Monday, June 6, 2011

City Guides: Berlin Favorites

It's taken me a week of catching up after vacances (Berlin + Prague) to find the time to blog about it, but at last, I've readied my list of must-shops for you to add to your travel hit list.

I completely fell in love with Berlin (it deserves every bit of hype it gets), and it would take an age for me to chronicle all the wonderful things I saw/did/ate (and possibly longer to lament the things I didn't have a chance to see/do/eat), but I'll do my best to give you a best-of-the best of my whirlwind visit.

There were so many great shops on my itinerary that it was, quite frankly, overwhelming. I didn't end up shopping as much as I thought because most of what I liked was either too expensive or just a bit too out-there for me to pull off (though I certainly oohed and aahed over it). I did, however, find some decorative touches for the home at the Arkonaplatz and Mauerpark fleas (the former was my favorite, with a smaller, more tightly edited selection of vintage objets trouves -- wish I could have spent more time trawling the stalls). I picked up some painted drawer knobs, a few postcards fit for framing, and a little round magnet featuring a photo of an adorable Trabby.

Studded leather hangers at the Arkonaplatz flea

Vintage typewriter keys, stamps, and letters


Space Hall record shop in Kreuzberg:


The bookstore at the excellent Hamburger Banhof museum was a shopping destination of its own.


I also picked up some darling desk accessories and stationery at R.S.V.P. in Mitte, including a beautiful tan leather pencil case with four brightly hued Kohi-noor pencils.


Lala had some lovely things in muted palettes and I loved the decor.


Do You Read Me?! is a fun shop with magazines from all over. I picked up one of their black and white tote bags while passing through.


One of the best buys? My friends and I piled into this photobooth in Kreuzberg, which was, for a minute or so, the most fun place on earth and produced some wonderful black and white photos that perfectly captured our mood.


I'm already trying to figure out when I can go back . . .

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