In recent years, Prenzlauer Berg has transformed from a trendy neighborhood to a hip family district in the middle of the metropolis. Not everyone wants a detached house with a large garden. For many young families, a spacious apartment in an old building in the heart of Berlin is the dream home.
Many of the Wilhelminian-style buildings were preserved or extensively restored after the fall of the Wall. The renovation work has driven up the value of condominiums in the Helmholtzkiez. Today, you have to pay many times more than the apartments cost two decades ago. But that hasn’t stopped the rush for properties. On the contrary, the residential area in the middle of Prenzlauer Berg has never been as popular as it is today. Young families and couples in particular are drawn to the neighborhood. A social study has shown that the average age of residents in the Helmholtzkiez has fallen significantly in recent years.
The history of the Helmholtzkiez is extremely interesting, as it was only during the administrative reform that Prenzlauer Berg was merged with the Pankow and Weißensee districts to form the Pankow district. Where once mainly artists lived, there are now young families who meet at the eco-market at the weekend, visit one of the many playgrounds with their children and explore the pub scene with friends in the evening.
If you are looking for a condominium or rental apartment in the Helmholtzkiez in Berlin, you need to be quick. Analysis of the real estate market shows that demand is generally high, while supply is very limited.
Interesting facts about the Helmholtzkiez
The Helmholtzkiez extends around Helmholtzplatz, which is also affectionately called Helmi by the residents of the neighborhood. The neighborhood got its name from the German physicist Hermann von Helmholtz. The history of the Helmholtzkiez is an eventful one. The neighborhood stretches around Helmholtzplatz and is bordered by Danziger Straße, Prenzlauer Allee, the Ringbahn and Schönhauser Straße.
Anyone visiting the Helmholtzkiez in Prenzlauer Berg for the first time will be struck by the old trees. Here you get a sense of what life was once like in Berlin. The cobbled streets look exactly as they did a hundred years ago and if the parking lots weren’t full of cars, you’d feel like you’d stepped back into another century.
Even though the district is primarily residential, the variety of small stores, cafés, bars and restaurants is impressive. Whether Italian, Asian or Mexican, the residents of Helmholtzkiez are free to choose where they want to eat. And if you want, you can of course also go out in the neighboring Kollwitzkiez or Gleimviertel.
The Helmholtzkiez as a social conservation area
Until a few decades ago, it was mainly working-class people who lived in the Helmholtzkiez, as in other neighborhoods in the middle of Berlin. Although the apartments were not renovated, they were affordable. Following the extensive refurbishment work carried out in recent years, things have changed. Prices have risen sharply and there is no end in sight to the boom. The Helmholtzkiez has long since ceased to be an insider tip for investors. Nevertheless, buying a condominium in this district is worthwhile because the location and building fabric justify the high prices.
Nevertheless, the neighborhood has changed due to the rise in prices. More and more people can no longer afford the rents around Helmholtzplatz in Berlin and are moving to other districts of Berlin. To counteract gentrification, social conservation areas have been established in the center of Berlin. These so-called milieu protection areas are subject to strict conditions. (link here -> Overview: Milieu protection areas in Berlin and the effects on property owners and buyers) Anyone who buys a rented apartment cannot use it themselves without further ado. Renovation work that changes the structure of the apartment cannot be carried out without the consent of the district. The requirements deter some buyers, but cannot be circumvented in the center of the German capital. The conservation area around Helmholtzplatz in Berlin has advantages for tenants.
What is the current housing and real estate situation in the Helmholtzkiez?
You can’t fool yourself. Affordable living space in the center of Berlin is rare. Anyone looking for a property to rent or buy in the Helmholtzkiez in Prenzlauer Berg needs to be aware of the high prices. Having said that, we can now focus on the current situation of the real estate market in Helmholtzkiez.
Apartment prices depend on their location, size and furnishings. The majority of apartments in old buildings have high ceilings, wooden floors and stucco decorations. The rooms are generously proportioned and have plenty of natural light. In new-build projects, attention is paid to luxurious flooring, kitchen furniture and fittings. Supply is significantly lower than demand, which is why it pays to have all the necessary documents ready in advance. In this way, you can react quickly to new property offers and gain a time advantage over your competitors.
Even though prices have risen significantly, it is still worth investing in the Helmholtzkiez. Real estate prices are expected to continue to rise in the future. Anyone looking for a high-quality property will find what they are looking for in the area around Helmholtzplatz in Berlin.
The purchase price trend for real estate in Helmholtzkiez
There are no values available that relate solely to the Helmholtzkiez. For this reason, we are using the real estate data available to us for Helmholtzplatz in Berlin. The information is representative of the prices for the entire neighborhood. We can analyze the value of specific properties in a personal consultation with you.
After a sharp rise in prices in 2020 and 2021, sales prices stagnated over the course of 2022. This is due to the current political situation in Eastern Europe, which is having a major impact on the economy and interest rates for real estate loans. In the second quarter of 2023, prices were around 0.5% lower than in the first quarter of 2023. Despite everything, an increase of 0.3% can be observed compared to the second quarter of 2022.
How much does a condominium in Helmholtzkiez cost?
Condominiums in the popular Helmholtzkiez district in Prenzlauer Berg are significantly more expensive than in other parts of Berlin. In the second quarter of 2023, the average sales price was €6,000/m2. That is around €1,800/m2 more than in Berlin as a whole. Prices for condominiums in Helmholtzkiez peaked in the last quarter of 2022, with the strongest price increase taking place between the first quarter of 2021 and the third quarter of 2022.
