Ich Bin Ein Hipster: Berlin's Coolest Spots For Creative Minds

With its hordes of youths donning black wardrobes and athletic wear, its thriving creative scene, and its ever increasing startup potential, Berlin may very well be the hipster capital of the world. At the very least, our fair city plays the part quite well when superimposed with an Instagram filter or written about in the blogosphere. Attracting talented creatives and hip youths, Berlin is burgeoning with cool spots for mingling with likeminded people, getting inspired, and executing innovative ideas.

1. Shop: Voo Store

Market, Store

The industrial chic interior of Voo Store on Oranienstrasse in Kreuzberg, Berlin

There are definitely a multitude of different shops for creating the perfect Berlin hipster wardrobe. Be sure to limit your gluten-free, dairy-free, bio, cold-pressed juice filled dietary expenses to afford the necessary duds, which lie at the foundation of any true hipster persona. Splurge on some high-end garments at Voo Store, one of the most hipster shops in the city. Supplement these gems with a whole lot of black — let us recommend Darklands for this, and pepper the whole thing with a few quirky vintage Flohmarkt pieces for clubbing. At last, you have the recipe for the perfect Berlin hipster look.

Eat: Cocolo Ramen

If you must eat some actual food – the Berlin hipster life style is a pretty active one after all – there are a few approved options. For breakfast, it’s worth making the trek from Kreuzberg or Neukölln into Mitte – by bike, of course – to enjoy an utterly Instagrammable açaí bowl at Daluma. Berlin’s cold, dreary, industrial aesthetic may be the perfect backdrop for a hipster lifestyle, but it is also an ideal breeding ground for the common cold. Thus, it’s a good idea to wash it down with a cold pressed green juice or fortify that immune system with a lemon-cayenne shot. For lunch and dinner, return to X-berg by the canal, every hipster’s comfort zone, for some satisfying, picturesque ramen at Cocolo Ramen.

Daluma: Weinbergsweg 3, Berlin, Germany 030 20950255

Cocolo Ramen: Paul-Lincke-Ufer 39-40, Berlin, Germany, +49 030 98339073

2. Pick-me-up: Silo Coffee

Cafe, Coffee Shop, Coffee, Australian, European

Equally as important to sustenance is getting that much needed pick-me-up for making it through the gauntlet of hipster activities that are bound to fill one’s day in Berlin. There are definitely a multitude of third wave coffee shops in Berlin, and all of them will fit the bill when it comes to inspiring the right hipster surroundings, but Silo Coffee in Friedrichshain pair their excellent coffee, high standards, and attention to detail with proximity to other hipster hotspots like the Boxi weekend markets, many of Berlin’s clubs (extra points if you head here for breakfast after an all-nighter!), and central location with regard to Berlin’s most happening neighborhoods.

Get inspired: Bless

While all these places are basically essential on any hipster’s itinerary, there is always a need for that extra dose of inspiration for staying in the loop. For this purpose, it’s best to frequent some of the city’s most intriguing concept stores. One of our favorites is Bless. This place is arranged to inspire with the latest styles in such a way that might actually be applicable to your daily life, as it is arranged to resemble an apartment, and at times, the curator actually does live here! They sell clothes, home goods, and some of the best design accessories around. For those instead looking to get cognitively inspired, Do You Read Me?! is a must. This bookstore on the trendy Auguststrasse circulates all of Berlin’s most intriguing indie publications and periodicals.
Bless: Oderberger Str. 60, Berlin, Germany, +49 030 27596566
Do You Read Me?!: Auguststraße 28, Berlin, Germany +49 030 69549695

Live: Neukölln

While you’re not out and about, perusing the streets and interacting with some of Berlin’s most extraordinary and inspiring creatives, you’ll need to find a place to lay your head – and quick! Berlin is known for its affordable rents, but this is rapidly changing. Even though Kreuzberg is typically regarded as the most hipster neighborhood in Berlin, we recommend settling in Neukölln, a district that is already growing more established than up-and-coming as a hive for creative energy. There are still spacious apartments available here, and new cafés, restaurants, shops, and other points of interest are cropping up on the daily.