In this article, we provide you with information about the lifestyle in the Berlin district of Prenzlauer Berg. Find out which neighborhoods are particularly popular, which parties the residents vote for, how good the infrastructure is and whether there are enough schools.
If you are interested in a property in Prenzlauer Berg, we also recommend our article “Buying a condominium in Prenzlauer Berg: Prices, new builds, old buildings & co.“.
Prenzlauer Berg and its incomparable neighborhoods - which residential areas are particularly popular?
If you take a look around Prenzlauer Berg and stroll through the streets, you will notice that this Berlin district has a lot to offer. To the south are the trendy neighborhoods, including Rosenthaler Vorstadt, Winsviertel and Helmholtzkiez. Here you will find small cafés, chic bars and renowned restaurants that are closely packed together. Designer clothing and accessories are on sale at high prices in trendy boutiques. The well-heeled residents of Prenzlauer Berg enjoy this huge and varied range of stores and restaurants, as do the tourists who visit Prenzlauer Berg, especially in the summer months.
The location of the Prenzlauer Berg district in Berlin
The family neighborhoods are located in the northwest of the Prenzlauer Berg district. These include Humannplatz, Gleimviertel, Nordisches Viertel, Blumenviertel and Ostseestraße. Prenzlauer Berg was largely spared from bombing during the Second World War. For this reason, there are still many residential buildings that date back to the Wilhelminian era. The old buildings have now been completely refurbished, renovated and transformed into ultra-modern apartments, some of which are luxuriously furnished. Compared to other districts and boroughs in Berlin, there are only a few new buildings. The winding streets with their old trees and beautiful facades have an incomparable charm. Residents also appreciate this, which is why they very rarely give up their privileged residential location to move to another part of Berlin.
The Gleimviertel
The Gleimviertel is particularly popular with residents due to its quiet location. Families live here and enjoy strolling through the streets at the weekend and eating an ice cream in one of the many cafés. The Eberswalder Straße subway station on the U2 line is located in the south-east of the Gleimviertel, a central public transport hub, as is the Schönhauser Allee subway station, which is located in the north-east of the district is located.
The residential area is optimally connected to the public transport network and central Berlin can be reached within a few minutes by subway. This makes the district’s location particularly interesting for those whose workplace is in the center of the capital. Families also appreciate the fact that the Gleimviertel has a comparatively large number of daycare centers and elementary school.
The Scandinavian quarter around Arnimplatz
Rental and purchase prices in the Scandinavian Quarter are somewhat lower than in other areas of Prenzlauer Berg. This is mainly due to the fact that it is a classic residential area. While the trendy neighborhoods boast shopping streets and hip restaurants, the Nordic Quarter is much quieter. It is mainly young families who live here, who meet on Arnimplatz at the weekend and stroll through the beautiful streets of Prenzlauer Berg.
Bösebrücke is located on the course of Bornholmer Strasse. A new residential area with high-quality condominiums has recently been built here.
Humannplatz and Stahlheimer Strasse
If you stroll through the streets around Humannplatz, you will immediately notice the buildings from the 1960s and the old buildings. They dominate this family neighborhood, which mainly stretches along Stahlheimer Straße. Of course, there are also a few cafés and restaurants here, but it is mainly a residential area where families and couples, as well as other well-heeled people who want to live in the center of Berlin, feel at home.
Most of the old buildings were renovated or completely refurbished a few years ago, so that they combine the comfort of new-build apartments with the incomparable charm of the Wilhelminian era.
The Rosenthal suburb - Kastanienallee and Teutoburger Platz
We are now in one of Prenzlauer Berg’s trendy neighborhoods. The area around Teutoburger Platz and Kastanienallee was supposed to be demolished back in the days when East Berlin was still part of the GDR. A large new building project was planned, but was never realized. After the fall of the Wall, artists and activists occupied the dilapidated buildings in Rosenthaler Vorstadt. But over the last 20 years, this district has undergone a major transformation. The old apartments have been gradually renovated, causing prices to rise sharply. Marthashof is a new construction project in which more than 150 condominiums have been built in recent years. These are luxury apartments located on the corner of Kastanienallee, Schwedter Strasse and Oderberger Strasse. This construction project is highly controversial as it significantly changes the image of the neighborhood.
In Rosenthaler Vorstadt you will find many cafés and restaurants, as well as small boutiques selling luxury items.
The Kollwitzkiez
Kollwitzplatz forms the center of this district, where the weekly market is held once a week and many people stroll through the eco-market on Thursdays. In the run-up to Christmas, there is a wonderful Christmas market here, which is visited by residents and tourists alike.
