Check out this NYT sponsored blog about the arts and music scene in Berlin. Makes me want to pack my bags right this minute. For anyone who has not thought to go to Berlin as part of a Germany tour -- it's time to reconsider. It's one of the top destinations in Europe and one of the most creative places in the world.

Thanks for posting this, Diana. I want to go back, too!

awesome, I am going to be there soon!

I went to Berlin on a home exchange several years ago and actually thought Berlin was more interesting than Paris. Can't wait to go back sometime.

If you go to Berlin and are interested in alternative nightlife/cultural scenes, check out Tacheles (Oranienburger Straße 54-56 a).

Tacheles provides an exhibition space for contemporary artists, 20 artists studios/workshops, a theatre for experimental works, a cinema that specialises in seldom-shown films, and a few bars.

The building was built between 1907 and 1909 and was originally a luxurious department store (aparently the last of the great shopping arcades to be built in Europe). It was taken over by the Nazis in 1934 and in 1943 it was hit by bombs. In 1983 it was partially demolished. In 1990, the Tacheles Artists' Initiative squatted in the ruins, and the building was issued with a protection order. It has been a home to a thriving alternative culture scene since.

We spent a fun evening there last year having a few drinks in the courtyard out the back among fire stick twirlers before heading up the graffiti art lined stairs to check out some of the gallery spaces, watch a show and have a beer in the top level bar.

Cheers,
Christine

Here is the Tacheles website. If you scoll down under history it gives it to you in English as well. Thanks Christine, it is really intereting - the history of the building is a time capsule of events of the last century in Berlin.

Here's a photo I took in one of the galleries in Tacheles last year.

And here's a photo looking down to the fire-twirler in the courtyard of Tacheles...

I enjoyed nightlife in the area of Berlin called the Hackeshehof (spelling??) when I was there. I remember to listening to some guys sing klezmer and meeting a woman who ran the place. We got to talking about klezmer and it turned out she knew my cousin who is a klezmer musician. He had even stayed at her house.

My cousin, whose name is Jack Falk, is well known in klezmer circles. Last summer in Budapest, I bought a collection of Hungarian folk music. I started to play it and realized my cousin was singing on one of the cuts. He has performed all over Eastern Europe. I sent my cousin a copy of the CD. Of course, he had not been paid for it, but he knew it existed because they asked before they included him.