tracking the berlin vibe-cession

Shift the culture: We need to be better at supporting each other. Forget IQ or EQ - what we really need is a higher Decency Quotient (DQ). DQ is about empathy, respect, and fairness. It’s the foundation for how we treat one another, how we collaborate, and how we celebrate contributions at every level.

Because, let’s face it, Berlin is not a pretty place. The winters are a total nightmare, no sunlight, no warm face. Its cuisine is all about fast food. Large parts of town smell like a public toilet; overdosed tourists randomly pass out on the street. It’s not a city where you would sit out on a cafe terrace to people-watch. But also it’s now nearl... See more

When my friends come to Berlin, they’re thrilled to dive into the scene, eager to check off every hedonistic fantasy. But I’ve felt this kind of numbness, where even the wildest moments barely make a dent. It’s strange how quickly the brain normalises everything, even the extremes. Walking into KitKat and feeling nothing? That’s a sign. It all just... See more

I’ve never understood why Berlin feels the need to advertise itself to other cities — we get enough free press every time a young journalist visits/moves here. But our new government launched a new advertising campaign and, to be fair, it’s just as cringe as they always are.

I won’t say who because I didn’t check on the publishing front when we were chatting, but by their own empirical evidence, a Lemaire bomber jacket won’t get you into Berghain but a Bottega (unbranded, unmarked) one will.

in a recent “places to visit ” issue of the curation newsletter Perfectly Imperfect, Delia Caidescribes an ideal Berlin trip:

I find solo trips to be a delicate art—there is nothing more freeing than setting aside an entire week to wander around aimlessly, anonymously. But you do have to factor in a few hours a day for some inevitable existential mo

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Berlin, baby! This is a city infected with a pre-teen’s idea of “being edgy.”