The rental price trend for apartments in the Helmholtzkiez
Rents around Helmholtzplatz are also significantly higher than in other parts of Berlin. Across Berlin, rents skyrocketed in the first two quarters of 2023. Now that the rent freeze has been abolished, there is nothing that can stop rents from rising. At the level of Berlin as a whole, apartments are currently being rented for around €12/m2. This corresponds to an increase of more than 14 percent compared to the previous year.
Rents in the Helmholtzkiez in Prenzlauer Berg average over €15/m2 and are therefore more than €3/m2 higher than rents in Berlin as a whole. Rents rose by more than 16% between the second quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2023 alone. There is no sign of prices stagnating. If you are currently looking for a rental apartment in Helmholtzkiez, the current development presents you with a major challenge. However, if you are considering buying a rented property as an investment, the high rents are an advantage.
The infrastructure in the Helmholtzkiez
The structures of the former trendy neighborhood have changed significantly in recent years. Where artists and workers used to live some time ago, people from higher income brackets are now the main residents. What they appreciate most about their neighborhood is its diversity, good infrastructure and high quality of life. But what is life actually like in the Helmholtzkiez? Where do the youngest family members go to school, what shopping facilities are there and what is the best way to get to the city center?
Transport links
If you live in Prenzlauer Berg, you often cycle to work in the morning. The cycle paths are in good condition, so you can reach your workplace in the center of Berlin within a short time. But that’s not all, because on rainy or cold days you can easily use public transport. Several bus lines criss-cross the Helmholtzkiez, as do the M1, M2, M10 and M12 streetcar lines.
The Helmholtzkiez is also very easy to reach by private vehicle. What can be difficult, however, is finding a suitable parking space.
Parking lot situation
Parking around Helmholtzplatz, as in most central Berlin neighborhoods, is almost hopeless. The Helmholtzkiez is part of parking zone 43 and residents can obtain a permit to park free of charge in their neighborhood. Visitors and tourists, on the other hand, have to pay a fee.
Anyone who already lives in Berlin knows about the tight parking situation and prefers to leave their car parked when they have found a suitable parking space. Fortunately, Berlin is known for its good public transport network, so you only really need your private vehicle at the weekend if you want to visit one of Brandenburg’s recreational areas.
Demographic situation
A total of almost 23,000 people live in the neighborhood around Helmholtzplatz. Almost 24 percent of them originally come from abroad, while around 12 percent have a migrant background but grew up in Germany.
The residents of Helmholtzkiez are young. Most of them are young families or couples. The average age has changed significantly in recent years. Those who live in the Helmholtzkiez belong to a higher income bracket. Most residents have a high level of education. The political attitudes represented can be analyzed on the basis of the last elections.
Party shares
The repeat election for the 19th House of Representatives took place in Berlin on February 12, 2023. The main election was held on September 26, 2021.
The Greens took first place with 24.2%, while the CDU came in second with 22.7% and the SPD third with 17.4%. DIE LINKE followed in fourth place with 16%.
The data is collected for the entire district of Pankow, but also reflects the situation in the Helmholtzkiez.
Schools, daycare centers and playgrounds
Helmholtzkiez is known as a family-friendly neighborhood. This characteristic can also be seen when looking at the number of educational institutions. Although the neighborhood is not very large geographically, it has a whole range of daycare centers and kindergartens. These include, for example, the Kritzelknirpse daycare center, the Edgar daycare center and the Domino daycare center in the immediate vicinity of Helmholtzplatz in Berlin.
As soon as the youngest family members reach school age, they go to one of the elementary school. Popular schools include Thomas-Mann-Grundschule and Elinor-Ostrom-Schule. There are even secondary schools in the district around Helmholtzplatz. However, as they get older, most pupils go to schools that are located outside their own neighborhood. Nevertheless, the distances to school are short, as the educational institutions can be easily reached by public transport.
Doctors and medical care
Anyone who has small children knows that all kinds of illnesses are dragged home from kindergarten, especially in the early years. This makes it all the more practical that the Helmholtzkiez has a wide variety of doctors’ surgeries right on the doorstep. Whether internist, speech therapist or pediatrician, family doctor or dentist – the distances are always short in the Helmholtzkiez in Berlin.
Conclusion
A central location in the middle of Prenzlauer Berg, a well-developed transport network, numerous shopping opportunities, pretty stores and restaurants from all over the world are features that undoubtedly speak for Helmholtzkiez. If you are looking for a property in a hip district in the middle of the metropolis and are looking forward to a beautiful apartment in an old building, nearby playgrounds and pub crawls, the residential area around Helmholtzplatz is definitely the right place for you.
During the day, many tourists and visitors from other parts of Berlin are drawn to the Kiez, but in the evening the neighborhood slows down again. Then it’s time for the residents to swarm out of their homes and into the surrounding bars and restaurants. If you live in Helmholtzkiet, you are living the Berlin dream. The properties have a high price tag due to their excellent features, location and solid building fabric, but whether you are renting or buying a condominium, it is worth the expense. For this reason, private buyers and investors are choosing to buy a condominium in the Helmholtzkiez despite the high prices.
Contact us for a consultation and you too can quickly find your dream property near Helmholtzplatz in Prenzlauer Berg!
