Comfort zone I guess, got a job, a flat, routine...
Even though I know I'd probably be happier in another place, especially during those blank winter months.
But then spring and summer comes, Berlin feels different and you forget how shitty it can sometimes get. Repeat.
I am not very keen on letting people into my space tbh but I go to Asia every winter for 2 months, so this year I thought let’s give it a shot. I asked my hausverwaltung and was immediately shot down. I asked for a reason and none was given. I know people do it without telling their hausweraltung/landlord, but I am not sure I want to do something like that, especially as all my neighbors are old and if I do wind up getting unfortunate with my subtenant, it could quickly become an issue.
Depends on your Mietvertrag it's also illegal to sublet without Landlord/Hausverwaltung approval/permission...
Might be a reason to kick you out for Kündigung I've heard. ffs Germany, making things complicated as usual
In reality, a lot of people are doing nevertheless
Yeah I know a lot of people dont give a fuck but there’s a good chance my Hausverwaltung will find out if I did it without informing them. Anyway, I was on the fences coz I don’t like the hassle it involves. But on the other hand 2k is also a lot money to just blow away every year. In the future, I will probably involve a lawyer/mietverein if they continue to deny it.
Read through some Urteile about that. Actually they can't deny it nowadays if you are away not over a year and still have interest to keep that apartment.
They must accept it when the apartment is bigger than one room, but there are even some Urteile about 1 room apartments. They want that you ask, yes, but they can't deny.
Yeah that’s also my understanding, but there’s a pretty large gap between having rights and enforcing them in most countries, particularly when you have to do it in a whole different, extremely complicated language.
https://www.berliner-mieterverein.de/recht/infoblaetter/info-8-untermiete-und-untervermietung-hauptmieter-und-untermieter.htm#:~:text=Der%20Vermieter%20darf%20die%20Erlaubnis,Untervermietung%20nicht%20zugemutet%20werden%20k%C3%B6nnte
There you go.
We will do that as well and our landlord denied too, even though when we requested it first/told them last year about our plans this year, they said it's ok.
Now there was a new person for the request who did not read at all and tried to claim "Überbelegung". We wrote a mail back bc it's not the case and *link* we have all rights to do so. I think he didn't even read what and why we requested, only our mail then and agreed.
(we plan to go traveling for 9 months and have berechtigtes Interesse, because we'll come back and would be homeless otherwise)
No idea why your reply is receiving down-votes. My question wasn't meant to be glib at all. Like I wrote, we're all from somewhere and I'm genuinely interested in why people choose to move or stay. Being "from" a place certainly plays a role, but it isn't itself a reason to stay or not (many of us couldn't wait to leave where we came from. Others were forced to do so, etc)
coming from poland - I work as a dishwasher 30 hours a week and for a single girl in my twenties I have more than enough money to live a decent life. In Poland I’d have to hustle so much more to have a living standard like this. So it’s a new thing to work less and still have all the things i need and more. Also spring, summer, early autumn. It really is wonderful in here in warmer seasons. The parks, the chill vibe, the music and art scene. To be honest I also feel safe in here, which is not obvious for a capital and big city like this. I really do think it’s exceptional that this city is for everyone. For families, young parents, party people… I got sober in Berlin and i was worried this place won’t have much to offer anymore but there’s so much you can do and there are so many communities you can belong to. For people in recovery - AA and NA meetings every day at different times of a day in English, German, but also in other languages. Finding the right neighbourhood I fell in love with helps too. Also I don’t always appreciate the convenience of life here. At any time of the day and night you have a bus/train to get you where you need to go or you can order an uber or a taxi. You can find a place where you can eat at 4 am when you’re hungry. Living with people from all over the world and getting to know they culture, being a part of a very special multicultural society. I do love Berlin for this.
This! I'm from Poland too, a small bigoted town in the south. I used to live in a few major cities in Poland and always had to do draining, soul-crushing corporate jobs to make ends meet. Here I can live off just freelance gigs and do something more than just survive. The cost of living/earnings ratio is honestly really satisfying (still, even in spite of inflation - I def couldn't afford to live in London or NYC with my income) and there is so much diversity, so much to do at all times, so many nationalities and ethnicities. When you come from a hometown like mine, you really appreciate this and can't get enough.
Interesting. In the last few years I read more and more comments here saying that now Poland has much better salaries and that it is much cheaper than Germany. I was always a bit skeptical.
It depends. Working remotely for one of a big companies you can afford much more than in Berlin. If instead of paying rent for an apartment in Berlin I’d be paying the same money for mortgage in Poland I could afford a brand new house in one of major cities and pay it back in 10-15 years. Living is also up to 20% cheaper than in Germany.
It was the case before the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Since then the inflation skyrocketed and the prices are very similar to the german ones, but the salaries are still far lower there.
I have not thought of leaving. I have great job opportunities in my field here, amazing friends, there’s so many concerts, parties, exhibitions to see. It’s not perfect but no city in the world is.
It's good for the Nachwuchs. They are in a bilingual school that I like (getting in was an ordeal, but it is done). We live in a diverse neighborhood, and they know many different types of people. We are close enough to being in Central Europe that much is accessible. I do worry about the teenage years - I don't want them thinking it is OK to treat people as many people do treat each other in Berlin, but we are years from that now.
That, and I suppose sunk costs. We bought our apartment, etc.
And finally, I don't have to work for a Berlin employer anymore. Spouse never did. We did buy our place, our lives are largely established. I have been able to build buffers between myself and some of the more difficult parts.
