A while ago, I wrote about my Europe backpacking journey. Back then I was in the Netherlands, and now I am living in Germany. As an American traveling and living out here, I wanted to write about some of the main differences (cultural, physical, and otherwise) that I’ve encountered.
A Staatsbibliothek (library) entrance with an amazing foyer on the main stretch in Berlin.
A fairly typical spring stroll in central Berlin:
I walk out of my apartment with a book in hand to get some fresh air. I figure I’ll read at this park down the road. I open the door and kids go by on bikes with mom following behind. The sidewalks here are much wider than anything I’ve seen in the US, and they are more isolated from the roads, so it’s safer to be out and about on them. The cars are also smaller - there are less of these ego SUVs lumbering around, and generally I can see over them, which caught me off guard initially - I couldn’t figure out what was different as I was walking down the street lined with parked cars. It took me a minute to realize that I could see over most of them, so it felt more open.
Young people, in general, are everywhere. It always catches me off guard to see particularly young people (ex. preteens) on the trains and around the city. In Boston, a few may be found alone, but nothing like what I see here. In the US there is no room on most sidewalks to ride bikes (and it’s probably illegal, tbh), so that option is unavailable. In the Netherlands, kids on bikes were everywhere, and out in Germany I see the same thing.
At one point, I was with one of my roommates in the train station, and pointed to one of the young kids walking alone to their platform. As I mentioned to him this is uncommon in the US to see, he couldn’t even figure out which person I was pointing to. To me, it was extraordinarily clear because it stuck out so much to see young people around in public.
WIDE sidewalks in Berlin really make pedestrian and cycling life nice, for old and young.
As I walk towards the park, I pass by a police truck with a few police hanging out and smoking and such. A woman rides past me on a bike and stops by them and starts talking. I am not sure what she needs, until I see her hand over a wallet which I assume she found on the ground somewhere. One of the police accepts it and she departs. The police seem relaxed out here.
As I begin to walk across a bridge, two men pass by me going the opposite way. One has red mixed in with his black hair. They look a little older, probably mid-30s, and dressed like punk rock enthusiasts. They appear happy. Getting closer to the park now, I pass by a free outdoor gym with some athletes messing about on the pull-up bars and what not.
The park has a large circular green space with a fountain in the middle. The outer concrete wall of it which follows the circle pattern is broken up into sections, and sits about 2 or 3 feet high. Somebody has built a wooden “train” which kids ride and push along this barrier. It takes me a minute to figure out what it is that they are riding. It’s like a scooter hacked together with 2x4’s and shopping cart wheels or something. It’s funny. No way in hell that wouldn’t cause a lawsuit in the US.
I take a seat by the fountain and fail at reading my book; I am too distracted, the sun is shining, people are out and about, dogs are around sniffing each other, casual mayhem is happening across the river, where a big cultural festival is taking place. I get up and walk towards it.
Left: rock and roll by the Dom. Right: the Latin cultural festival.
The carnival is just beginning for the long weekend, so it’s not as packed as it will be tonight. I spot a few interesting artsy items that I buy, like a carved wooden hippo and a coaster with fish painted on it. The “alcoholic slushies” booth is already getting significant attention. After some time browsing around, I head back, past tables with people dining and drinking, a small outdoor plant market, and other vibrant areas. Bikes pass me, kids shout, music drums from somewhere. A cat peaks out at me when I open the main doors to my apartment building.
I’ve only walked 15 minutes around a few blocks to see the activity, and so much sticks out. The kids riding around are carefree on the wide sidewalk. The way the police are standing about smoking and casually handle the wallet situation feels so relaxed. The punk bros are harmless and nobody bats an eye at their existence. The wooden train rigged up at the park is comical but must be a blast for the local children.
People at the park are eating, drinking, napping, reading, sunbathing. The light bass booms of the carnival are in the background; people mosey about from the center of it into the outskirts where this park is.
Some more differences I’ve encountered:
Food is healthier; dining out is cheaper
- Quality of store-bought items is higher on average. Products are labeled with a big A to F healthiness grade.
- Fewer options for purely chemical food like frozen pizzas etc.
- Dining out is different - it’s less formal, more casual. It’s cheaper and you’re not rushed out. People sit for hours.
Stores and cars are smaller
- No candy-store-like drug stores
- Small grocery stores are on every corner to get whatever you need
- Fewer massive SUVs and trucks
Fewer single-family houses near the city
- It’s all multi family 5-storey buildings
The built environment is public, and prettier, mostly
- Green spaces for community are public and designed to be pleasing to the eye
- More curation of public spaces: more benches, more fountains, artwork
Public life and spaces are more casual
- I don’t know if I would say there are “less rules”, but it feels that way sometimes
- People walk around with beer, smoke cigarettes more than I’ve seen in US
- There’s more casual public spaces to hang out in
- I feel like I can plan less when going out
- People seem less afraid of each other. They’re certainly less afraid of the homeless people.
- It’s less dangerous at night to walk around since there are more people out
Public transit is quicker and more all-encompassing
- Needs no explanation. Berlin is amazing for this - I can get anywhere on the trains.
Wealth is different
- I notice a lot of “fake rich” folks out here, but in general the styles are tasteful
- Flaunting wealth is different - more people seem OK with not looking rich, but they also aren’t walking around in sweatpants. There’s less stigma of just being an average person.
- Less corporate takeover. Chain restaurants don’t dominate.
Over time, my perception of the world changes as I explore Europe. Things are different out here, and sometimes it is hard to explain how. I’m sure when I visit the US again, I will notice even more differences.
Until next time,
Daniel
Me by the radio tower in Berlin - before I got my summer tan.