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The Berlin Bergmannkiez — A Short Stroll Around the Block
A walk around Berlin’s trendy Bergmannkiez gives you a strong impression of the variety of cafes, shops, and places to stop and relax in Berlin’s favourite neighbourhood.
My morning stroll, a little fresh air on the Saturday morning between Good Friday and Easter Sunday takes me out into Nostitzstrasse on the corner of Bergmannstrasse. The hot April weather has receded and decided that Saturday is to be cool and rainy. That’s northern European weather for you.
Bergmannkiez isn’t only a place to eat and drink, it has its little corners of curiosity. The variety of small clothing shops come and go — unfortunately due to rollicking rents that become difficult to justify. Two hat shops and a bike shop bit the dust recently. A while back, I talked to the owner of “Tischbein”, a carpenter’s shop that produces small furniture, all crafted by hand. Skills handed down to the son after the father spent all his life building the business. Beautiful furniture adorned the large display window. That went, he told me that the rent was going up beyond comprehension — not uncommon in Berlin. Everybody is feeling the squeeze.
