Berlin

[PeninsulaKiddo]

As a former resident of Germany, and someone who has visited Berlin on many occasions and wishes to do so again in the future, I'm starting a new thread devoted to this beautiful city. I think it's been more than a little underrepresented so I'll share a few facts, share a few pictures, and some new projects as best as I can find.

Berlin, a city of ancient, Roman-era origins, is famous for many of its old buildings, but since reunification around '89-'90, many modern buildings and an enormous amount of projects have gone up. As of 2000, the population of Berlin was 3,384,499--and growing.

The largest and most famous new project in the city:

Potsdamer Platz, on the site of where the Berlin wall once stood. Under construction and was, at the time, the largest construction project in Europe.

The high-rise portion of Potsdamer Platz, including the Sony European HQ building on the left and a brick office tower on the right with numerous law offices.

This area of the city comes alive at night and boasts clubs, restaurants, multiple cinemas, and retail.

That's all I can post for now because this computer is being stupid, but Berlin is a beautiful city full of culture, full of life and vibrancy, and growing.

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An example of ongoing construction in the city; at one point, over 600 cranes dotted the skyline of the city.

Berlin's famous Reichstag (Capitol Building) with its new, glass dome on top of the considerably older, yet elegant, old Capitol. The glass dome has a ramp on which people can walk with reflective mirrors on an inverted pyramid within the dome. The dome offers great views of much of Berlin.

Who can resist a picture of Berlin's Fernsehturm Tower?

The reborn cultural center of Alexanderplatz.

More to come, including new projects and ones under construction!

[Urban_Legend]

Thanks for posting these pics! I agree, Berlin is kinda under-represented. I'd love to visit and learn more!

[PeninsulaKiddo]

"In addition to government projects, close to 300 major, privately financed projects are planned, under construction or completed in Berlin. These investments total around $33 billion, which is four times as much money as was pumped into all of Germany by the Marshall Plan. Much of the construction is happening in what was East Berlin, near the Brandenburg Gate on Friedrichstrasse and Unter den Linden."

http://www.germanculture.com.ua/library/weekly/aa111798.htm

Pretty sure this is a little outdated, but even if it's from 10 years ago, $33 billion is a huge figure!!

[rusthebuss]

I want to visit it one day too. My Grandfather was from Germany and my moms side has alot of German blood too. I can't wait to go there one day. I love the buildings in Europe and just the way the cities are so ped friendly.

[tombarnes]

I was in Berlin a couple of years ago. We stayed in both the former East and West districts of the city. Despite the impressive new developments in the former East Berlin (including the Adlon Hotel where we stayed), we soon moved over to the Ku'damm. Much more lively. The Brandenburger Hof is a little gem of a hotel too. There are a lot of sparkling new things popping up all over the city- east and west.

[ZachariahDaMan]

Those are awesome pictures, thanks for posting them. My brother visited Berlin with his friend a while back and he really liked it. I would LOVE to go there someday.

[NCB]

Great Pictures!

I visited Berlin a few years ago, and it was beautiful! I hope to go back sometime soon.

[habitat67]

Nice shots -- I look forward to seeing more additions to this thread!

[Rural King]

Berlin is one of my favorite cities. I thoroughly enjoyed my visits there back a few years ago. Great pics, esp. that first one, love all those cranes and all that construction going on.

[PeninsulaKiddo]

Wow, I've fallen so far behind these past 5-6 months... but things back in Hampton Roads, Virginia (my home base) have been busy... so I've been quite preoccupied

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=101931

This proposed building (yea.... Emporis... eh) would become the tallest building in the city upon completion at 492 feet, excluding the Fernsehturm Tower. If you click on "Mitte" under neighborhoods on Emporis, it's a torrential flood of "proposed" towers, some quite vertical, you could say. Everyone interested in the city of Berlin should give it a look, Emporis is really on the ball. I've been digging for new stuff for a few hours, but I've come up mostly dry... it's 1:14 am... so I'm calling it a night.

In a plea to others, bring forth any pertinent information on this gorgeous city! It's truly seeing a new Renaissance unlike almost any other in the region in this day.

>>I'm going to devote more time in the coming week to dredging up new pics of the new projects I have found and further updating this somewhat lackluster thread. Thanks for the great expressed interest, and if you have anything on Berlin or its nearby communities, feel free to share.

[Southron]

Thanks for the pictures, PeninsulaKiddo. I'd really like to see more of the many new developments in Berlin.

[Unionstation13]

I wish Berlin would re-construct its historic city center like Dresden is.