Located in the ‘Prenzlauerberg Triangle’ between Schönhauser Allee, Knaackstrasse and Kollowitzstrasse, it was consecrated in 1827 and for over half a century was the only burial ground available for Berlin’s Jews.  Today, it is nothing more than a haunting reminder of the horrors of the holocaust for, put simply, there are no relatives to tend the graves.  

What's not to like about Prenzlauerberg? Seriously. It's urban, stylish, and it's old buildings are so gorgeous I want to swoon. Walking around this neighbourhood is a veritable feast for the eyes...bright facades, high-end boutiques, farmers markets and vegan hang-outs…

Still, the area has a lot of character, beautiful architecture, and a vibrant nightlife (particularly in the summer, when people spill out into the streets).  With its punk rock vibe, small independent stores, endless art galleries and array of cheap eateries (in particular Turkish restaurants) it’s popular hasn’t really waned...

Whilst I was there, families were playing hide and seek between the pillars.  Two American tourists were jumping from slab to slab, in a attempt to race each other to the end.  Teenagers were chasing each other through the paths, shrieking loudly.  And then there's selfies. Seriously.  

Little Istanbul meets hipster central it seems...here's a few shots I captured on a Friday morning walk around parts of NeuKolln, a neighbourhood that's been transformed in the last decade and, for better or worse, is where everyone seems to want to live...

Oh lovely Schöneberg...you stole my heart all those years ago and you still have a piece of it.  I could wander your lovely streets for days, gazing at your buildings' wonderful facades, rummaging in your bookstores, and sipping coffee in your cafes...

Commissioned by Frederich Wilhelm II and modelled on the Propylaeum of Athens’ Acropolis, in 1806 the Quadriga (the horse-drawn chariot atop the gate) was stolen by Napoleon's soldiers, but later returned to Germany after the Emperor's defeat.

Today, it's glamorous and gentrified and the techno clubs are long gone, replaced with cafes filled with yummy mummies, sipping lattes and blocking doors with their buggies... it's also home to an old synagogue (and Jewish cemetery) and some funky restaurants and is a wonderful place to spend a few hours (or, in the summer, a long day). 

The result, predictably, was that the square became a showcase for “socialist architecture.”  A number of ugly, soulless buildings went up, along with the 'Fernsehtum’ or, as it’s better known, the Television Tower.  Designed with the help of the Swedes, it stands at 365 metres high and at its top is a revolving restaurant...

I spent my days shuttling between ritzy upmarket suburbs like Charlottenburg and once- thriving but by the early 90's almost-defunct factories in Treptow.  I dressed like a Berliner (all in black), partied like a Berliner (went out at midnight and came home at 6am), made a wealth of friends and spent Sundays taking long, aimless walks across the old East...