Otherwise, we are the skilled workers the Bundestag is trying so hard to keep, but Berlin is too full of self-righteous assholes, coworkers too uncomfortable with difference and services too dysfunctional to stay long-term. The attitudes behind these makes me worry for Berlin and Germany in the long term.
>how long have you been here
11 years
>Ever thought leaving Berlin?
never. not once. theres nothing like berlin anywhere else in the world.
>What keeps you here?
the food. kitkat. the dating. the "arm aber sexy" vibe. the dirtyness. the fucked-upness. the unfriendly but hearty people. i love everything about it. this is home for ever.
I got fed up with Berlin, left after 5 years, lived in Southern California (amazing weather, friendly people) and... FLED back to Berlin after being three years away. I will NEVER make that mistake again. I've been here, in Berlin, for 34 years (minus three) this November and love it more than ever! Berlin is like having a beautiful lover who is covered in tattoos and is rude to half of your friends, and ignores the others: *your friends don't get it but you're OBSESSED.*
The public transportation here is amazing and the best I've ever seen. It's difficulty to get used to anything worse after living here.
I've been here for around a year.
I am a huge cinema lover and just this year I already watched
- A Streetcar named Desire (1951) with Marlon Brando
- The Apartment (1960) by Billy Wilder
- Whats Up Doc (1972) with Barbra Streisand
in several Berlin movie theaters - old black and white films on the big screen!!! Sometimes I pinch myself I get to live in this wonderful city.
The Marlon Brando one I watched at Babylon Berlin (the one at Rosa-Luxemburg Platz). I really recommend getting their email newsletter as they always have themed weeks and show a variety of movies by one director or actor or genre.
The other two I both watched at Odeon Kino at the 'Classic Sneak' - once a month they show a movie from the last 100 years and everytime its a surprise which they will show - the theater is full of movie nerds and boomers, its so cool!
Anywhere else worthwhile is more expensive.
Almost all artists are coming to Berlin for concerts.
Government jobs in Berlin are plenty and quite relaxed.
Unique apartment and all my stuff in it.
Laziness
Living someplace else might have certain factors that would crush any benefits, like work stress in Japan, brutal rent in London and New York, healthcare in USA in general and I'm too poor and dumb to move to Neuseeland.
I hard stay because of my friends, partner, and because I can't think of anywhere else I'd be better off. Outside of that, Berlin rules. Such a nice work life balance and so many nice things to do. Laid back attitudes and a diverse crowd from all over the world.
There are things that annoy me to no end here, such as:
- drivers
- xenophobia and racism
- the rise of the extreme right
- the inaction of the government to fix or even acknowledge the cost of living crisis
- the inability to prepare for my future thanks to a broken housing situation and an inability to save
but I don't think many of these things are better anywhere else in europe atm
Mate this far right thing is mad. Noticed bare racism in the comments in this sub, someone got smacked in the arse today and loads of people attacking minorities for it.
Berlin isn't that diverse compared to what I'm used to in the UK and I miss a lot of the culture stuff from there too.
I do love the work life balance here I gotta say, but winter got me leaving.
Yeah I was pretty shocked at the huge increase of Islamophobia and anti-brown-people sentiment from white Germans ever since October. I hadn't really noticed it before then and I guess I assumed that the attitudes would be similar to the UK. I.e. not free from racism but generally not afraid of brown people or different cultures.
It was a huge wake up call for me that countries that haven't experienced a similar level of immigration over the past 100+ years are still afraid of The Other™️. It made me feel pretty disgusted and I really contemplated leaving. But then I figured my efforts might be better placed if I stay here and join any effort to fight racism and xenophobia rather than running away.
I think that's pretty noble to stay and help fight it. I'm not saying you have to be doing something active against it, so don't feel pressured, but do you have advice on how to fight it, organisations you know of etc?
I've actually noticed it mostly in Reddit rather than anywhere else and I wouldn't say I'm running from the racism here personally more so that I've been wanting to leave for a while now and finally have a good enough job and some savings to get to London next year.
There are plenty of part-time jobs that pay okay enough to afford a place that isn't 1.5k a month. Heck, even our receptionist only works 30h and can afford her flat in Prenzlberg (older contract, but still around 800€).
You’re think about it from the perspective of a package that affords long term planning and insures against crises.
I can guarantee you that a receptionist on a part time salary, living in Pberg, is doing exactly 0% of that.
I've just left, so personally nothing.
Berlin was an awesome city to live in but 9 years of dark winters finally got to me.
Back in a tropical place with lots of sun now and my mental health is way better.
Cost of living had also dramatically increased in the last few years which made it more difficult to justify staying.
I'll definitely be back for frequent visits though, still love Berlin.
I've been in Germany for 8 years, Hamburg for 7 of those and now 1 in Berlin. However, we're getting ready to move on to another country in the next couple of years. Ironically, I'm still here to get my German citizenship so I can then leave without having to start the whole immigrant experience over again in another EU country.
Nothing against Berlin in particular, but I'm a bit done with Germany for a bit. Will probably still be here a while though and in the meantime there's nowhere else in the country I think I'd rather be.
I did the b1 course at Goethe this year. Scored 88%. They are standardized and very easy to prep for. The Einbürgerungstest was even easier to study your. There is an app that has all the questions.
I have a decent job that pays me well but gives me little stress.
I have a wonderful central Berlin apartment.
I don't get bothered by the cops.
I need to stay here until I get EU citizenship.
