Berlin’s Bergmannkiez and What to Do in Berlin

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Second-Hand, Antique shops & Book shops around Bergmann Strasse.

Bergmann Strasse runs between Mehringdamm and Sudstern. It’s always been totally in for night-life and living. Recently, the development of property in Berlin has changed Bergmann Strasse so that it has taken on a commercial Boulevard feeling. There are plenty of clothes designers and book shops to visit. Food shops galore with anything from butchers to a palette of fine cheeses to find.
At the end of the street you walk into the “Marheineke Markthalle“, the Market hall which is situated at the beginning of Marheineke Platz. When you enter, you’ll see it’s all about food. Buying stuff to take home and sitting down at one of the many stand-up or stool cafés along the street window. Outside there are seats in the Berlin Sun with a long terrace that makes another good people watching situation.

Walking through the Market you can find all types of cheeses and fresh  and packed meats to buy. At the far end of the hall you’ll find sweet things like cakes and cookies made by Deborah Cocking from mixedcompany.de  Deborah makes fantastic chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and other sweet cakes that make the perfect take home to have with your tea or coffee. Or just buy one and eat it as you browse.
Go back out into the street,Friesenstraße 27, 10965 Berlin, and you’ll find the “Krimi Book Shop”, better known as Hammet-Krimibuchhandlung . They have a good selection of English language Books in room on the left of the shop. Most English language books, all crime related novels, are 3, – euros a piece. Not bad, can’t complain about the price.
Farther down the road, Bergmann Strasse, you’ll find the Antique Book Shop on the corner of Schenkendorfstraße and Bergmann Strasse. He’s been there forever. The store is full of very interesting old books and some new bestsellers which are normally in trays outside on the street. Inside there is a little cubby-hole where you can find some English Language books, mostly non-fiction, biographies and politics.

Bergmann Fest June 24-26 2016
The Bergmannkiez is a cool neighbourhood – people organise things. This month, June, is time for the (German) Bergmannfest. You can enjoy food, drink and music.
For example, Crazy Dog Alex & Friends will be playing on Friday 24th June at 18.25 till 19.35 in the Nostitz Strasse. Upper end of the street. There are a lot of bands and events happening and that means it’s all spread out around the Kiez (Barrio, neighbourhood,manor). At about the same time of day Maracatu Treff Perkussion & voc / Brasilien will be playing in Mehringdamm which is presented by GROOVE ZENTRUM FÜR PERCUSSION
At 20.00 hrs there is a Theatre piece called “Jurassica Parka – Late Night Xpress” , I don’t know either but I’m told it’s good fun. That’s a small chip of information about the many acts and theatre events happening during the three day Festival at Bergmann Kiez.
Festival runs between Friday the 24th of June and finishes on the 26th.
Jazz Sommer Berlin for Jazz fans in the street called Am Tempelhofer Berg just off Bergmann Strasse.
Viktoria Park
If you are out and about and want to get away from the traffic, take a walk into Viktoria Park and enjoy the climb to the top of the man-made mount. At the top you’ll find peace and quiete – unless there’s a school party hanging out there – and a great view across Berlin. You can see Alexander Platz and the surrounding area. Look down on the hidden gems of Berlin.
Don’t expect a café or refreshment at the top because it’s only a monument to look at and make the mind boggle. If you need a drink while you’re in the park, then Cafe Golgatha is on the other side, at the bottom of the hill.
One of the attractions of Viktoria Park is its man-made Waterfall. It runs from the very top and finishes in pool at the bottom right next to the street. Kreuzbergstrasse. The pool was built to look pretty. The designers imagined Berliners sitting around the edge making up poems and lovers embracing, alas, it’s a green and gooey pool of still water that I wouldn’t let a dog swim in. At least it doesn’t smell of green gooeiness.
Cafés for people-watching
The Bergmann Strasse which the centre of the whole area, offers coffe shops and cafés galore. It’s a great place for breakfast – a lot of people know that – that’s why it’s a busy place by 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning. You will find a seat, inside a café or outside on the terrace it’s always a pleasurable experience and excellent view point for people watching, book reading, eating toast and cheese or just having a hair of the dog.
Das Tempelhofer Feld
The old and famous Berlin Airport went out of service years ago. It’s all too close to the city centre and these days the residents of Tempelhof are happier without the sound of planes landing every twenty minutes.
Today, Tempelhofer Feld is a recreation area. Really good for families to take the kids and play ball, fly kites or just wander around the large expanse of green. Last time I asked, I was told that bar-B-Qs are okay, there is an area for grilling your Bratwurst and drinking a German brew.
If you go there, you’ll notice that the buildings, which are still in use by the Polizei, are all in a curved shape. The reason for this is that Hitler built the place. He decided that it would look cool from an aeroplane if the whole neighbourhood of Tempelhof was built to look like an Eagle. He only got as far as getting half a leg, several talons and the bottom part of an Eagle’s tail completed. Albert Speer, his architect had other business to attend to in 1945 and they had to terminate their plans.
Under the old airport is a maze of tunnels and bunkers. They were also built during the Second World War. I’ve been down there. It was dark and wet. the place was full of graffiti because for years people could get down there through air-shafts which can be found around the housing areas of Tempelhof. A piece of Graffiti I found was from the “Durham Light Infantry” and English Regiment from the same city. They left their mark after protecting and patrolling the Berlin Wall in the early eighties.
Das Amerika Gedenkbibliothek
Opened in 1954 as a present to the City of Berlin, It represents Freedom and Education.
Years ago the books were mostly in English. Today, the books serve the German public and are therefore in German. Never mind, if you can’t read German the Library also houses a good collection of DVDs of music and film. There’s a café inside tucked away in the far corner. Downstairs you’ll find a place for the kids to find interesting books and other kids looking at books; it’ll be noisy, sometimes. The library for adults is quiet. When you go in you’ll see that students use it for its correct purpose – study and research. Or, just hanging out reading the Complete Stories of Flannery O’Connor.
On a hot day, or not, you can visit ice café http://www.vanille-marille.de/ and try their selection of ice creams. Belgium Fine-Chocolate, Premium Madagascar Vanilla, Peanut with home baked Brownies are just three of twenty sorts of ice-cream flavours that they offer. You’ll find something to tempt your palette.
If it’s food you want, then there’s no problem in the Bergmannkiez, the area is full of options for an evening out. Sit down and eat or find neat little bar were you can stand chat a while. Thai food, Italian, Mediterranean cuisine, and of course good old German Bratwurst and Currywurst are on offer along the Bergmann Strasse.
If you wander down to Mehringdamm around the U-Bahn area you will see “Curry-36” , a famous imbiss/street café that sells great currywurst and chips/french fries. The hook? The queue is always long – a good sign that the food is good.
Public transport U7 and the U6. These two underground train lines take you in all four directions. If you are heading to the former East side of Berlin, then the U7 will take you there within minutes. Prenzlauer Berg is about 25 minutes away. The Ku’damm is also only 20 minutes away at Adenauer Platz which is about half way along the Ku’damm and very close to clubs and bars.