kids in Berlin. Lots of typos.
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Berlin Mitte Bubble
My second daughter (now 6) went to a Turkish friend's birthday party today, a couple of subway stops away from our home. We live in Berlin Mitte, previously squatted eastern Berlin, for the past five or so years (and here I openly confess), home to yuppies such as we are (nicely renovated or newly built flats, cafes and tapas and aperol, little boutiques and art galeries...not luxury villas galore, but we definitely can't complain). The party was in Berlin Wedding, which has some up and coming corners, but is still mainly inhabited by Turkish people of 1st, 2nd or 3rd generation. Decent buidlings, but instead of boutiques, Deniz' Export/Import, Döner/kebap kiosks, one sports betting club after another, and well, few yuppies. My idea to find a nice cafe during the party turned into a long trek through the area, as there simply weren't any cafes along the routes I walked. It was again eye opening for someone like me, who has lived, worked, shopped, socialized and taken care of kids mainly within a 2-mile radius. It again made me realize what a luxury (at the lower end) bubble we live in here in Mitte, despite its socially different buidlings as well, lots of graffiti etc. But at the end of the day, I can walk one minute in any direction, and get an amazing espresso, a perfect French pastry, and buy a scarf from 300 euros upward (I prefer the first two by a lifetime over the latter). Berlin has its ghettos, and it's a shame we dont manage to mix more in this city. "We" being part of this problem. Solutions or ideas on how to mix beyond taking random tourist-feeling walks outside of our bubbles - please do share.
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