Live like a Berlin hipster

If you are someone with a serious job, long working hours and real deadlines, adjusting to the Berlin lifestyle may appear rather daunting. You will be surprised to see that everywhere around you are artists and creative people, while men and women in suits are nowhere to be seen (except for some parts of Mitte or the posher districts of Charlottenburg and Zehlendorf). You will wonder at how everyone in Berlin has so much time to hang around cafes by day and Kneipen (pubs/bars) by night. The concept of "working only when the weather is bad" will seem rather alien to you at first, but very gradually you will get used to breakfast at 3pm and clubbing on a Sunday morning (having been up all night). You will need patience, because it will take time, but you too can become a Berlin hipster.

To check whether you have truly made it into the Berlin hipster-sphere, take the test below.   

1) Do you have a proper job?

2) Do you have a project?

3) Are you thinking about your own start-up?

4) Do you start the day with a flat white/cappuccino/galao exclusively prepared by your trustworthy barista?

5) Do you carry around a tote bag with an anti-establishment slogan?

6) Do you wear trendy glasses and/or sunglasses?

7) Do you ride a stylish, retro racing bike?

8) Do you shop local, organic, vegan and fairtrade?

9) Do you pay entrance fees to get into clubs and other venues?

10) Do you live in Neukölln?

If  you have answered no to questions 1) and 9) and yes to the remaining eight questions, congratulations: you are a true Berlin hipster!

If you've never had a galao, you need to spend more time in cafes serving Portuguese specialities.

If you haven't made it onto the guest list yet, i.e. you still pay entrance fees, you haven't met the right people. 

If you've not heard of goji berries, head out to your local, organic, vegan grocery shop right now.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, check out these places:

Bonanza Coffee Heroes, Oderberger Strasse, Prenzlauer Berg - now also in Kreuzberg

Galao a Pastelaria, Weinsbergweg, Mitte
Nothaft Seidel, Schönhauser Allee, Prenzlauer Berg - now also in Neukölln

Veganz supermarkets in Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg 
Club der Visionäre, Puschkinallee, Treptow 

Or move to Neukölln.