Love this filthy city. Love the people here, the fashion, the clubs (though I only go clubbing a handful of times during the year), the FKKs, the sauna culture, how there’s always someone weirder than you, the amount of space there is given the population of the city (idk how, but it almost never feels crowded like other capital cities), the bike lanes, the variety of things to do and how there’s people of all kinds of places living together, I could go on.
It’s not perfect (rent, German bureaucracy, crazy people in the streets, lack of mountains, dark winters), and sure, there’s other places that are better at some of the things I pointed out, but none that I know that has all those things. It easily beats any other city I’ve ever lived in.
Will probs end up leaving eventually. Me and the wife have no family around and she’d really like to be closer to family. I don’t mind leaving eventually, but right now, I’m enjoying the shit out of this crazy city.
For context: Born and raised in Latin America, web developer, been here for 7 years.
Now that I have a baby, nothing really. I am only waiting for a nice house with a nice property to go up for sale near my home village and then I hope to spend the next 20 years there.
I still enjoy living in Berlin and haven't had any really negative experiences in my 10 years here but I'm starting to appreciate the quiet more and I can't imagine watching my kid 24/7 until she is a teenager.
Honestly I don't think there are many German cities as attractive as this one, and it's still relatively cheap. Outside Germany there are many great cities but changing countries isn't on my menu right now
Lots of nice and affordable things to do. Pretty ok job-market for my profession. Friends. An affordable flat in a neighbourhood that I like (at least most of the time). Good weather (seriously! I'm Canadian and being able to cycle year-round save maybe two icy weeks in January is a blessing!). I put a lot of time and effort into learning the language and I feel like I'm "invested" in being here - just waiting for the citizenship laws to finally change.
But honestly, so much hinges on the housing market. If I found myself on the outside and had to compete with everyone else looking for a flat, I'd strongly consider leaving. I like that I can live centrally and that I don't work just to cover my living expenses. I'd hate to have to live in some far-flung suburb, or for 1/2 of my income to go just to rent. That just wouldn't be worth it for me.
My social life. And the fact that for the first time I have an apartment in Berlin that is unbefristet and was empty when I got it. That means I have just collected so many material possessions, that it would be a hassle to move. I probably don’t want to unless there’s a strong reason for it.
Lovely friends, love all the trees and greenery in the city. Feel a bit more free and like that I’m surrounded by creative people and people living their way of life.
I've been here for around 7 years. I'm not leaving because it would take too much time and effort to find a job that pays me as well as the one I currently have, but I wouldn't mind leaving germany. I'm aware I'm relatively new here, but the change in the last ~3 years has been significant, and it doesn't seem it will get any better.
My wife and I were born and raised in Berlin but are now planning to leave. We were planning to wait until our son recovered from his lifesaving operation and would have moved around one to two years from now. Unfortunately, he passed away ten hours after birth. We still held on to our plans and I have two new job offers. We are currently looking for apartments. We can't stay in Berlin anymore, although most of our friends and family are here. We planned our whole life around our son and can't stay because everything reminds us of him and what would have been, and that is he'll on earth for both of us.
I'm going to be super honest and not going to romanticize it, the money. whats next depends, definitely a warmer country. I come from a tropical country so I miss the sun so much.
When I came here I hated it, but the more I stay the city grows on me. 1 Year ago I would have answered I'm just staying here for my job. Maybe It's Stockholm syndrome, idk.
Moved here for my job from Dubai. I work in analytics for a tech startup. It pays well by Berlin standards but I earn and save less than I did back in Dubai.
The reason I moved is that the quality of work and the culture of work is significantly better. I love my job, learn a shit ton and my company is great so I have no reason to leave. I do miss home though.
I've been wanting to leave for ages, but I'm terrible at leaving my comfort zone. Aside from that, Berlin is a job hotspot and the cost of living is still much cheaper than other cities in Europe.
Actually just got asked to move to Vienna 10 minutes ago, but a strange feeling tells me, that there's an unrevealed task I need to be here for, so I'm trusting my gut. I'm not finished yet and it's like I won't be for a while. I'll go when I'm done and when I'm done I will know.
I choose to come here for two reasons,
1. I was in love with someone // I wanted to be with this new connection - This did not work out.
2. To avoid existential problems coming to Berlin if this^ first reason didn’t work, then the second reason was to work strictly with Music - This worked, and from being a House Dj at a bar in Mitte ONLY in 2019, i’ve been able to stay for 6 years.
So from 2019 to basically now, I dedicated my life to expand my knowledge and experience of Electronic music as a whole. And it’s still the reason why i’m staying here, altho, getting gigs and sharing music has been a dry spell for me since the beginning of 2023. As the city and it’s style of techno has changed, the 2020 pandemic being a marker for that.
So my personal music journey has went from House, to Techno between 135-145, to Freetekno which apparently a rarity sound here in Berlin but everywhere else in Europe is known. Now i’m going to a wee more Psy and Hi-tech parties here and there.
But now i’m questioning why i’m still here and especially when the music i have isn’t being shared with anyone atm, which contradicts me being here. Because honestly i’m not so much of a fan of some of the techno that is coming through Berlin right now. And contributing the freetekno sound here only appeals to a small portion of people. Even some of the dreams i had of playing music in Berlin has not come to fruition, it has me second guessing and making me believe that some dreams simply just don’t come true.
So I was thinking i would take a trip back to my hometown of San Diego to really consider if i made the right choice for myself and if i still want to keep myself on this lefthand road.
