Let’s see, let’s say things like they are: Berlin is the new Miami. And of course, it’s true. It’s enough to have a walk down its main streets and most visited places for us to realise that things aren’t like they used to be. It’s been a long time since the Wall, it’s also been long since Lou Reed, David Bowie and Iggy Pop in the 70s, and even longer since all the artistic political activism from the same decade. It’s a long time since vaudeville, prostitutes and the red light district of the 1920s. Berlin has a new clean face. Without thinking about it twice, a tour around Berlin makes us realise that the division that once was physical is still going on on many levels, be it cultural levels or on experience possibilities. And this is in the people’s stories, their comments, their dialogues and the way of understanding the city which was divided for so long with that pathetic Wall from the Cold War.

A good part of the area which was on the East side is, today, being devoured by foreign people, whether they’re artists, students and not even that, people with plenty of money who can get accomodation at comfortable prices and, in some cases, derisory. The situation is the following: the effervescence of a city like Berlin generates global interest and an urgency of wanting to carry on producing in the same way. The affluence of artists is desperate, there are too many artists in Berlin. But be aware that without the right contacts, without the right people from the adequate side, you won’t get too far. Yes, Berlin is the new Miami, but remember that now in Miami the cultural industry is growing, like it is everywhere else. The horror facing the accelerated growth and above, the configuration of landscapes and spaces which seem to tend to repeat themselves around Europe, doesn’t but generate discomfort among the oldest citizens of Berlin. Many people have seen the passing of time and the mutations which this cosmopolitan city has gone through and keeps on experiencing, yet if change is the surviving factor of any organism, in some cases, this doesn’t apply.

Kreuzberg is one of the oldest districts in Berlin with the biggest history when it comes to counterculture and punk attitude. If you go down any of its streets, you’ll find graffiti and painted areas everywhere, street visions which really encourage the soul. Before, Kreuzberg used to be an area of junkies, prostitutes, rockers and punks where they lived together in the best possible way, without bothering each other because nobody wanted any problems, nobody looked into each other’s life. However, today, Kreuzberg is being invaded by hipsters and people with money, who are capable of paying new rents and simply generating, since their ‘invasion’, that the people who lived in such an emblematic place have to leave.

Towards this, many of the people of Kreuzberg have responded by burning the cars of these unwanted people. This situation can be questioned in a hundred ways, as can stone-throwing to some tourists who are on a boat on the Spree. But it can’t be denied that we must resist the sorrows of gentrification and, if no drastic measures are taken, without anybody getting injured of course, there can be no awareness.

Alexa Ray

Get apartments in Berlin and enjoy one of the most interesting neighbourhoods in Europe. Get to know Berlin a bit more, walk down its streets and you’ll see that there’s still a lot to see.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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In one of the most beautiful avenues in Berlin, the Unter den Linden Avenue, literally  Under the Willows Avenue, we find  the Berlin State Opera, or the Staatsoper building , a faithful witness of the vicissitudes suffered by the Germanic capital this past century.

Virtually abandoned after the construction of the Berlin Wall,  it recovered the splendor that it never should have lost with the reunification. Between these walls (which have withstood more than an occasional fire and bombing) lead directors such as Richard Strauss, Herbert von Karajan and even the Israeli-born Argentine Daniel Barenboim have performed. But  here we will dwell on the brilliant production of The Magic Flute, which opens today (November 15th) and will be running until January 8, 2012, at this temple, dedicated to the Muse Euterpe as well as to Polyhymnia, which has a very comprehensive and complete program, of such quality that it makes your head spin. So if the traveler misses this amazing production, there is still time to enjoy others, with other programming at the Staatsoper in Berlin and let your soul rubs shoulders with the gods of Olympus

But let’s get to our opera. Who has not heard the Papageno and Papagena duet from The Magic Flute? Or the aria of the Queen of the Night? Die Zauberflöte, as is its original title in German, this is one of the last works of Mozart. Critics have liked to see in this unique signspiel (an opera recited parts like a play) an allegory of the Masonic movement, which apparently, Amadeus joined shortly before becoming ill and dying. The fact is that the mighty dream symbolism of The Magic Flute is open to an interpretation of this type. The genius of this play premiered two months before his death is, according to the Operabase musical list , the most performed opera worldwide with all kinds of versions and adapted even for children.

