‘Shopping’ Archives
Memory Vintage (Shop & Café)
Carlijn Potma delves deep into Berlin's Memory Vintage shop & cafe... Everytime I cycle down Schwedter Strasse there is one special place I can’t bear to ride past. Located nearby the busy Schönhauser Allee, Memory Vintage - a curious shop brimmed with things we deem call ‘retro’ - just keeps on luring me in with its nostalgic atmosphere that transports me into the past. Memory is not only a store - the eponymous café next door is part of the business, run by [...]
The Way Of Tea
Marian Ryan visits Runge & Graf and explains why tea could - or should - be the new coffee... Beat icon Jack Kerouac once described the memory-soaked Proust as “an old teahead of time”—given the seminal role of a pot of tea and some bits of madeleine in the opening of Swann’s Way—and encouraged aspiring writers to be the same. Though the hard-drinking Beat may have been speaking in metaphor, the link between tea and creative inspiration is an article of faith for Berlin tea [...]
Not A Wooden Spoon
Carlijn Potma pays a visit to one of Berlin's thriving eco-furniture shops... Housed in one of the few non-renovated GDR-style buildings left on Prenzlauer Berg's Oderberger Strasse, Not A Wooden Spoon is a small store with an interior - and concept - every bit as alluring as its raw exterior. The wooden terrace and lattice work of the shopfront hint at what’s inside, namely desirable handmade furniture. London-born Michael Ferguson started the shop almost two years ago and makes [...]
Boxhagener Platz Fleamarket
Carlijn Potma takes a stroll around Friedrichshain's Boxhagener Platz... When mentioning the words "fleamarket", "Berlin" and "Sunday", most people instantly think about the weekly happenings down at the Mauerpark or nearby Arkonaplatz. But these are not Berlin's only places for bargain hunters - nor are they the only places with a pleasant Sunday-style atmosphere. Friedrichshain, the Eastern borough known for its rugged atmosphere, squats and underground clubscene, also has a [...]
Berlin’s Auction Houses
Like antiques and vintage items but tired of the regular flea markets and shops? Carlijn Potma introduces Berlin's auction houses... Berlin is well known for its flea markets and vintage shops. On Sundays we head out to the Mauerpark, Arkonaplatz or Boxhagenerplatz to sniff around their esoteric stalls, while stores brimming with curiosities seem to pop up on a regular basis. But there is another place to find rare antiques, collector´s items and other oddities: the auction [...]
BIER – Berlin’s no-brand beer
Despite a deliberate lack of branding and/or marketing, Berlin's BIER has created a buzz... Honesty and good taste - figuratively and literally - are what distinguish BIER from other local breweries, according to company founders Johannes Schwaderer and Stephan Alutis. The Berlin duo founded their beer concept as a counter-movement to over-promoted, more commercial brands. According to their manifesto, great taste doesn't need a name - and certainly doesn't need a logo, TV spots, useless [...]
Do You Read Me?!
Carlijn Potma browses Berlin's most comprehensive magazine store... Auguststrasse - East Berlin’s so called ‘art mile’ - doesn't only host a widerange of art galleries. It’s also a great place to hunt for rare books and magazines thanks to No. 28, which houses Do You Read Me?!, a well-known store offering hundreds of interesting magazines and reading material. Graphic designer Mark Kiessling and professional bookseller Jessica Reitz founded the store two and a half years ago [...]
Following Berlin’s Paper Trail…
Giulia Pines explores the city's burgeoning stationery scene... Nowadays, it can seem like an act of defiance to pick up pen and paper. What were once the writing haunts of wistful young dreamers and published authors alike have turned sterile, as laptops on café tables announce the professions of their owners and only the click-click-click of the keys marks time. An activity that used to be languid, leisurely, and above all egalitarian has been fully transformed. Now it is about [...]
Cafe Schönhausen
Pankow's first kindercafe is a colourful and welcoming place... There are many reasons to visit Pankow, one of Berlin's several under-represented boroughs. There’s the pretty Bürgerpark, with its lovely rose pavilions and great cafe ( Rosenstein); the elliptical Majakowskiring, a string of glamorous residences formerly occupied by senior members of the GDR government; the elegant Schloss Schönhausen… Pankow is a good place for families too, visiting or local. Aside from the park [...]
14 Ways To Avoid Valentine’s Day in Berlin
Here at Slow Travel Berlin we believe in love. But while the city's lovers and romantics will find plenty of ways to enjoy Valentine's Day in the city, there are others who won't be drowning in roses and chocolate hearts. Ruth Michaelson offers 14 ideas for singles, incurable un-romantics and those simply not into love's most commercial event... 1. Visit a flotation tank. Even in Berlin the hustle and bustle of everyday life can get you down a bit, and sometimes a little respite [...]