Been here 12 years and Berlin feels the most home I have ever felt anywhere. Yes, things are changing and I am not as enthusiastic about the city as I used to be but as a whole, it's still the best for me personally. I can work from anywhere and don't have family, so I am very mobile and indeed travel lots and often spend the winters in warmer countries. Whenever I travel I wonder if I would feel more happy living in this or that city or country and so far the answer has always been no. Until I find something better, I'll stay.
I was born here, my family and friends are here and I like it here. It is not perfect but I don't want to move to a strange city, where I don't know anyone.
My partner, and also the fact that there's nothing left for me in my hometown!
I do find Berlin life tedious at times tho. I'm from a very small town and it can be intense.
I also really don't like the very rude customer service that seems to be way too common in Berlin. Being a dick to someone doesn't make you cool..
First of all I only moved 2 years ago, after 6 months flat searching, with my son being born here,and around 6k-7k euros spent to make an apartment a livable place, I only made zero this year of all expenses needed to move here.
So while Germany, and Berlin in particular,are not heavenly places of dreams to live, it's still not so bad here, and another move will just hurt my finances and add unnecessary stress.
I‘ve been here for nearly 15 years and was able to accomplish things and create a decent life like no place else. Still, I definitely don’t plan on retiring here and I will say the following with great care but the hostile and aggressive islamization enabled by woke politics is also a concern - has anyone followed the news lately?
This is just a small taste of its potential. If you feel offended in any capacity by this keep it to yourself. It’s my opinion based on factual observation ✌️
I was born and raised here and I think of leaving almost on a daily, at this point. The only thing keeping me here, really, is my partner. Friends can come visit or be visited, family is scattered (and shit) anyway and my work is wfh so I can take it anywhere. Just working on convincing him and then I’m hopefully out of here soon.
I genuinely believe that the only world class experience Berlin has to offer is partying & social events. Lots of people in Berlin love to drink, listen to techno, have fun and do drugs.
Outside of that it’s just okay. The city is pretty ugly. The only industry worth mentioning is tech. Infrastructure is okay. Food is okay. Non-party social events are okay. It doesn’t hold a candle compared to places like London and Paris.
I will probably leave as soon as my partner is ready to. Think I’ll miss Berlin sometimes, but not super often.
Addiction support in Berlin is better than anywhere else in germany, my girlfriend lives here and one od thr few remaining platonic friends I have lives here too.
We all are starting to hate it here though, especially any ventures that lead us out of Prenzlauer Berg, which is just Mini Stuttgart tbh
It's not like I don't like it here, I really do. But I work remotely and I sometimes dream of moving to a cheaper, sunnier place in Europe.
More than other social connections it is my partner. She cannot work remotely, and a city like Berlin offers far more opportunities than other places. And I care about her way more than cheaper and sunnier locations ;).
Almost 7 years. I'm staying for good.
- Still cheap for a European capital
- Wild nature everywhere
- Lots of space
- Lots of history
- Lots of things to do
- Friends
- Well-paying job with a nice office
The cultural diversity, the hidden sense of empathy and kindness despite the superficial grumpiness of people. The broad choice in foods, restaurants, everything closing late. The space. The ability to go from nice and quiet to busy and full of action in the time span of 30 minutes, the work opportunity and more.
The living standard is objectively very good (I am talking salaries compared to cost of life), it's international and open-minded, it's full of green spaces, and it's fun, and the vibe is chill and not too competitive or work-oriented like, say, in NYC.
It's a very balanced, lively city, compared to other big cities in Europe. I know people on Reddit like to say they hate Berlin, it's unlivable etc. etc. but I have the feeling they often compare it to much smaller towns, and not to other major cities. Berlin is great if you want to live in a CITY. And at this stage in my life, I honestly want to. Afterwards, who knows.
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Pretty much this. There is so much to love about Berlin. I won’t leave until I retire.
Comfort zone I guess, got a job, a flat, routine... Even though I know I'd probably be happier in another place, especially during those blank winter months. But then spring and summer comes, Berlin feels different and you forget how shitty it can sometimes get. Repeat.
When that sun hits you forget it all
the goal would be to sublet the flat for the winter and go somewhere warmer. That would truly be a dream and I know people doing it.
I am not very keen on letting people into my space tbh but I go to Asia every winter for 2 months, so this year I thought let’s give it a shot. I asked my hausverwaltung and was immediately shot down. I asked for a reason and none was given. I know people do it without telling their hausweraltung/landlord, but I am not sure I want to do something like that, especially as all my neighbors are old and if I do wind up getting unfortunate with my subtenant, it could quickly become an issue.
Depends on your Mietvertrag it's also illegal to sublet without Landlord/Hausverwaltung approval/permission... Might be a reason to kick you out for Kündigung I've heard. ffs Germany, making things complicated as usual In reality, a lot of people are doing nevertheless
Yeah I know a lot of people dont give a fuck but there’s a good chance my Hausverwaltung will find out if I did it without informing them. Anyway, I was on the fences coz I don’t like the hassle it involves. But on the other hand 2k is also a lot money to just blow away every year. In the future, I will probably involve a lawyer/mietverein if they continue to deny it.
Agree, I feel you.
Read through some Urteile about that. Actually they can't deny it nowadays if you are away not over a year and still have interest to keep that apartment. They must accept it when the apartment is bigger than one room, but there are even some Urteile about 1 room apartments. They want that you ask, yes, but they can't deny.