The production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute by the Berlin Staatsoper flees away from any of these contemporary experiments in which operas are used for cutting-edge performances, in some cases of undoubted skill and taste. Julien Salemkour, artistic director, has opted for a colorful brilliant, magnificent and beautiful staging to recreate the dream world which the piece refers to and experiment with little concession to  theatrical decoration or costume. There are two programmings, so you must be attentive to timing, I post the link of the event http://www.staatsoper-berlin.de/en_EN/calendar/9175545 which offers all the practical information of this wonderful show in greater detail and precision than I can offer here.

Candela Vizcaíno

Remember before leaving, to reserve one of our great apartments in Berlin the best option for a fun evening is attending this particular staging of “The Magic Flute,” Mozart’s last opera divided in two acts.

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Translated by: Marc
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Germans are true pet lovers, to the extent that responsibility regulations have been issued for their owners, among which include taking your dog to school to teach it how to behave and learn the responsibilities for its behavior in public as well as having it wear a muzzle and a leash when in streets and parks.

With this in mind, some restaurants have taken up this concern by devising formulas for pets as to provide their owners a possibility of not having to  leave their canine companions outside the premises. We will explain a few solutions for your next trip to Berlin if you plan to travel  ith your pet, provided it retains the rules and good manners.

Grill Royal is a place where you can go and your pet will be handled smoothly . This restaurant is a nice place for dinner. Not cheap, but it offers the best grilled steaks of the city, along with fish, risotto, good snacks and fresh vegetable salads, which always provide good healthy company on trips. Wine is best choice to accompany dinner or just to enjoy this noble drink on its own,  so highly recommended for health issues (if not abused!).

Royal Grill dinner can cost between 80 and 100 euros per person. It is an ideal place for business dinner or group meetings. So if you plan to go with your pet to Berlin, this is absolutely recommended for its food, friendly service and quality.

Theodor Tucher is a pet-friendly restaurant known for its friendly atmosphere. Specializing in traditional foods of the region, it is located a few steps away from the Brandenburg Gate, where it has made reading and comfort its main ally to maintain that aura that appeals to those who visit for the first time becoming very fond of it. It is a great restaurant where you can enjoy reading in comfortable armchairs over coffee or waiting for lunch in the garden terrace. The price per person for a menu ranges between 23 and 44 euros.

Park Cafe is a diner located in Bakestrasse 15 and among its attributes is that it allows the entry of pets. This cafe restaurant has become a place of choice for dog lovers as for its regional modern cuisine and high quality. Prices per person range from 13 to 50 euros.

While it is true that all pets are welcomed at the Berlin cafes terraces , the truth is that very few publicize this, perhaps because it is already established as one of those unwritten rule that all cities have, that owners and pets are welcome.

You can also eat on the premises of Mauerpark, where pet owners enjoy the festive atmosphere along with good Turkish stews, goulash, pizza, soups, cakes and other fresh delicacies from around the world, at prices that no cafe or restaurant of Berlin can offer. You can also take advantage by walking through the streets with our best friend and checking out at some antiques while strolling peacefully,  but you must remember to have the dog leashed to avoid violating local regulations.

Nancy Guzman

This fall is a great time to rent apartments in Berlin and walk through the park accompanied by your”best friend”, buy Christmas gifts year and discover novelties in pet stores to spruce up your little companion

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Translated by: Marc
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A new tour from the Chicago guys, The Smashing Pumpkins, this time with a new CD  fresh out of  the oven  titled “Oceania,” which marks the return of this successful band playing all over the world’s best stages as part of a tour that will take them to Berlin in November .

