944

An Insider's Guide to the World's Hippest City

Roland Mary, restaurateur

Berliners are basking in the buzz of living in one of the coolest cities in the world — a place where creative people, not commercial interests, dictate the scene. 944 asked 11 of its visionaries what makes Berlin the place to be. Meet the who’s who of Germany’s capital as they explain why their city always stays ahead of its time.

Martin Bachmann

President of Sony Pictures Company

Five years ago Martin moved from Los Angeles to Berlin to become the head of Sony Pictures Germany. With his move came international film premieres, galas and glamour. Berlin was being transformed from a post-Wall, grunge city to a cosmopolitan hub that attracts film elite from everywhere. What do you like about Berlin? “Five years ago in New York if you said you’re from Berlin they wouldn’t care. Say it now and they think it’s great! Everything is happening now — restaurants, clubs, galleries, shops and premieres. It used to be very difficult to lure stars here for premieres. Not anymore.” Shop: “The Corner is great and I also like Quartier 206, which is a chic department store.” Eat: “Definitely Grill Royal and Borchardt. There’s a great Asian place called Kuchi. I also like China Club and Uma & Ma — one side is Chinese and the other side is Japanese.”

Annika Von Taube and Lothar Eckstein

Co-Editor-In-Chief and Publisher/Editor-In-Chief, Sleek Magazine

Known by artists, photographers and fashionistas as the “best magazine in Germany” for art content, Sleek provides rich stories and daring photographs targeted to the fashion and art communities worldwide. Favorite aspect about Berlin: LE: “Berlin is about age extinction. You’ll see people in their 40s clubbing and the cost of living is so low everybody can afford to go out. Berlin has always been the place for misfits, and creative people are willing to exploit themselves for the sake of art. It makes idealism less painful because it’s cheaper and is the core reason why this city is successful.” AT: “To stimulate the scene the city allowed drinking to stay open for 24 hours. I usually force myself to go out, then go to an art opening, meet people, go to a restaurant, then dancing and on to the next place. You can easily do five things a night here.” Shop: AV: “Der Konk, they are the first to carry all Berlin labels.” Fun: AT: “Berghain. It’s in an old power plant, anything is allowed and the sound system is great.” LE: “Going there for the first time is strange because if you get lost you’ll find yourself in a room with people having sex!”

Roland Mary

Restaurateur

Roland is known for his famous Berlin restaurant, Borchardt. It opened in 1992 after the Wall came down and has been a Berlin institution ever since. The menu features traditional, top quality French-German cuisine and evenings are filled with hungry patrons and spectators who go to see and be seen. It’s been said that you haven’t visited Berlin until you’ve dined at Borchardt. What do you like about Berlin? “It’s an open city; you can go wherever you want and meet different people in different communities. I moved here 25-years ago when the Wall was still here, it was a village then. When I opened Borchardt it was a good time for a restaurant; it was a new Berlin, a new era. A restaurant is always a good place to come together for the food and the people and Berliners like to mix as you can see here.” Eat: “Here.” Shop: “14 Oz, it’s a great new store in Berlin, and The Corner.”

Frank Thiel

Artist

Artist Frank Thiel left East Berlin as a political prisoner and moved to West Berlin where he found his voice as an artist. He’s known for his arresting photographs of Berlin that depict the strength and fragility of two distinct cities now reunified, and the struggles and successes it endures. What aspects of Berlin do you draw from? “This city is an urban, political and spiritual patchwork of the last century; almost each generation had a New Berlin. When the wall came down and the cities started to reunite it was obvious that the landscape will change in the political process. My attempt was to photograph the undertaking of re-unification. My book, A Berlin Decade 1995-2005, is the summarization of the last 15 years of my work.” Fun: “The nightlife in Berlin is great so I like to go out a lot. Cookies is a favorite, so is Tape and Tausend.” Eat: “For tea and coffee I like Oliv and café 103. For dinner I like Cookies Cream and Kuchi.”

Cookie

Club Owner, Entrepreneur

Ask any Berliner what their favorite club is and they will say Cookies. This professional partier opened his first club in 1994 and has been successfully entertaining Berliners ever since. Amazingly, Cookies still manages to stay underground – there’s no sign on the door, he doesn’t advertise and uses his storage space to throw private parties at any given moment. London to Berlin: “I visited my sister in 1992, fell in love with the city and stayed. You can do anything here. It’s not important who you are or what you earn, the important thing is how you want to have fun. I also started a fashion finding Web site, Thelabelfinder.com, with a friend. You type in a label and it will tell you where in Germany to find it. We’ll soon be international.” Shop: “Andreas Markudis is a shop tucked away in a courtyard in Mitte that sells clothing, furniture and design objects.” Eat: “I’m vegetarian so I like Cookies Cream, which is my restaurant above Cookies. I also like Borchardt, and Café 103. If you go on Sunday you’ll see everyone you know.”

Danijela Pilic

Editor At Large, Vanity Fair Germany

Danijela arrived in Berlin six months ago and brought with her an expertise in fashion journalism. She has witnessed a city that creates its own style free of rules and conformity. As a panelist for Vanity Fair’s 2008 Best Dressed List in Germany, she drew inspiration from the city’s designers and continues to support them. Your biggest impression since moving here: “There are big spaces to rent for cheap and a lot of creative people, which creates a buzz and a good dynamic. There’s so many international people; if you listen to conversations on the street, every second one is in English.” Shop: “Quartier 206 and The Corner are the coolest concept stores. I really like the designer Bernadette Penkov and she has a beautiful shop. I also like Kaviar Gauche, which is a perfect example of two girls from Berlin who design good collections season after season.” Fun: “Bar 1000 is a very chic bar; good DJs, bands play and it’s more grown-up.”

Joseph Voelk and Emmanuel De Bayser

Owners of The Corner

When Joseph Voelk and Emmanuel De Bayser opened their boutique they ushered in a new movement of high fashion mixed with art. While Berlin has always been known for its rugged avant-garde, The Corner has thrown a high-end bone into the mix offering designer clothes, furniture, contemporary art and an eclectic array of books, magazines and a café! What is The Corner? EB: “It’s a new way of presenting fashion that is Berlin-specific — freedom — so we like to present our merchandise by mixing fashion, art and furniture. It’s a haven for young artists and has different cultural elements that we reflect in our store.” JV: “We’re a meeting place for the new Berlin. We throw parties and all types of Berlin social circles come. We also host events and work together with magazines and galleries. We recently did an evening for Karl Lagerfeld and his documentary, Lagerfeld Confidential. We’re not tied to one concept.” Eat: “Grill Royal.” Stay: “Hotel de Rome is very new and glamorous. They have a great spa and wonderful views from the cocktail bar on the terrace.”

Matthias Harder

Curator of The Helmut Newton Foundation

Legendary photographer Helmut Newton is as Berlin as Berlin gets. He is known for his sexually charged photographs of dominant Über-women in scenarios both decadent and decrepit. Embodying these contrasts was a theme throughout his career and is the essence of Berlin society. What does the foundation mean to Berlin? “It’s very moving that we’re here because 70 years ago, Helmut was forced to flee and 65 years later this building was given to him for his foundation. Sadly, Helmut passed in January 2004 and we had to open in June 2004 without him, but he and his wife June put everything on track. It’s poignant that we’re in this building. For instance, down the street homeless people go to eat and around the corner you’ll find the prostitutes. Contrast exists in Helmut’s work and in Berlin, making it the perfect place for the foundation.” Eat: “I like the Paris Bar. Another Berlin staple is Currywurst, which is similar to a hotdog stand. Helmut loved those!”

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