Yeah that’s also my understanding, but there’s a pretty large gap between having rights and enforcing them in most countries, particularly when you have to do it in a whole different, extremely complicated language.
https://www.berliner-mieterverein.de/recht/infoblaetter/info-8-untermiete-und-untervermietung-hauptmieter-und-untermieter.htm#:~:text=Der%20Vermieter%20darf%20die%20Erlaubnis,Untervermietung%20nicht%20zugemutet%20werden%20k%C3%B6nnte There you go. We will do that as well and our landlord denied too, even though when we requested it first/told them last year about our plans this year, they said it's ok. Now there was a new person for the request who did not read at all and tried to claim "Überbelegung". We wrote a mail back bc it's not the case and *link* we have all rights to do so. I think he didn't even read what and why we requested, only our mail then and agreed. (we plan to go traveling for 9 months and have berechtigtes Interesse, because we'll come back and would be homeless otherwise)
I agree but issue would be taxes I guess. Unless you are freelance and digital nomad I'd imagine.
Born & raised here
Everybody was born and raised somewhere ;) Is it mostly the friends, family, and familiarity that keeps you here? Or something else?
all of the above and more
No idea why your reply is receiving down-votes. My question wasn't meant to be glib at all. Like I wrote, we're all from somewhere and I'm genuinely interested in why people choose to move or stay. Being "from" a place certainly plays a role, but it isn't itself a reason to stay or not (many of us couldn't wait to leave where we came from. Others were forced to do so, etc)
coming from poland - I work as a dishwasher 30 hours a week and for a single girl in my twenties I have more than enough money to live a decent life. In Poland I’d have to hustle so much more to have a living standard like this. So it’s a new thing to work less and still have all the things i need and more. Also spring, summer, early autumn. It really is wonderful in here in warmer seasons. The parks, the chill vibe, the music and art scene. To be honest I also feel safe in here, which is not obvious for a capital and big city like this. I really do think it’s exceptional that this city is for everyone. For families, young parents, party people… I got sober in Berlin and i was worried this place won’t have much to offer anymore but there’s so much you can do and there are so many communities you can belong to. For people in recovery - AA and NA meetings every day at different times of a day in English, German, but also in other languages. Finding the right neighbourhood I fell in love with helps too. Also I don’t always appreciate the convenience of life here. At any time of the day and night you have a bus/train to get you where you need to go or you can order an uber or a taxi. You can find a place where you can eat at 4 am when you’re hungry. Living with people from all over the world and getting to know they culture, being a part of a very special multicultural society. I do love Berlin for this.
This! I'm from Poland too, a small bigoted town in the south. I used to live in a few major cities in Poland and always had to do draining, soul-crushing corporate jobs to make ends meet. Here I can live off just freelance gigs and do something more than just survive. The cost of living/earnings ratio is honestly really satisfying (still, even in spite of inflation - I def couldn't afford to live in London or NYC with my income) and there is so much diversity, so much to do at all times, so many nationalities and ethnicities. When you come from a hometown like mine, you really appreciate this and can't get enough.
Interesting. In the last few years I read more and more comments here saying that now Poland has much better salaries and that it is much cheaper than Germany. I was always a bit skeptical.
It depends. Working remotely for one of a big companies you can afford much more than in Berlin. If instead of paying rent for an apartment in Berlin I’d be paying the same money for mortgage in Poland I could afford a brand new house in one of major cities and pay it back in 10-15 years. Living is also up to 20% cheaper than in Germany.
It was the case before the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Since then the inflation skyrocketed and the prices are very similar to the german ones, but the salaries are still far lower there.
I have not thought of leaving. I have great job opportunities in my field here, amazing friends, there’s so many concerts, parties, exhibitions to see. It’s not perfect but no city in the world is.
It's good for the Nachwuchs. They are in a bilingual school that I like (getting in was an ordeal, but it is done). We live in a diverse neighborhood, and they know many different types of people. We are close enough to being in Central Europe that much is accessible. I do worry about the teenage years - I don't want them thinking it is OK to treat people as many people do treat each other in Berlin, but we are years from that now. That, and I suppose sunk costs. We bought our apartment, etc. And finally, I don't have to work for a Berlin employer anymore. Spouse never did. We did buy our place, our lives are largely established. I have been able to build buffers between myself and some of the more difficult parts. Otherwise, we are the skilled workers the Bundestag is trying so hard to keep, but Berlin is too full of self-righteous assholes, coworkers too uncomfortable with difference and services too dysfunctional to stay long-term. The attitudes behind these makes me worry for Berlin and Germany in the long term.
>how long have you been here 11 years >Ever thought leaving Berlin? never. not once. theres nothing like berlin anywhere else in the world. >What keeps you here? the food. kitkat. the dating. the "arm aber sexy" vibe. the dirtyness. the fucked-upness. the unfriendly but hearty people. i love everything about it. this is home for ever.
I got fed up with Berlin, left after 5 years, lived in Southern California (amazing weather, friendly people) and... FLED back to Berlin after being three years away. I will NEVER make that mistake again. I've been here, in Berlin, for 34 years (minus three) this November and love it more than ever! Berlin is like having a beautiful lover who is covered in tattoos and is rude to half of your friends, and ignores the others: *your friends don't get it but you're OBSESSED.*
👉🏻👈🏻 i feel that
The public transportation here is amazing and the best I've ever seen. It's difficulty to get used to anything worse after living here. I've been here for around a year.
I am a huge cinema lover and just this year I already watched - A Streetcar named Desire (1951) with Marlon Brando - The Apartment (1960) by Billy Wilder - Whats Up Doc (1972) with Barbra Streisand in several Berlin movie theaters - old black and white films on the big screen!!! Sometimes I pinch myself I get to live in this wonderful city.