The history of the Smashing Pumpkins starts in 1988, when Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin, James D’arcy Lha and Wretzky, of which now only Corgan remains join to form an alternative rock band, Corgan came from a  gothic rock band which was unsuccessful. The first concert of the band was only Billy Corgan and James Lha plus a drum machine  at a club in Chicago called Chicago 21. After this first gig D’arcy joins the band . Thus, barely a month after their first appearance as a duo, they play at a famous club in Chicago as a trio where,  as many musicians with luck and talent, the renowned owner of the premises at that time offered his help if they changed the drum machine for a real drummer,  Thus enters the fourth member of the band, releasing their first album in 1991 under the name Gish.

After this first album , “Siamese Dream” in 93, followed, then “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness”, 95, “Adore” in 1998 and the last one before separating in 2000, “MACHINA / The machine of God “. In 2009 the band regrouped again and puts out a new album and today, after this first CD of the second wave of the Smashing Pumpkins , they re-release a new album with a world tour included. The concert given in Berlin is part of that tour, it is  scheduled for 20:00 hrs and will be held in the Tempodrom of the city . An excellent gig for next November 23rd.

For more information visit: http://www.tempodrom.de/

Luz Obscura

New album by the Smashing Pumpkins, a new tour, new songs that you hear before anyone else if you rent apartments in Berlin and attend the gig on November 23rd.

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Translated by: Marc
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When in 1961, with less than 18 years old, Steve Schapiro started working as a freelance photographer for some of the most important publications in the U.S. (over his long career he had the opportunity to work for prestigious magazines such as Vanity Fair, Time, Rolling Stone, Look, Life, Newsweek, Paris Match, or People, in which he took pride of showing his iconic cover photos) was nothing but a confirmation of an early vocation that began at the tender age of nine years old in a summer camp.

Fascinated by the urban photographs of Henri Cartier-Bresson, Schapiro, spent his adolescence photographing the city where he was born and raised, waiting patiently to find the perfect moment, that moment in which something (the expression that suddenly lands on a face, the likely composition full of meaning is not to be expected, an indefinable light as eclipse, a tension that can only give shockingly abrupt silence broken by the sound of the shutter of the camera…) created from scratch, the right circumstances for an extraordinary picture.

If we agree with Barthes that the bourgeois rule is pleased, among other things, of the signs making up the images, constantly confused and focused on nature and history of our present, giving a false view of reality, “not because, it is the one we live, it stops being absolutely historic, ” it should not seem strange for us that Schapiro has made, his splendid urban reports about places as diverse as the Haight Ashbury hippie, the situation of migrants in Arkansas or the culture of Harlem, a type of documentary photography that allows us to have a journey through some of the most iconic moments in the history of the sixties, from the great civil rights marches of the early to the presidential campaign of Robert Kennedy and the events following the assassination of Martin Luther King, and a gallery of portraits of iconic characters that have defined the Western mythology of the era, such as Andy Warhol and the Factory environment, Ray Charles , Samuel Beckett, Jackie Kennedy, Muhammad Ali, Sophia Loren and Truman Capote.

This latter aspect of his work, belonging to the series “Heroes” is what we can see until the next November 19 in Camera Work (http://www.camerawork.de/lang-en/photographen-cw-editor- 153/180.html), a very interesting gallery in Berlin, whose name pays tribute to the legendary Alfred Stieglitz magazine, founded in 1997 with the dual aim of showing the work of some of the most important photographers of the century and to inform young of the medium promises.

In the seventies Schapiro, in addition to made pop album covers, as seminal as Station to Station and Low by David Bowie, turned his attention to the film industry, producing publicity material, posters and still images for a series of such memorable films like The Godfather and Taxi Driver. The photos made during the filming of the latter two films round out this highly recommended show.

Paul Oilzum

: Schapiro´s point of view, considerably influenced by great photographers like his teacher Eugene W. Smith, the aforementioned Bresson, Robert Frank or Walker Evans, is always surprising and extremely original. Do not miss this show if you rent apartments in Berlin during those dates.

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Translated by: Hans
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From more than one point of view short films can be compared with literary stories. For a significant number of people this is where you find the true essence of their respective arts, forcing the authors  to eliminate everything that is accessory and irrelevant. Short Films and stories would be THE artifacts of absolute accuracy of its creators that would require a full exercise, such as a thorough and accurate knowledge of the craft, talent and abilities, a musical conception of the piece where everything has its place, time required to create the desired effect, the highest aesthetic demands of union between form and substance, the final domain of what is said and what is omitted, the silences, ellipses, dialogue and phrasings.

