This article takes a closer look at the Bötzowviertel in Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg district and shows that this extremely beautiful neighborhood is particularly interesting for buyers and tenants. In addition to the fact that the Bötzowkiez, as the Bötzowviertel is also known in Berlin, is a very beautiful and lively district, the figures also speak for themselves. Read here to find out how investing in a house or apartment is a lucrative investment. People who live in the Bötzowviertel district of Berlin live in beautiful old buildings from the Wilhelminian era and can stroll through Berlin’s oldest parks. Get an impression of what else the Bötzowviertel in Berlin has to offer.
Interesting facts about the Bötzowviertel
The Bötzow district is located in Berlin between Greifswalder Strasse, Volkspark Friedrichshain and Danziger Strasse. Bötzowstraße forms the heart of the Bötzowkiez. The Bötzow district was named after the Bötzow family, on whose farmland the district was built. At that time, the district was built directly in front of the Königstor, which was located roughly where Alexanderplatz is today.
This is how the beautiful representative old Art Nouveau and Wilhelminian style buildings were built at the end of the 19th century. The eastern part of the neighborhood has since been rebuilt after it was destroyed in the Second World War. Since the 1990s, the houses in the Bötzowkiez have been extensively renovated. This includes the renovation of the decorative facades, the consolidation and modernization of the apartments and the construction of new properties in the gaps between buildings.
The Bötzowviertel is centrally located and yet quiet. Today, demand for houses and apartments in the Bötzowviertel is very high. Prices have risen. Tenants, buyers and investors are not only attracted by the special flair of the double doors, wooden floors, cobblestone streets and planted courtyards.
Bötzowstraße as a social conservation area (milieu protection area)
The central street of the neighborhood, Bötzowstraße in Berlin, has been a social conservation area, a so-called milieu protection area, since 2014. In 2017, the area was then extended beyond Bötzowstraße to cover almost the entire Bötzowviertel, namely an area of 53 ha. The entire Bötzowviertel measures 56.88 ha. Almost the entire area was therefore designated as a social conservation area.
With the help of the social preservation ordinance from the building code, the residential population in Bötzowstraße is to be preserved in its composition. Changes to the buildings, demolition or changes of use are subject to approval in the milieu protection area. In this way, the housing stock is to be protected. Modernization measures must not lead to the average standard of living being exceeded.
In Bötzowstraße, as in almost the entire Bötzowkiez, there is a reservation of approval when it comes to converting rental apartments into condominiums. This applies to residential buildings with more than five apartments.
What is the current real estate situation in the Bötzowviertel?
The Bötzow district is well embedded in Prenzlauer Berg and enjoys an excellent infrastructure. With its location within Prenzlauer Berg, the Bötzowkiez is considered one of the boom districts for real estate in Berlin. Since the early 1990s, no other district in the capital has seen as many new arrivals in the form of creatives, students, internationals, academics and other people as Prenzlauer Berg and its Bötzowstrasse. This happened in a continuous change of influx and original population, which was possible on the one hand because the city was no longer divided and on the other hand because the Bötzowviertel already had a very light population density at the end of the GDR era. Free market economy clashed with socialism and many apartments were converted into condominiums.
This can be viewed critically. However, the fact is that the stock of magnificent Wilhelminian style and Art Nouveau buildings could not have been preserved otherwise. When the real estate market opened up after 1989, many properties in the Bötzowviertel had pre-war standards. Heating was provided by coal stoves, the toilets were in the hallway and there were no bathrooms. The reunification revealed many vacant and dilapidated apartments. Without the refurbishment of the properties with the aim of converting the apartments into condominiums, valuable neighborhoods like the Bötzowkiez would have fallen into disrepair. The redevelopment contributed greatly to the change in the population structure over the last 30 years. It now has an unusually high purchasing power. Today, up to 75% of academics feel at home in the Prenzlauer Berg neighborhoods. The Bötzowviertel, with its chic old and new buildings, is particularly popular. In many streets here, the prices of old buildings have caught up with the prices of new buildings. Demand for rented and owner-occupied apartments is high. The Bötzowkiez is particularly popular with families.
Expressed in figures: Bötzowstrasse is home to 13,194 residents, spread across 7,217 households in 7,054 apartments. This gives an average household size of 1.87 persons per household. The housing deficit is 163 apartments. So there is still plenty of room for improvement.
The purchase price trend for real estate in the Bötzowviertel
In order to describe the purchase price development for real estate in the Bötzowviertel in Berlin, values are given here that relate specifically to the real estate development in Bötzowstraße 1 – 5. This is due to the fact that no average values are available for properties in the entire Bötzowviertel. The values given are exemplary for the development of properties in the entire Bötzowviertel.
The price trend for properties in Bötzowstrasse and the surrounding area is significantly higher than for Berlin in general. Property prices reached an interim high in the fourth quarter of 2022, with an overall price increase of 39% for houses in Bötzowstrasse and the surrounding area since the first quarter of 2019. The price increase for apartments over the same period was 36 %. Even if you take a closer look at individual time periods, the figures speak for themselves: houses in Bötzowstrasse have risen by 49 % since the fourth quarter of 2018 and by 6.2 % in the period from the fourth quarter of 2021 to the fourth quarter of 2022 alone.