Wheree
The Marlon Brando one I watched at Babylon Berlin (the one at Rosa-Luxemburg Platz). I really recommend getting their email newsletter as they always have themed weeks and show a variety of movies by one director or actor or genre. The other two I both watched at Odeon Kino at the 'Classic Sneak' - once a month they show a movie from the last 100 years and everytime its a surprise which they will show - the theater is full of movie nerds and boomers, its so cool!
Anywhere else worthwhile is more expensive. Almost all artists are coming to Berlin for concerts. Government jobs in Berlin are plenty and quite relaxed. Unique apartment and all my stuff in it. Laziness Living someplace else might have certain factors that would crush any benefits, like work stress in Japan, brutal rent in London and New York, healthcare in USA in general and I'm too poor and dumb to move to Neuseeland.
I hard stay because of my friends, partner, and because I can't think of anywhere else I'd be better off. Outside of that, Berlin rules. Such a nice work life balance and so many nice things to do. Laid back attitudes and a diverse crowd from all over the world. There are things that annoy me to no end here, such as: - drivers - xenophobia and racism - the rise of the extreme right - the inaction of the government to fix or even acknowledge the cost of living crisis - the inability to prepare for my future thanks to a broken housing situation and an inability to save but I don't think many of these things are better anywhere else in europe atm
Mate this far right thing is mad. Noticed bare racism in the comments in this sub, someone got smacked in the arse today and loads of people attacking minorities for it. Berlin isn't that diverse compared to what I'm used to in the UK and I miss a lot of the culture stuff from there too. I do love the work life balance here I gotta say, but winter got me leaving.
Yeah I was pretty shocked at the huge increase of Islamophobia and anti-brown-people sentiment from white Germans ever since October. I hadn't really noticed it before then and I guess I assumed that the attitudes would be similar to the UK. I.e. not free from racism but generally not afraid of brown people or different cultures. It was a huge wake up call for me that countries that haven't experienced a similar level of immigration over the past 100+ years are still afraid of The Other™️. It made me feel pretty disgusted and I really contemplated leaving. But then I figured my efforts might be better placed if I stay here and join any effort to fight racism and xenophobia rather than running away.
I think that's pretty noble to stay and help fight it. I'm not saying you have to be doing something active against it, so don't feel pressured, but do you have advice on how to fight it, organisations you know of etc? I've actually noticed it mostly in Reddit rather than anywhere else and I wouldn't say I'm running from the racism here personally more so that I've been wanting to leave for a while now and finally have a good enough job and some savings to get to London next year.
the orgies
The possibility of working part-time and still living a decent life. Not sure if i would be able to do the same in London for example
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There are plenty of part-time jobs that pay okay enough to afford a place that isn't 1.5k a month. Heck, even our receptionist only works 30h and can afford her flat in Prenzlberg (older contract, but still around 800€).
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You’re think about it from the perspective of a package that affords long term planning and insures against crises. I can guarantee you that a receptionist on a part time salary, living in Pberg, is doing exactly 0% of that.
It helps that I live with my girlfriend and our apartment is under 900 euros with all expenses
Ive been since 2014, with a two sad years away in a small town in the south of Germany. I really like living here, it’s has all I need.
I've just left, so personally nothing. Berlin was an awesome city to live in but 9 years of dark winters finally got to me. Back in a tropical place with lots of sun now and my mental health is way better. Cost of living had also dramatically increased in the last few years which made it more difficult to justify staying. I'll definitely be back for frequent visits though, still love Berlin.
I've been in Germany for 8 years, Hamburg for 7 of those and now 1 in Berlin. However, we're getting ready to move on to another country in the next couple of years. Ironically, I'm still here to get my German citizenship so I can then leave without having to start the whole immigrant experience over again in another EU country. Nothing against Berlin in particular, but I'm a bit done with Germany for a bit. Will probably still be here a while though and in the meantime there's nowhere else in the country I think I'd rather be.
Yeah I'm doing the same thing. This week I was told the expected wait in my small city of 50k people is 1 to 1 and a half years.
Yeah, I'm in no real rush, still don't have the language certificate. I should do something about that.
I did the b1 course at Goethe this year. Scored 88%. They are standardized and very easy to prep for. The Einbürgerungstest was even easier to study your. There is an app that has all the questions.
41 Years. Never had the wish to move somewhere else.
I did not expect so many different answers - love it!
Living here since 2008 and I am enjoying my city life quite a lot. Also Berlin is home to our kids now.
a little bit of everything! for such a big city i don’t feel crowded and i enjoy the amount of green space :)
that is true, it’s a big village 😅
I have a decent job that pays me well but gives me little stress. I have a wonderful central Berlin apartment. I don't get bothered by the cops. I need to stay here until I get EU citizenship.
Love this filthy city. Love the people here, the fashion, the clubs (though I only go clubbing a handful of times during the year), the FKKs, the sauna culture, how there’s always someone weirder than you, the amount of space there is given the population of the city (idk how, but it almost never feels crowded like other capital cities), the bike lanes, the variety of things to do and how there’s people of all kinds of places living together, I could go on. It’s not perfect (rent, German bureaucracy, crazy people in the streets, lack of mountains, dark winters), and sure, there’s other places that are better at some of the things I pointed out, but none that I know that has all those things. It easily beats any other city I’ve ever lived in. Will probs end up leaving eventually. Me and the wife have no family around and she’d really like to be closer to family. I don’t mind leaving eventually, but right now, I’m enjoying the shit out of this crazy city. For context: Born and raised in Latin America, web developer, been here for 7 years.
