I walked around the neighborhood of Neukölln, which is
around my community placement (The Coop Campus, formerly known as Die Gärtnerei).
My overall impressions of the neighborhood are that Neukölln is a diverse
neighborhood that is in the process of being gentrified. It has a few main
streets that are very active with cars, bikes and people, but side streets have
more domestic living space and quieter businesses, creating a big contrast
between nearby sections of the neighborhood.
The first thing I noticed when I walked in to the
neighborhood was something that I thought was a bit of a juxtaposition: the
neighborhood has a lot of large cemeteries, but people are very active and
lively. Sound was the first thing that hit me; the combination of people
chatting, cars driving by and birds chirping is something I associate only with
Neukölln (as compared to the other neighborhoods I have visited across the
world). There were also a lot of children walking around with their parents of
playing in parks, on all three of the days I visited Neukölln (Wednesday,
Thursday and Saturday). The lively nature of the neighborhood also continues
with the smells; the smell of flowers and cooking food, like falafel and
donner, is all around. It is partially combined with the expected smells of a
city, like car exhaust and trash, but it is much subtler than in other areas of
Berlin.
I knew before coming to Neukölln that the neighborhood had a
lot of diverse people living there, but the senses that highlighted that
diversity were sight and taste. On the same block, I saw signs for donner,
falafel, pizza, Vietnamese food, Indian food, and French pastries. Most foods
are familiar to me, but when I wandered into the big market a few blocks away
from Die Gärtnerei, a lot of ingredients were less familiar.
As for the structure of the community, the biggest natural
barrier was Tempelhof Airfield, which borders Neukölln from the south. Neukölln
is very urban, most of the living space is apartments that are between or above
storefronts. The community is thriving, with people able to walk, bike, drive
and take buses and trains all around the area. In addition to all the
restaurants, there are general stores, smaller boutiques, bars, kindergartens,
parks and churches. It seems to be a community for all ages of predominantly
middle class, although people I’ve spoken to briefly in the community say that
gentrification is occurring (as Berlin becomes a more popular city). One of the
bigger ethnic groups in the area seems to be the Turkish community, but I also
saw people of a variety of other ethnicities (white, Asian, African, etc.).
There was no evidence of politics that I could see, but from talking to Esther
and other members of Die Gärtnerei, there have been roadblocks due to political
agendas that have made the expansion of the garden into the community rather
difficult. Strangely enough, the neighborhood smells diverse too! Flowers,
cooking food and car exhaust.
Finally, the residents seem polite, if not extremely outwardly
friendly, and I feel really comfortable in Neukölln. However, I am aware of the
fact that I may feel comfortable as a white, middle class American woman in
this neighborhood due to gentrification of some of the neighborhood. In
comparison to some other areas in Berlin, there is more of a language barrier
(as Neukölln is less of a tourist destination), but the shop owners and
individuals on the street that I have spoken to are friendly, or at least
courteous. Overall, I really like Neukölln, and I anticipate that I’m going to
enjoy exploring the area as I continue to work at Die Gärtnerei for the next
few weeks.
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