Living in Prenzlauer Berg
In the 1980s, no one would have believed that Prenzlauer Berg would one day be one of the most popular residential areas in the city. The beautiful period buildings that line the streets were left relatively unscathed by the second world war, but because prefabricated block buildings were the preferred choice during the GDR-era, the beautiful structures of the period buildings fell into disrepair over the years.
It was not until the beginning of the 1980s, as part of the preparations for Berlin's 750-centenary celebrations, that refurbishment and renovation work began on a small number of the period buildings. Husemannstrasse, just a few yards from Kollwitzplatz, profited the most: the idea was that it should serve as a kind of open-air museum for the neighborhood, to show what the area would have looked like around the turn of the 20th century.
Following the fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification, the crumbling buildings throughout the neighborhood were refurbished on a grand scale and nowadays "Prenzlberg" is a well-to-do part of town. One of its unique characteristics is the unusually high number of farmers’ markets. It seems like every corner has one of those little organic markets so typical of the neighborhood and as long ago as 2007, Europe's largest organic supermarket (at the time) opened here. The streets are lined with countless cafés, pubs, clubs, restaurants, bars, galleries, and theaters, making the area a must-see for tourists.