In summer, the charm of Kollwitzkiez is mainly due to the numerous cafés and restaurants that carry their tables and chairs onto the sidewalks, creating a Mediterranean flair. Kollwitzkiez owes its name to the German sculptor and graphic artist Käthe Kollwitz, who lived a large part of her life in what is now Kollwitzstraße.
Prenzlauer Allee and the Winsviertel district
Anyone who spends time in this neighborhood cannot avoid Winsstraße. It is the heart of the Winsviertel and a popular meeting place for many residents. Overall, the Winsviertel, which stretches between Greifswalder Strasse and Prenzlauer Allee, is rather quiet. At the same time, you are in the center of Berlin and can reach all the important places in the city by public or private transport within a very short time. If you would like to get to know this attractive neighborhood even better and are interested in the details of the local real estate market, we recommend our article “Winsviertel real estate: condominiums & houses – rent, buy, sell”.
The Bötzowviertel and Arnswalder Platz
If you are interested in Prenzlauer Berg, you can hardly avoid the Bötzowviertel. It survived the Second World War largely unscathed, but then fell into disrepair during the GDR era. After the fall of the Wall, the old buildings were renovated. Today, they house chic condominiums that are either occupied by the owners themselves or rented out.
Prenzlauer Gärten is a residential complex that was built in recent years. Here you will find a gated community characterized by beautiful green spaces and luxurious new-build apartments.
The Helmholtzkiez
They are located in one of the most densely built-up residential areas of Prenzlauer Berg. Residents love the location near Helmholtzplatz, where there are several playgrounds. It conveys small-town charm in the middle of Berlin’s city center. At the same time, you can stop for coffee and cake in one of the many cafés here or meet up with friends in one of the small restaurants. The Helmholtzkiez – a residential area where residents also get their money’s worth in the evenings.
The Green City and Anton Saefkow Park
In this residential area, you can immediately recognize the influence of the garden city movement. The residential buildings, most of which date from the 1930s, are laid out in a horseshoe shape. This has created beautiful inner courtyards with playgrounds and small green spaces. For this reason, the district around Anton-Saefkow-Platz is also known as the “Green City”.
The old abattoir created living space for around 4,500 people
Where the abattoir once stood, numerous residential buildings have been built in recent years. Blankensteinpark is located in the middle of this new quarter. It has a playground and extensive green spaces. The old cattle auction hall is still visible and bears witness to the history of this location.
It is mainly terraced houses, townhouses, loft apartments and city villas that have been built here, where well-heeled Berliners feel at home. The district is particularly popular with young families with small children.
The Baltic Sea Road
The residential buildings in Ostseestraße and Grellstraße are somewhat more mixed. Many buildings date from the 1920s and 1930s, while there are also numerous residential buildings built between the 1950s and 1970s. The gaps were closed in the 1990s. The residential buildings bear witness to times gone by and were built in different styles. In addition to prefabricated buildings, there are old buildings and residential buildings with up to 5 storeys.
Michelangelo Street with its large housing estate
Anyone walking along Michelangelostrasse will immediately notice the high-rise buildings with up to 11 storeys. They date from the 1970s to 1980s and have inner courtyards and beautiful trees. It is clear that this district, next to which there are huge open spaces, was once intended to serve as a central housing estate. There is now a new construction project that is expected to be completed in 2035. Around 1,200 apartments are to be built here, providing additional living space in the center of Berlin.
The flower district with its pretty detached houses
We are still in a very central location. The flower district borders on the Volkspark Prenzlauer Berg, which is a welcome oasis of recreation for local residents. There is a pile of rubble here, as well as several allotment garden colonies. The residential area around Syringenplatz is particularly impressive with its classic detached houses.
Interesting facts about Prenzlauer Berg
We not only want to give you an understanding of the real estate situation in Prenzlauer Berg, but also give you an impression of the living and lifestyle in this unique district of Berlin. Find out everything you need to know about the political attitude, demographic situation, transport links, infrastructure and art scene in Prenzlauer Berg.
The infrastructure in Prenzlauer Berg
Prenzlauer Berg is one of the most popular residential areas in Berlin. Prices are high, but this is balanced out by the excellent transport connections. The district’s main thoroughfares are Greifswalder Straße, Danziger Straße, Schönhauser Allee and Ostseestraße.
The S-Bahn station Prenzlauer Allee, where the S-Bahn lines S41, S42, S8 and S85 run, and the U-Bahn station Eberswalder Straße, which is on the U2 line and where you can change to streetcar lines M1, M10, M12 and the night bus N2, are important public transport hubs.
You can also get around quickly by bike. There are also selected cycle tours that start in Prenzlauer Berg. So for example dhe Grunewald 3 Lakes Tour or the P’Berg-Wandlitz Tour. Both are very beautiful cycle tours, each covering a distance of over 50 kilometers.
