Kw is a great art institute situated at the backyard of a very eastern part of town, place for many other small galleries. Auguststrasse is worth the walk and Kw is worth the stop.
I’m a photographer from Brazil, based in Berlin. I’m attached to this city since 5 years and I have been trying it out from top to bottom, from inside out. Here are some of my personal highlights.
Peres Projects mostly showcases young, emerging artists and is at the forefront of fusing art with fashion, celebrity and the love of a good party, which seems to work very well in Berlin. Having recently moved into an ex-Soviet building on Karl Marx Allee, the giant new space contrasts brilliantly with the commanding facade.
A good place to drown your Berliner winter-melancholy. The bartenders are top notch and the interior is warm but stylish, with the inevitable retro vibe. Open from 6 till late. There´s also a legendary (and kinda expensive) restaurant next door, which provides the bar with some excellent snacks. Works for dates and for friends, but if you´re planning for a bigger group it might be wise to reserve.
I often go exploring into random and dilapidated areas of Berlin. I like the thrill of finding new nooks and crannies with strange visual sites. A few months ago, an old housing colony was abandoned, and many objects (such as couches and front doors) were left at the edge of the city to rot or to be scavenged. This is a view from a non-descript area of the S-bahn train tracks (between Sonnennallee station and Treptower Park station) into the most Southern part of Neukölln district.
The typical Berlin winter is biting cold and grey. In combination with the hardness of the city and the angry natives, it feels like a hostile area. Why it's worth experiencing it? Because that's the way this city is.