Sub Culture (Day 64)

---

Took it easy this morning before heading over to Alexanderplatz to meet up for another "free" tour. This one would be pretty different than yesterdays. It focused on the alternative scene and the counter culture that is a strong force here in Berlin. Enjoyed it just as much as I did the one yesterday. And just like yesterday here is a list of what went down:

-Tacheles; old run down building and courtyard taken over by artists who also live there as squats. The building hosts a bunch of little art studios and the entire place is covered in graffiti
-Couple of other squat buildings with either cool graffiti or massive murals made by underground artists
-50 Faces Project
-Bombed out train depot from WWII. They took what was left and turned it into a few clubs as well as one of the biggest skate parks in Europe. Chilled out there for a while watching the locals skate, pretty cool. The area also had an old water tower that they turned into a climbing wall.
-East Side Gallery. Longest stretch left from the original Berlin Wall, goes about 1.3 km I think. Covered in art the entire way and not just bubble graffiti writing. It's actually pretty good stuff, most of it was just redone as a 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall memorial
-Kreuzburg, aka the neighborhood of mini-Istanbul

Got to see a lot of stuff that I would surely have not have done on my own. It's still kind of weird going to these places as a tour group but it was a chance to see into the world of the youth of the city. Berlin has this pretty crazy energy it gives off as it seems to be trying to make up for everything they lost over the last century. Whatever they don't have naturally, they artificially create. They just don't take no for an answer and seem to be trying to do whatever they can to give their city a good feel and make it a good time after years and years of depression. Good example of this is the place a group if us went out to at night called Yaam. There are a handful of these places along the river here. They are artificially created beach areas. Got a few bars and small food stands. Lounge areas and dance floors. Basketball court. Like their own little escape from the urban sprawl. Can just relax outdoors, listen to reggae and pretend you are in Jamaica until you look out across the river and see more beautiful Eastern Bloc architecture ha. Still a pretty cool idea. If you dont have it why not just make it yourself?

---

Photos

east
guide showing us the east side gallery

squat
squatter's place

art
art for sale inside the tacheles building

fake
fake beach bar on the river

wall
water tower turned into climbing wall