The picture for apartments is similarly pleasing: Here, the price increase since the fourth quarter of 2018 amounted to 43%. For the period from quarter 4 in 2021 to quarter 4 in 2022, this results in a price increase of 8.7 %.
The curve for price increases for apartments and houses in Berlin in general looks much flatter.
How much does a condominium in the Bötzowviertel cost?
If you intend to buy an apartment in the Bötzow district of Berlin, you should expect a price per square meter of around €6,000 to €6,500/m2 as of the fourth quarter of 2022. This is an approximate value, as there are no specific prices available for the Bötzowkiez as a whole. The average price for Bötzowstrasse 1 – 5 in Berlin is €6,297/m2. The values for the area around Bötzowstraße are averaged.
How much does a house in the Bötzowviertel cost?
As of the fourth quarter of 2022, the approximate price for houses in the Bötzowviertel is around €6,500 to €7,000/m2. The price indication can therefore only be approximate, as concrete property prices are only available for the houses in Bötzowstrasse 1 to 5 in Berlin. Based on these prices, the overall price situation in the Bötzowviertel was inferred and the price for real estate rounded. The price for houses in Bötzowstrasse 1 – 5 was given as €7,001/m2 for the fourth quarter of 2022. In comparison, the average price for a house in Berlin is €5,054/m2.
In Bötzowstraße 10407 Berlin, you are unlikely to find a single-family home. When we talk about houses here, we are referring to apartment buildings with rental apartments.
The rental price trend for apartments in the Bötzow district
The development of rental prices for apartments in Bötzowviertel Berlin was again based on the specific price development in Bötzowstraße 1 – 5 in 10407 Berlin, as data for rental apartments is not available for all streets in Bötzowviertel. A property in Bötzowstraße Berlin, whose net cold rent development was observed in the period from the first quarter of 2019 to the fourth quarter of 2022, serves as a point of reference. In the first quarter of 2019, the property started with an average net cold rent of €11.49/m2. Compared to Berlin, the net cold rent was therefore € 2.28/m2 above the overall Berlin average. By the fourth quarter of 2022, the rent for this apartment in Bötzowviertel had risen to € 14.09/m2, whereas the net cold rent in Berlin as a whole had only climbed to € 10.98/m2.
If you would like to let or rent an apartment in Bötzowviertel, you can use the average values for this property as an example.
As of the fourth quarter of 2022, the approximated and rounded rents have therefore risen by 18 % since the fourth quarter of 2018 and by 4.6 % on average since the fourth quarter of 2021. We can assume a current net cold rent for apartments in Berlin’s Bötzowviertel of €12 to €15/m2 on average.
The infrastructure in the Bötzowviertel
The Bötzowkiez is an exceptionally well-developed and lively district. It is teeming with street cafés and restaurants. You can buy your own groceries at the local discounter or grocery store. The organic food store and the weekly market are also very attractive. You will also find lots of small stores, such as bookshops, boutiques and bakeries. There are several schools and your children are well catered for in various daycare centers. There are also plenty of playgrounds.
Transport links
The closest S-Bahn station to Bötzowviertel is “Greifswalder Straße”. The S2, S8, S41, S42 and the S85 stop here at high frequency. The Bötzowviertel is mainly crossed by bus lines 142 and 200. However, streetcar no. M10 from the public transport system also runs here. In Prenzlauer Berg, the Bötzowviertel is bordered by Danziger Straße and Greifswalder Straße. With their high traffic volumes, they are central traffic axes for private transport, but also for public transport.
Parking lot situation
The attractiveness of Prenzlauer Berg also brings disadvantages. In fact, parking in the Bötzowviertel in Berlin is very problematic. There is a lack of parking spaces even for local residents. Residents compete with neighbors, businesses, employees and tourists. And parking offenders block footpaths and cycle paths. Since 2013, Bötzowviertel Berlin has therefore been subject to parking zone 44, which is marked in turquoise as part of the parking space management system, as it is important to make sensible use of the limited parking space available. And now modern parking space utilization is coming into play. Residents can use free parking spaces in the Bötzowviertel at any time with the free resident vignette. For visitors and other short-term parkers, parking fees are waived depending on the parking time in the Bötzowviertel. For regular parkers, there is the business vignette, which businesses can apply for.
Since the introduction of parking zone 44, there has been a reduction in time-consuming and environmentally damaging search traffic. The parking situation has led to greater satisfaction and a change in mobility behavior. More and more residents are being encouraged to travel by bicycle or switch to public transport. The fact that around 3,000 fewer vehicles are parked in Prenzlauer Berg every day has reduced parking pressure by 20%. Parking space management in the Bötzowviertel has resulted in an improvement in the local quality of life.