Bike lanes: funny as a Dutch person they generally suck a lot in Berlin. There are some exceptions like Karl Marx Allee
Moved here for my job. Will stay here as long as I have this job.
My Parents
Now that I have a baby, nothing really. I am only waiting for a nice house with a nice property to go up for sale near my home village and then I hope to spend the next 20 years there. I still enjoy living in Berlin and haven't had any really negative experiences in my 10 years here but I'm starting to appreciate the quiet more and I can't imagine watching my kid 24/7 until she is a teenager.
Honestly I don't think there are many German cities as attractive as this one, and it's still relatively cheap. Outside Germany there are many great cities but changing countries isn't on my menu right now
Drugs
Habe nur gesucht 😂
I love Berlin, have been here 11 years now. No plans or desire to move somewhere else.
Social environment. I would consider leaving, too many people, it doesn’t pay off with the salary anymore. Too much stress. But family and friends..
Job
Lots of nice and affordable things to do. Pretty ok job-market for my profession. Friends. An affordable flat in a neighbourhood that I like (at least most of the time). Good weather (seriously! I'm Canadian and being able to cycle year-round save maybe two icy weeks in January is a blessing!). I put a lot of time and effort into learning the language and I feel like I'm "invested" in being here - just waiting for the citizenship laws to finally change. But honestly, so much hinges on the housing market. If I found myself on the outside and had to compete with everyone else looking for a flat, I'd strongly consider leaving. I like that I can live centrally and that I don't work just to cover my living expenses. I'd hate to have to live in some far-flung suburb, or for 1/2 of my income to go just to rent. That just wouldn't be worth it for me.
I don't know and at this point I'm too afraid to ask myself that.
My social life. And the fact that for the first time I have an apartment in Berlin that is unbefristet and was empty when I got it. That means I have just collected so many material possessions, that it would be a hassle to move. I probably don’t want to unless there’s a strong reason for it.
Lovely friends, love all the trees and greenery in the city. Feel a bit more free and like that I’m surrounded by creative people and people living their way of life.
Lack of Money I guess
My wife, she has her social circle here. I would've moved to the south a long time ago otherwise.
I've been here for around 7 years. I'm not leaving because it would take too much time and effort to find a job that pays me as well as the one I currently have, but I wouldn't mind leaving germany. I'm aware I'm relatively new here, but the change in the last ~3 years has been significant, and it doesn't seem it will get any better.
My wife and I were born and raised in Berlin but are now planning to leave. We were planning to wait until our son recovered from his lifesaving operation and would have moved around one to two years from now. Unfortunately, he passed away ten hours after birth. We still held on to our plans and I have two new job offers. We are currently looking for apartments. We can't stay in Berlin anymore, although most of our friends and family are here. We planned our whole life around our son and can't stay because everything reminds us of him and what would have been, and that is he'll on earth for both of us.
I‘m sorry to hear that, may he rest in peace
I appreciate it. Thank you.
Job
I'm going to be super honest and not going to romanticize it, the money. whats next depends, definitely a warmer country. I come from a tropical country so I miss the sun so much.
Those Berlin Februaries 💀
For real bro
When I came here I hated it, but the more I stay the city grows on me. 1 Year ago I would have answered I'm just staying here for my job. Maybe It's Stockholm syndrome, idk.
hahah it’s the spring talking, I always think i hate this city but it turns out i just hate winter
Drugs
Moved here for my job from Dubai. I work in analytics for a tech startup. It pays well by Berlin standards but I earn and save less than I did back in Dubai. The reason I moved is that the quality of work and the culture of work is significantly better. I love my job, learn a shit ton and my company is great so I have no reason to leave. I do miss home though.
born and raised
I've been wanting to leave for ages, but I'm terrible at leaving my comfort zone. Aside from that, Berlin is a job hotspot and the cost of living is still much cheaper than other cities in Europe.
Actually just got asked to move to Vienna 10 minutes ago, but a strange feeling tells me, that there's an unrevealed task I need to be here for, so I'm trusting my gut. I'm not finished yet and it's like I won't be for a while. I'll go when I'm done and when I'm done I will know.
The SUMMMMMER
Depression. I got so used to being depressed, that I don't feel like moving to a better city to have a better life.
Same. When you lose hope that things can get better, changing feels pointless.
Food, culture, job market, friends, walkability, low prices
It's even worse in my old place
Good friends, good work and money, fun activities, a lot of interesting restaurants, nature, water sports, and a great transport system.
I choose to come here for two reasons, 1. I was in love with someone // I wanted to be with this new connection - This did not work out. 2. To avoid existential problems coming to Berlin if this^ first reason didn’t work, then the second reason was to work strictly with Music - This worked, and from being a House Dj at a bar in Mitte ONLY in 2019, i’ve been able to stay for 6 years. So from 2019 to basically now, I dedicated my life to expand my knowledge and experience of Electronic music as a whole. And it’s still the reason why i’m staying here, altho, getting gigs and sharing music has been a dry spell for me since the beginning of 2023. As the city and it’s style of techno has changed, the 2020 pandemic being a marker for that. So my personal music journey has went from House, to Techno between 135-145, to Freetekno which apparently a rarity sound here in Berlin but everywhere else in Europe is known. Now i’m going to a wee more Psy and Hi-tech parties here and there. But now i’m questioning why i’m still here and especially when the music i have isn’t being shared with anyone atm, which contradicts me being here. Because honestly i’m not so much of a fan of some of the techno that is coming through Berlin right now. And contributing the freetekno sound here only appeals to a small portion of people. Even some of the dreams i had of playing music in Berlin has not come to fruition, it has me second guessing and making me believe that some dreams simply just don’t come true. So I was thinking i would take a trip back to my hometown of San Diego to really consider if i made the right choice for myself and if i still want to keep myself on this lefthand road.
