What Berlin Mitte really means
A brief history of Berlin Mitte and why it is what it is
Check out our video about Mitte
If there is any area in central Berlin that is considered to be hip, it is the area around Rosenthaler Platz in Berlin-Mitte. From here you really feel the pulse of the city: numerous galleries and vernissage events, rooftop bars, upscale restaurants, fancy coffee shops, and small Berlin designer boutiques, as well as international brands, can be found here.
How did it happen, that Mitte has become such a desirable place to be?
1990s Berlin. The implosion of the iron curtain. The fall of the Berlin Wall. A city reunited. A new feeling of freedom. A lack of direction. Capitalism v Communism.
Mitte came out from under the wall a broken neighbourhood - bombed out during the war and, unchanged since. Empty buildings of the Mitte area were looking for new inhabitants. The first flood of non-conformist residents came and occupied the empty buildings: artists, gallerists, punks, musicians and poets from all over the world and all looking for affordable or even free atelier space flocked to Mitte. Very quickly Mitte became the epicentre of a completely new, diverse movement of creative people. A free space for inspiration and creativity – a melting pot for new ideas, concepts, ideologies and lifestyles. The club ‘Im Eimer’ at the Rosenthaler Strasse was one of the most important cultural playgrounds for the locals, it was here that the Tacheles art project began. At the same time, Auguststraße turned into an art hub.
The city turned into one big performance stage, with Mitte at its centre, and with that the world famous Berlin Club scene was born.
From 2000, the face of the area started to change rapidly. The city started to invest money in redeveloping the area and the infrastructure . The facades of the old buildings became reconstructed or renewed. Alternative concepts like the residential house at Torstrasse 149 by GRAFT, the Chipperfield Kantine in Johannisstraße 11 or the revitalization of the investment ruin Brunnenstraße 9 by Arno Brandlhuber closed the gaps from WW2-times.
The art galleries stayed, and, moreover, now there were two streets devoted to the art scene: Auguststraße and Linienstrasse. The new gentrified look of the neighborhood started to attract new residents, noisy clubs started to get pushed out to other areas of Berlin and replaced with shops, cafes and restaurants.
On the sidewalks one started to hear more and more foreign languages. But locals moved in too. Within just 10 years the population increased by more than 25%. You could spot famous Berliners here such as journalist Hans-Ulrich Jörgens, German actor Ben Becker and German filmmaker Wim Wenders.
Today, 3 out of 10 residents of Berlin-Mitte are foreigners. The face of the area of Rosenthaler Platz has changed completely.
“It is the TriBeCa of Berlin,” - is the common opinion of the locals and critics.
It has become clear that a new era has started for this area. Finding an apartment here today, especially one on top - a penthouse - is close to impossible. Very few listings come on the market, as those who move here hardly ever move away again. The area around Rosenthaler Platz and Torstraße became one of the hottest and most sought after locations in Berlin. Penthouse at Torstraße is the ultimate desirable property.
Several addresses around this area became especially desired, and one of them is the Torstrasse 140 building. Its massive entrance marked with letters ‘Torstrasse 140’ does not give you a feeling of a residential building, it looks more like an establishment. The doorbells do not have any names, only numbers - for the privacy of the residents. Many well-known Berliners live here.
The building has a history as well - it was used as a Railway directorate in the GDR times, however, in 2001 it was refurbished into residential lofts and penthouses. One of the most unique things about this building is the rooftop pool from where you can look over the whole city with all the highlights such as TV Tower and Berlin Cathedral. But that’s not all. This duplex penthouse ticks all the boxes. Concierge service, spa area with indoor pool and hammam, underground parking for 6 vehicles, spacious living room with facing exposure and spectacular views, rooftop terrace with 360 degrees view over the city, a private floor for a whole family with a separate entrance - all the things you would expect from a luxury property in a capital city.
Penthouse at Torstrasse 140 is one of the most amazing properties in Berlin. These kinds of apartments rarely come to the market - it is a unique opportunity. Check out the video that we made to honor this amazingproperty which is now in exclusive sales of our agency.
Watch the video about the penthouse
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