Umgezogen

Last week I moved into a new apartment in Neuköln , which I like to think of as the Washington Heights of Berlin. When I told this to Lester, who actually lives in Washington Heights, his first question was, "There are Dominicans in Berlin?" Actually, there are turks, and living in this neighborhood has given me a better appreciation of the food, music, and culture of Berlin's biggest immigrant population. It's also given me INSANELY cheap rent and a much faster commute.

Prior to this, I was living in Mitte/Prenzlauerberg, which is super-hip and lovely and full of great cafes and shops. But it was about a 45 minute train-ride to class. Now it takes me about 20 minutes.

I live across the street from the Neuköln Oper (above), an old opera house that now houses a late-night cafe, an arthouse cinema, and a performance space for concerts and theater. Down the street is the Alter Post (old post office). Last night my roommate and I went to a fashion show there.

My roommate! She's fantastic. A Finnish performance artist named Mimosa, she's also a great cook and hostess, and her impropteou dinner party and rotating cast of visitors has helped both my German and my lonliness. She speaks English but lets me practice my furchtbar Deutsch with her, and is sehr gedeldung when I have to run to the dictonary for the right word.

The place itself is very big and grand, with high ceilings, floor-to-celiing windows, and plaster molding around the light fixtures. There floors are made of wide hardwood, and in my room alone I have two doors (actually 4, as they are french doors) with big gold handles that open into my room in a very dramatic fashion.

The place is light on furniture, but it does have a washing machine and a dishwasher. The neighborhood, aside from the cultural outposts I mentioned above, is full of cheap electronic/knockoff fashion/chintz gold jewelery stores. It's also, for the next month of so, home.