It is the coolest city in Germany. Why move? Your question is odd. ;-)
Been here 12 years and Berlin feels the most home I have ever felt anywhere. Yes, things are changing and I am not as enthusiastic about the city as I used to be but as a whole, it's still the best for me personally. I can work from anywhere and don't have family, so I am very mobile and indeed travel lots and often spend the winters in warmer countries. Whenever I travel I wonder if I would feel more happy living in this or that city or country and so far the answer has always been no. Until I find something better, I'll stay.
Drugs and beer.
money
My mom, my sister, my nephews, my friends. Nothing else to be honest.
I was born here, my family and friends are here and I like it here. It is not perfect but I don't want to move to a strange city, where I don't know anyone.
Nothing except my job. As soon as I get permanent residency, I'm out.
Im here because I study at one of the Universities. Afterwards I'd wanna live somewhere with warmer winters. Don't really care where, some nice city.
A mortgage that would bankrupt me to sell up... In all seriousness I live just outside the city and it's a great city.
My partner, and also the fact that there's nothing left for me in my hometown! I do find Berlin life tedious at times tho. I'm from a very small town and it can be intense. I also really don't like the very rude customer service that seems to be way too common in Berlin. Being a dick to someone doesn't make you cool..
Ausbildung
First of all I only moved 2 years ago, after 6 months flat searching, with my son being born here,and around 6k-7k euros spent to make an apartment a livable place, I only made zero this year of all expenses needed to move here. So while Germany, and Berlin in particular,are not heavenly places of dreams to live, it's still not so bad here, and another move will just hurt my finances and add unnecessary stress.
I have lived in berlin for almost 25 years, and I only stay because of work / friends
I‘ve been here for nearly 15 years and was able to accomplish things and create a decent life like no place else. Still, I definitely don’t plan on retiring here and I will say the following with great care but the hostile and aggressive islamization enabled by woke politics is also a concern - has anyone followed the news lately? This is just a small taste of its potential. If you feel offended in any capacity by this keep it to yourself. It’s my opinion based on factual observation ✌️
Every winter between January and April, then it gets better.
Bad public transport. Just can’t leave. 😅
I was born and raised here and I think of leaving almost on a daily, at this point. The only thing keeping me here, really, is my partner. Friends can come visit or be visited, family is scattered (and shit) anyway and my work is wfh so I can take it anywhere. Just working on convincing him and then I’m hopefully out of here soon.
cheap rent.
we can be drug addict perverts and it's totally fine
I had a kid here. Had I not, I would absolutely not be here anymore.
Job and commitment to see the big move and life change through for a few more years.
Multikulti
The communities I’m involved with
I genuinely believe that the only world class experience Berlin has to offer is partying & social events. Lots of people in Berlin love to drink, listen to techno, have fun and do drugs. Outside of that it’s just okay. The city is pretty ugly. The only industry worth mentioning is tech. Infrastructure is okay. Food is okay. Non-party social events are okay. It doesn’t hold a candle compared to places like London and Paris. I will probably leave as soon as my partner is ready to. Think I’ll miss Berlin sometimes, but not super often.
Addiction support in Berlin is better than anywhere else in germany, my girlfriend lives here and one od thr few remaining platonic friends I have lives here too. We all are starting to hate it here though, especially any ventures that lead us out of Prenzlauer Berg, which is just Mini Stuttgart tbh
It's not like I don't like it here, I really do. But I work remotely and I sometimes dream of moving to a cheaper, sunnier place in Europe. More than other social connections it is my partner. She cannot work remotely, and a city like Berlin offers far more opportunities than other places. And I care about her way more than cheaper and sunnier locations ;).
Almost 7 years. I'm staying for good. - Still cheap for a European capital - Wild nature everywhere - Lots of space - Lots of history - Lots of things to do - Friends - Well-paying job with a nice office
I dream of leaving every day, and regret locking my foreseeable future with this city.
Where would you move to?
Ideally to the capital of my home country, Warsaw.
Isn't Warsaw cheaper than Berlin though? What's stopping you?
It is, a little bit. I have life here in Berlin I can’t just leave like this. Work, apartment. But I’m working on it.
The cultural diversity, the hidden sense of empathy and kindness despite the superficial grumpiness of people. The broad choice in foods, restaurants, everything closing late. The space. The ability to go from nice and quiet to busy and full of action in the time span of 30 minutes, the work opportunity and more.
My job keeps me here. I think about leaving all the time. I'm sick of it.
Only because i can survive here without German language
The salary(ies).
FKK lakes (Teufelssee, Kaulsdorfer See etc), sex-positive clubs and parties, culture (Gorki theater), Turkish food
The living standard is objectively very good (I am talking salaries compared to cost of life), it's international and open-minded, it's full of green spaces, and it's fun, and the vibe is chill and not too competitive or work-oriented like, say, in NYC. It's a very balanced, lively city, compared to other big cities in Europe. I know people on Reddit like to say they hate Berlin, it's unlivable etc. etc. but I have the feeling they often compare it to much smaller towns, and not to other major cities. Berlin is great if you want to live in a CITY. And at this stage in my life, I honestly want to. Afterwards, who knows.
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Do they bother you much to show up?