Berlin at a Glance

Popular Expat Neighborhoods in Berlin

The former US army Checkpoint Charlie is now a popular tourist attraction.

Berlin fascinates numerous people – not only history buffs interested in its eventful past. Expats living in Berlin come from all over the globe and all walks of life. Joining the local expat community? Our InterNations expat guide makes life in Berlin easy, e.g. with info on permits and transport.

Popular Neighborhoods

As you can probably imagine from the sheer size of Berlin’s 892 square kilometers, there are tons of neighborhoods and areas to choose from. There are 12 boroughs (Bezirke) in Berlin, each of which is divided into smaller municipalities.

Some of these should be avoided as they have a history of violence and drug use. Others can be quite expensive and rather difficult to find housing in. The following boroughs are some of the preferred neighborhoods among locals and expats alike. All are accessible by public transportation.

Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf

Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, in the heart of Berlin, is very beautiful and home to the famous Schloss Charlottenburg. It also has some swanky neighborhoods, such Grunewald or the Westend, and can thus be expensive as it accommodates Berlin’s crème de la crème.

It is home to the International Congress Center (ICC) and may be a good area for living close to work. The seven districts within Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf do not only offer cafés, restaurants and shopping centers, but many different types of housing as well. Town homes, condominium complexes, and residential estates can be found side by side. It is also an ideal district for expat families with children, as it has many parks and playgrounds.

Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg

Younger singles and couples may choose to move to Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. Located to the south of Berlin-Mitte, this borough used to have a reputation as punk central. However, the city of Berlin and its inhabitants have discovered its hidden beauty and have begun renovating it.

The beautiful art nouveau façades of the old buildings and the green areas along the river Spree have made it one of Berlin’s up-and-coming neighborhoods. Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg is home to many galleries and artists, and housing can still be found for relatively low rents. However, there is a tendency towards gentrification (and thus higher prices).

Treptow and Pankow

The largest and least densely populated borough is Treptow-Köpenick southeast of Berlin-Mitte. It has the largest body of water in Berlin and is mainly composed of forests and parks. The main type of housing here are residential neighborhoods with family houses, and it is as an ideal place to live with children.

Pankow is also a popular borough in Berlin, located to the northeast of downtown Berlin. It has seen significant developments of new housing districts during the nineties, especially in the increasingly gentrified neighborhood of Prenzlauer Berg. Weekly outdoor markets, modern shopping centers, many schools, kindergartens, and cinemas show off Pankow’s well-developed infrastructure.

For more information in English on these and any of the other eight Berlin boroughs, please visit their independent websites.