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As
always when investing in property, location is all important. Berlin
is a buyers market with a vast array of properties on offer, including
many in less desirable locations. When purchasing a buy to let property
it is essential to carefully consider your target market. Apartments
in centrally located areas are favoured by young professionals and
young families alike. There are a number of centrally located areas
of the city which which are currently experiencing the greatest
demand for property. |
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on an central area to read about it.
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Mitte
Mitte is Berlin’s central district,
containing some of the city's oldest property as well as many of
Berlin's grandest buildings. The city’s most famous landmarks
such as the Brandenburg Gate and Unter den Linden, Berlin’s
historic boulevard, are located here. The area also incorporates
the imposing Alexanderplatz Square and the famous 365 metre TV Tower.
Berlin’s most renowned shopping district can be found along
Friedrichstrasse, and the newly developed Potsdamer Platz in the
heart of the city is the location of many multinational corporations
and some of the city’s most expensive real estate.
Prenzlauer
Berg
This area of former East Berlin is now perhaps the most sought after
area to live for professionals and young families. If offers an
abundance of beautiful pre-war ‘Altbau’ buildings, the
vast majority of which have been completely restored since unification
of the city. It is close to central Berlin and has a lively café,
bar and restaurant scene as well as several parks and green spaces.
Popular places to go out include Kastanienallee, Kollwitzplatz (home
to the sculptor Käthe Kollwitz), Kulturbrauerei (an expansive
brewery which has been transformed into a centre for culture and
evening entertainment) and Helmholtzplatz.
Friedrichshain
Friedrichshain is the district to the south
of Prenzlauer Berg and to the east of Mitte. It's main artery is
Karl Marx Allee, an imposing avenue lined with Soviet style architecture
which was the focal point of a working-class revolt on 17 June 1953,
which threatened the very existence of the fledgling state and was
subdued by military force. Although it can be a little run down
in places, many buildings are now undergoing renovation, following
in the footsteps of Prenzlauer Berg. The area has many alternative
bars, cafés and clubs and is popular with students and young
people. The area around Simon-Dach-Straße in particular is
loaded with pubs, lounge bars and restaurants. Properties here can
vary substantially in standard and in price. |
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Kreutzberg
Across the river
Spree from Friedrichshain is the district of Kreuzberg. The district
formed part of the old West Berlin and was renowned in the sixties
and seventies, the centre of West Germany’s anarchist scene.
After unification the area found itself once again in the centre
of Berlin and, in recent years, it has become a fashionable area,
but still retaining its bohemian atmosphere. A lively café
and bar culture can be found in the area around around Kottbusser
Tor and Oranienstrabe. Kreuzberg has a multi-cultural feel and is
home to the majority of Berlin’s Turkish population. There
are also many museums such as the Berlin Museum, Jewish Museum and
Technical Museum and several of the best preserved remnants of the
Berlin Wall.
Charlottenburg
The Charlottenburg
District was the centre of West Berlin after the city was divided
and is situated north of the famous Kurfürstendamm, one of
Berlin's main shopping areas. The district covers a huge swathe
of the city and has a number of famous landmarks, perhaps the best
known being Schloss Charlottenburg, an elegant palace constructed
in the Italian Baroque style and surrounded by a lovely park. The
Bröhanmuseum displays design, art and fin de siècle
jewellery while the elegant Stülerbau houses the Berggruen
collection and contains paintings by Picasso, Klee and Van Gogh.
This part of Berlin is also home to some fine bookshops, bars and
restaurants, mainly around the Savignyplatz.
Schöneberg
Schöneberg
is a lively and hip district situated between bohemian Kreuzberg
and sophisticated, bourgeois Wilmersdorf. Though largely devoid
of conventional sights it is a diverse and vibrant part of the city.
It is home to the famous weekend Winterfeldtmarkt, Berlin's most
famous weekly market, offering an exciting range of fruits and vegetables,
cheese, flowers, clothes and homeware. It was in the famous Schöneberg
Town Hall (Rathaus) that U.S. President John F. Kennedy delivered
his famous 1963 "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech. The area
also has a rich literary history, having been home to writers such
as Grass, Enzensberger, Frisch and Johnson in the 1960’s.
Tiergarten
This district, connecting
Mitte and Charlottenburg, is divided by Berlin’s huge central
park, from which it takes its name. The park, which used to serve
as a hunting ground for the high nobility, stretches west from the
Brandenburg gate and is a haven for joggers and picnickers alike.
The Wall used to run along the eastern edge of the park, and the
river Spree flows along its northern boundary. The district is also
home to the new Berlin Hauptbahnhof (central station) and many architectural,
cultural and commercial attractions including the new Potsdamer
Platz, on the border with Mitte, and a number of museums and galleries.
Strasse des 17. Juni, which traverses Tiergarten, turns into Berlin's
largest flea market at weekends.
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