The demographic situation in Prenzlauer Berg
Prenzlauer Berg is a district of the borough of Pankow. The entire district is home to just over 418,000 people, over 167,000 of them in Prenzlauer Berg. This makes Prenzlauer Berg the district with the most inhabitants in the borough of Pankow.(as at 30.06.2022)
Population structure in the Prenzlauer Berg district (as at 30.06.2022)
According to the latest population register statistics from the Berlin-Brandenburg Statistical Office, the population of the Prenzlauer Berg district is very evenly split between male and female residents.
It is clear that the changes that Prenzlauer Berg has undergone, particularly in the past two decades, have also had an impact on the age structure of the district. Today, the 18 to 45 age group makes up almost half of the population of Prenzlauer Berg. A good quarter is made up of 45 to 65-year-olds. Children and young people up to the age of 18 account for just under 17 percent and the smallest age group in Prenzlauer Berg is that of senior citizens and pensioners, i.e. those aged 65 and over. The chart confirms that Prenzlauer Berg will be home to mainly young, financially well-off families in 2022.
Kindergartens and schools in Prenzlauer Berg
As many young families with small children live here, this district of Berlin is home to numerous educational institutions represented. Prenzlauer Berg has a total of 7 elementary school, 3 of which are private schools. In terms of secondary schools, there are 2 grammar schools and 4 secondary schools. There is also an independent Waldorf school in Prenzlauer Berg.
There are currently 128 daycare centers and kindergartens listed in Prenzlauer Berg where the district’s residents under the age of 6 can be cared for. (as at December 2022)
What about parking spaces in Prenzlauer Berg?
The district of Prenzlauer Berg belongs to the parking space management zone. This means that most parking spaces in this part of Berlin are subject to charges. Residents can be exempted from the charges by applying for a resident parking permit. This is issued for a period of 2 years and is only valid for the vehicle permanently used by the resident. Parking spaces are generally a rarity in Prenzlauer Berg, but this is not unusual in Berlin.
What are the party shares in the Prenzlauer Berg district?
In the Bundestag election in 2021, the Prenzlauer Berg is divided into 2 constituencies. The part east of Prenzlauer Allee belongs to constituency 083: Berlin-Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg-Prenzlauer Berg Ost. The north-western part of Prenzlauer Berg, on the other hand, belongs to constituency 076: Berlin-Pankow.
In constituency 083 the Greens 36.7 percent of the second votes and were thus clearly the strongest party. 2nd and 3rd place went to the SPD (19.2%) and DIE LINKE (18.1 percent).
The same ranking also emerged in constituency 076, but with smaller gaps or leads between the first and second-placed candidates. The Greens received 26.4% of the second votes, followed by the SPD with 22.0%. DIE LINKE received 13.8 percent.
Number of hospitals and medical care in the Prenzlauer Berg district
The former Vivantes hospital, which was closed in 2019, has been used for coronavirus patients since 2020. After the epidemic, a new administrative headquarters for the Pankow district authority is to be built here.
In the medical directory a total of over 1000 medical practices are displayed for the Prenzlauer Berg district. These are trained in a wide variety of specialties, so that overall good medical care is guaranteed in Prenzlauer Berg.
Cultural life in Prenzlauer Berg
Prenzlauer Berg was a trendy district for a long time. And even if today it is mainly well-heeled young families who live in the district, its charm is still unmistakable.
In Dunckerstraße you will find a permanent exhibition about the master carpenter Brunzel. There is also a museum for children, where they are encouraged to try their hand at various experiments. In Christinenstraße, you can visit the Museum of Architectural Drawings. The large Kulturbrauerei area in Prenzlauer Berg is also impressive and not to be missed, where you can experience concerts, performances and much more. The Zeiss Planetarium in Thälmann Park with its spherical projection screen is an exciting place to visit for cosmos enthusiasts and those interested in science. The programs for children and adults are entertaining and at the same time provide exciting knowledge about planets, stars, galaxies and more.
Prenzlauer Berg also has some culinary highlights to offer. You can take a leisurely stroll around the weekly markets and do your weekly shopping on the side. You can always discover something new and delicious here, manufacturedof small companies from the region. The density of cafés is impressive, as is the number of pubs and restaurants. Here you can choose a new culinary region every day of the week and find the right restaurant for every taste and budget.
If you don’t want to go out, you can benefit from the central location, as delivery services can be found on every street corner – no matter what time of day.
Conclusion
We hope that reading our article will give you a better idea of what life is like in the Prenzlauer Berg district of Berlin. If you are looking for a suitable investment property here, be sure to read our article “ Buy a condominium in Prenzlauer Berg: Prices, new builds, old buildings & co.“.
