tracking the berlin vibe-cession

I’m not a big fan anymore. It’s such a Peter Pan kind of place, where you live in the moment, which is beautiful, until you realize that years have gone by.

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.

"vibes" seems to be shorthand now for "a thing that exists and is compelling beyond logic"

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.

The four corners of Berlin https://t.co/YBxgQYBHQd

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

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