Maybe that’s why authors like Jorge Luis Borges despised novels written in prose rather than inquiries or philosophical ramblings and stories (which has not prevented him to go down in the history of literature as one of the most indisputable and revered geniuses of the last hundred years), which in authors such as Cortázar where the most admirable writings of the highest quality of his literary output are perhaps the stories, as is the case perhaps with Hemingway, Edgar Allen Poe and even Henry Melville to name just a few prominent examples.

Anyway the fact is that there is always something fascinating and overpowering in short film, a sort of calling to the other side which is even stronger than in long films, perhaps because, if film is essentially the art that comes closest to dreams they are remembered mostly as  short stories than long ones, regardless of their way of being which is more or less structured.

In Berlin, from the 15th  of November until the 20th the International Short Film Festival is celebrated in its twenty-seventh edition  (http://www.interfilm.de/en/festival2011/home.html), one of the most prestigious and important ones in Europe, which offers programming in more than 400 films in six cinemas (Volksbühne, Babylon, Passage Kinos, Central Kino, Roter Salon, Grüner Salon) and fifty programs.

Films from around the world compete for prizes in several different categories: best film, best story, best animation, best European talent, Best Cinematography, Best Documentary, Best Short film and Best Short child film plus a special award given to the two films ​​that best defend values against violence and intolerance. it also provide national and local awards for the best German and Berlin film respectively and two real curiosities: the Eject Prize to the most wonderful and rare film and an award for best political viral video that addresses issues related to climate change democracy or justice.

Paul Oilzum

It is a most peculiar festival which seeks to exhibit with considerable success the works of creative filmmakers from around the world and put them in touch in a framework to facilitate the exchange of ideas. Do not miss it if you rent apartments in Berlin at that time.

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Translated by: Marc
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Today I woke up remembering a proposal fit for gourmets and music lovers to which you are all invited. The city is Berlin, the specific site: the futuristic hall of the headquarters of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The day:  Any Tuesday from September to June, except on Tuesday May 1st, 2012 (International Labor Day), the hour: one p.m.. And to do what? Well, to hear a great concert sponsored by one of the best orchestras in the world while enjoying a light lunch in a  true German style. So….What do you think of the plan that I propose for today? I, of course, unbeatable. And if it were possible, if there wasn’t  such a long distance between cities, I would go every remaining Tuesdays from now until late June. I would not get tired I can assure you that!

Far from the spectacular ceremonial staging of the great operas or colossal symphonies, the organizers of the Berlin orchestra offeres to all music fans this irresistible plan. Concerts that are short lasting – no more than three quarters of an hour- , so the  Berlin music lovers can enjoy the show during their lunch break. This event has been celebrated since 2007 being very successful and, expected to last at least until the summer of 2012 where it will continue in theaters The Lunchkonzerte (As the program is called) are provided not only by members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra , but also by part of the Symphony Orchestra of musicians in Germany, the State Orchestra of Germany, and even seasoned students of the conservatory, basically the best of the best as far as the music scene is concerned in the Germanic countries.The organizers of this surprising initiative promise a good light meal and the best of a classical repertoire.

You must  book in advance because the concerts are free. They only charge for the food and they specifically mention that the bill will be discreet so nobody has to give up such good music for a few extra euros on the food. The Programming is updated every Tuesday. Parts are changed to interpret different pieces and, of course, the musicians also rotate. If you are lucky, you can maybe even attend a piano recital of a renowned artist. Although the programing is properly announced with time in advance, the traveling  music lover should have in mind that the website only offer next month’s agenda, as the level of activity that Berlin orchestra is subjected to is overwhelming . That is, if you plan to be in Berlin in mid-December, they can not book until the end of November. So, my advice is that you check on hand the website (also available in English) and, in time, study the program. Here you have the German version: http://www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/konzerte/lunchkonzerte/, so you can choose your best  day and enjoy this exquisite and original event. Here I wait for you with your comments!