Demographic situation
In June 2022, 12,916 inhabitants were counted in the Bötzowviertel. The population figure compared to previous years shows a steady increase. Around 30% of residents are people with a migration background, namely 3,919. In the last five years, the Bötzowviertel has seen an influx of a good 32% of Germans with a migration background. Around 19% of the residents of the Bötzowkiez are foreigners, i.e. 2,470. The annual rate of immigration has risen steadily in recent years. The proportion of foreigners varies greatly in the different districts of Berlin. On average, a good 24% of foreigners live in Berlin.
62% of the population of the Bötzowkiez have lived at the same address for at least five years. This means that the proportion of residents living in Bötzowstraße for a longer period of time has risen continuously in recent years.
The composition of the age structure in Bötzowstraße suggests a strong family structure. Just under 20% of residents are children or young people. The largest proportion, just under 73%, is made up of people aged between 18 and 64. This group includes parents, single people, academics and so on, whereby the proportion of men and women is balanced. The over-65s form a relatively small group with just under 8%.
The average age in the Bötzowkiez is 37.7 years. The residents of the neighborhood are relatively young compared to the average age of the German population. The steadily rising average age for women in Germany is 46, while the average age for men is a good 43.
Schools and daycare centers
There are several schools in the Bötzowviertel, including elementary school. Kindergartens are also available. Some of these were founded by committed parents. Children in the Bötzowviertel can receive musical training at a music school. And there is even a children’s café as well as a children’s store in the Bötzowviertel.
Doctors and medical care
The Bötzowviertel in Berlin, or rather the surrounding districts, are home to licensed doctors from all medical fields. It is certainly possible to find a suitable family doctor in the Bötzowviertel in Berlin who has his practice there. In addition to general practitioners and pediatricians, Bötzowviertel is also home to dermatologists, dentists, orthodontists, orthopedists, osteopaths, physiotherapists and many more. Although the Vivantes Clinic is not located directly in the Bötzow district, it is in neighboring Friedrichshain. It can therefore be reached very quickly in an emergency. And the midwife is not far away either.
Shopping facilities
All the stores you need for everyday life are available in the Bötzowviertel in Berlin. You will find a pharmacy in the Bötzowviertel and bakeries offer their baked goods. You can buy groceries in the supermarket or at the weekly market in Bötzowviertel.
Local recreation and green spaces
The Bötzowviertel has beautiful and relaxing green corners. The listed Arnswalder Platz, for example, with its bull fountain, also known as the fountain of fertility. In the park, which was laid out around 1900, you will find playgrounds, many old trees, benches, lawns and walking paths. Arnswalder Platz measures around 18,000 m2. Its playground is artistically designed with wooden elements and stone animals. The climbing equipment is built to modern standards and the swings are ergonomically designed and equipped with safety harnesses.
Adjacent to the popular playground is a ball court, which is also used for street competitions. There are small goals, table tennis tables and a higher fence to keep the balls out. The play area in Arnswalder Platz was created as a playground for young people and small children in the course of renovation work in 2003/2004.
Arnswalder Platz also has an area called a small park. Here, old trees, some of which date back to around 1900, invite you to linger. Equipped with benches, you can unwind here under old chestnut trees or relax on the sunbathing lawn.
The Volkspark Friedrichshain in the Bötzow district offers even more greenery with its fountains, ponds, scented garden, climbing rocks and much more. Here you will find relaxation right on your doorstep in the heart of Berlin. The parks and green spaces in the Bötzowviertel invite you to stroll and linger.
Conclusion
The Bötzowviertel in Berlin is a very attractive Berlin district for buying or renting an apartment. Located in Prenzlauer Berg, the Bötzowviertel is a lucrative investment in a popular area with renovated old buildings from the Wilhelminian era that have a lot of character.
Prices for houses and apartments are rising steadily and represent a solid investment. At an average of €7,000/m2 for a property, you will initially have to dig deeper into your pockets, which is due to the high demand. In return, you have the prospect of a decent return. The price increase last year was 8.7% for apartments and 6.2% for houses, figures that reflect a solid increase in value.
The relatively young population in Berlin’s Bötzowviertel is diverse and protected by law. It consists of roughly equal numbers of Germans, Germans with a migration background and foreign residents, many of whom are families and academics. Most residents remain loyal to their Bötzowkiez for many years.
The parking situation in the Bötzowviertel is difficult, but residents can use the parking spaces free of charge. Even without a car, Bötzowstraße is easy and quick to reach by public transport. The sought-after district is well equipped with schools and daycare centers. Many doctors in private practice provide good medical care. In an emergency, the nearby hospital can be called upon. You will find all the stores you need in this district, including grocery stores and pharmacies. And you can also find something more unusual with cheese stores, toy stores and much more. The flea market on Arnswalder Platz provides a special atmosphere for bargain hunting. Numerous restaurants, cafés and bars provide culinary delights and evening and night-time entertainment.
Those who like it quieter and greener can visit playgrounds and green spaces with or without children. But the Bötzowkiez also has a lot to offer culturally. For example, you can enjoy a good movie at the Filmtheater am Friedrichshain. Living in the Bötzow district is never boring. Here you will find everything your heart desires.
