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Berlin is an expat's playground, says the IHT - Berlin

It's cool, it's cheap, it's international
PES
Berlin, playground of expatriates

QUOTE
BERLIN: "What New York was in the '80s. Berlin is now," says Nadja Vancauwenberghe, the French editor in chief of an English-language magazine in Berlin: Exberliner. "That's the cliché." And she shakes her head and smiles.
"The reality," Maurice Frank, the Exberliner's publisher, chimes in, "is that rents here are a third of what they are in Paris or London."
The two of them are trying to explain why Berlin has emerged as the creative capital of Europe, if not the world. "It's cool, it's cheap, it's international," Vancauwenberghe says.
"But it's kind of a feedback loop at this point," Frank adds. In other words, the people who are immigrating now are not drawn by Berlin, but rather by the cliché, the mystique that has grown with immigration - and they are finding it in the city's vast expatriate population.


QUOTE
According to Robert Goff, of Goff + Rosenthal, one of the first New York galleries to open a Berlin branch, "the low rents have made Berlin the art-production capital of Europe. At least half of the young artists I meet in New York are seriously thinking about moving to Berlin to work."

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Timmeh
I came for the better supermarkets
rick_de
I came for the clean streets where dogs are not allowed to mess and not a single piece of grafitti in sight. That plus the gentle, polite and friendly locals. Oh and the dynamic economy and ample job opportunities!
vincecanada
Don't forget the lower tax rates! And the ease of learning a language that just flows off the tongue (not like some of those other languages where it feels like you're always angry and/or spitting in someone's face).
Roman_from_Toronto
I came for the beautiful weather, just sun and clear skies all day long...every day.
evilbill
Don't forget the presence of a high quality english language magazine which eschews scenester frivolity and the sort of navel-gazing "me too!" editorial policy you get in some other cities. We're all urbane penner now.
HankMoody
QUOTE(rick_de @ Apr 26 2008, 2:02 pm) *
I came for the clean streets and not a single piece of grafitti in sight.

Is that supposed to be ironic??
murphaph
is that?
paulbb
In all fiarness, coming from Dublin, it could have gone either way. At least Berlin grafitti is better quality.
Blue Cow
I'm here for the friendly people you meet on this Forum
Belloc
I came

O_o
Belloc
for the beer
Feli
But don't let on how good life is here in Germany, particularly in Berlin! Otherwise they are all going to want to come over too and then there will be overcrowding. I think Berlin is really great. Affordable housing, extremely good and reasonably priced public transport, a big city that is accesable and easy to live in, lots of culture, multicultural society, what more does one really want?
rick_de
Not that multicultural really compared eg to London or NYC. In fact, its actually a very white city. And doesnt even have a Chinatown. And Id prefer fewer neo-nazi skinheads and narrow minded local proles, less "Ossiementalität" in the eastern and surrounding areas. Better job opportunities. Improved service instead of Schnauze-snarl responses Plus a general tidying up of grafitti and dog shit wouldnt go amis.

So, Berlin - could do better!
zeppelliss
ive seen a small Chinatown in Lichtenberg, and a lot of Asian people in that area...
Lavender Rain
I love Berlin so much I'm renting an apartment there for a month in late June just to hang out. My little town I live in is just not cosmopolitan enough for me. I really need a world class city and Berlin fits the bill!
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