The flea market culture is something particularly wonderful in Berlin. But with so many people wanting to partake in this experience, popular flea markets like Mauerpark and Boxhagener platz have become something of a battle to walk through in the past two years.

As all of these markets started getting fuller and fuller, and rent prices started going up in the neighborhoods of Prenzlauerberg, Kreuzberg, and parts of Friedrichshain, many artists and international students moved their creative bohemian lifestyle down to the Neukölln streets. This little migration has changed the face of Neukölln drastically.

There are new ideas flowing and shops and bars popping up all over the place. And with these new additions came the ‘Nowkoelln Flowmarkt.’ It’s still small enough to have a very meticulous look through it and still local enough to find your next door neighbor selling homemade chocolate cake and coffee. But hipper than other flea markets since it’s participants and visitors are mostly that wave of international creative types. You can still find odd little things like old 1950′s ornaments or modern locally hand made trendy products. And all for flea market prices.

It only happens every third Sunday of the month, but it’s always a nice relaxed atmosphere, sometimes with street performers and ‘bio’ food stands. But most importantly, without the big tourist traffic jams….

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Nowkölln Flowmarkt | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks
Maybachufer, Neukölln | Neukölln
Every 3rd Sun of the month 10:00 – 17:00 (See website)

On one of my many walks through Neukölln, as I was looking for a place to eat, I stumbled into ManduTrap. It was initially the ribbon belt on the window that struck my fancy. When I wandered into the little Flagship store, the designer, Min-Wha Chung welcomed me with a big smile while she worked on new pieces of clothing on the sewing machine. And as I looked around, I realized that it was the combination of colors and fun/elegant design that attracted me.

There is no lack of independent clothing shops around Berlin, and of course they all suit many different tastes. But for me, it can be sometimes hard to find items that I can be….playful with. This is what I liked about ManduTrap. It’s a mix between summer comfort and urban elegance, or as it says on the website, ‘inspired by life on sea and Metropoiitan Berlin and Seoul.’ Most of the items lend themselves to many different combinations with the use of bright colors, colorful flower stamped textiles, and stripes.

She also sells lovely accessories like scarves, diadems with big colorful bows, earrings, and these wonderful colorful belts that you tie around with thick ribbon. It’s all lovingly handmade right there in the Pflügerstrasse store, and of course all the items are either part of a very small batch, or one of a kind.

Prices vary but range from about 10,00 Euros for smaller accessories to about 65,00 Euros for dresses.

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ManduTrap | Shopping | Dress € 65.00
Pflügerstr. 5 | Neukölln
Tue – Fri 12:00 – 19:00, Sat 13:00 – 19:00

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When my friends visit Berlin, a lot of the time when it comes to shopping, one of the first things they want to know is where they can find cheap good vintage clothing. I never have a good answer for that. There are a few second hand shops that I frequent but it is always a hit and miss sort of thing. But in the spirit of recycling, there are better options which I am happy to suggest.

Around my neighborhood there is a shop that specializes in re-designing old jumpers, trousers, and any old piece of clothing that provides enough material for a new item. They don’t like sizes there so most of their clothing will fit everyone in their own unique way. They have elegant dresses that have the mid section of an old shirt as the top and the top bit of a raincoat as the skirt, and mini summer dresses made out of cotton collared shirts with the sleaves acting as a trendy belt. They also have hoodies, skirts and trousers.

My words won’t do the design any justice so I recommend paying it a visit and checking it out yourself. The prices range from about 80 to 150 euro. But considering that anything you buy there is one of a kind and very nicely finished, I find it reasonable. So if you’re looking for something unique, trust me, this is the place.

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Ting Ding Atelier | Art & culture, Shopping | Dresses € 80
Bürkner str. 11 | Neukölln | +491724217936
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 19:00

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There’s no doubt that in the last few years, Kreuzkölln has become the place to be. A walk down Weserstrasse will always lead to new and funky bars that keep popping up. The only problem is that sometimes all I want is to have a cup of coffee or sit down and have a nice ‘quiet’ glass of wine with my friends. During the day, the coffee choices around there are poor, and in the evening, it may prove a bit hard to find a spot to sit. This is when I head down to Weichselstrasse 55. That’s it, ‘Ohne titel’ (no title), just a good looking little cafe/bar with really good coffee and very good wine.

I found out about this place because when it opened it became a favorite hang out for friends who found the bars at Weserstrasse a bit too crowded. They knew the owners from days of working in other popular bars in Kreuzberg. And throughout the past year, many locals followed to this still undiscovered part of Neukoelln.

The bar has a small gallery in the back which exhibits work by local artists. And it is one of the few in this area which is still a safe bet when running away from tourists. Weichselstrasse is slowly showing it’s potential as the extension to Weserstrasse in the future, so better get down there before the crowds decend…

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Ohne Titel | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Relaxing
Weichselstrasse 55 | Neukölln
Bar 13:00 – 02:00 daily | Gallery 15:00 – 22:00 daily

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