Candela Vizcaíno

One last tip: Reserve apartments in Berlin The city has a frenzied cultural activity and you have to rest between one plan and another.

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Translated by: Marc
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In the mid-19th century, doctors in ancient history from around Europe mixed with small time adventurers in the search of any remain which gave good account of any ancient culture. From the Roman Empire to the enigmatic Babylon, as well as wise Greece or religious Egypt, they excavated (not always professionally) every corner on the planet. One of those archeologists who went around the world in the hunt for ancient civilizations was Robert Koldewey (1855-1925), who has gone down in history for having discovered the legendary Babylon. His excavations lasted for over fifteen years and the result of that investigation was taken to Berlin, specifically to the Pergamon Museum (Pergamonmuseum).

It’s worth to check out this impressive institution which is part of the so called Museum Island (Museuminsel in German, which is a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1999) in the German capital, because the building (officially finished in 1930 with clear references to Art Déco) was designed to hold ex profeso the different archeological remains that the German outposts were finding around Southern Asia. The building, located in north Berlin on the shores of the river Spree, holds, as well as the Gates of Ishtar from ancient Babylon, the Altar of Zeus of Pergamo or the Mshatta Façade.

The foundation of Babylon between the years 2350 and 2150 BC is attributed to the Akkadians, in the stretch of land drawn by the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, in what today would be Iraq. The political power would arrive with Hammurabi (1792-1750BC), while the cultural peak came with Nebuchadnezzar II (605-462BC), the same one who ordered to build the coating of the wall which is preserved in the Pergamon Museum. This rich civilization began – around the 3rd century AD – a slow and progressive decadence which ended with a depopulation of all of its cities. We have to thank the work of these 19th century archeologists because they’ve resuscitated a legendary past of which we only had vague references thanks to the Talmud.

And from those written prints of Robert Koldewey, a rich and hidden patrimony came to the light in the Iraqi desert. The most outstanding thing, undoubtedly, are the coatings of the Gates of Ishtar from the old wall of Babylon. What’s exhibited in the Pergamon Museum are the blue crystal tiles in which they inserted pigments of lapis lazuli (a precious stone used also in the illuminations of the medieval books and in the early Renaissance). On these glazed bricks they drew – in perfect order and balance – decorative motifs in a geometric shape, animals and mythological creatures, such as the bull and the lion (which, in symbology, represent, when they’re up against each other, the unity of night and day, of the sun and the moon, or the masculine principle and the feminine one). Together with the bulls and lions are dragons or mythical griffins, the symbol of discord when communion with the enemy was not reached.

Candela Vizcaíno

The Museum Island is very well communicated, so any of the apartments in Berlin is perfect to visit this magnificent ancient art exhibition.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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The Horrors have become one of the most important post-punk garage bands in today’s music scene. In July of this year the band presented their third album, Skying, and thanks to its success they have kept their place as the kings of dark, psychedelic indie music in the UK.

The group was formed in Southend, England, during the summer of 2005. Today, six years later, we can say that they remain a band to watch: one of the most interesting groups to come out of the UK in recent years.

Their debut album, Strange House, was released on March 5, 2007. It did quite well considering that the band were just starting out. Sales of the album peaked at number 37 in the British charts.

Primary Colours, the second album, arrived in May 2009 and did better than the first, reaching number 25 in the charts. The band released some very successful singles off this album, including “Sea Within a Sea”, “Who Can Say”, ”Mirror’s Image” and ”Whole New Way”.

Their third, highly anticipated album, Skying, was released in July this year and the band are currently hard at work presenting it to their fans by performing live shows all over the world. The Horrors have managed to keep their line up exactly the same as it was in the early days, with Faris Rotter, Tomethy Furse, Joshua Third, Coffin Joe and Spider Webb.

More information: Cuvrystraße 7, 10997 Berlin, Berlin

Lido: http://www.lido-berlin.de/events/view/1215

MiLK

If you want to see one of the most important rock bands of the moment, rent apartments in Berlin and come and see The Horrors perform their new album in Lido on 13 November.

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Translated by: Ben Palmer
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