London vs Berlin
Moving to a new country can be daunting, exciting and draining. Even the most basic of activities like grocery shopping becomes complicated and overly time consuming.
Six months ago, I made the move from London to Berlin. I had never been to Berlin before, but I didn’t think too deeply about this. For some reason I just assumed I would like the city (I know this sounds naïve and could have backfired, but it didn’t so I am just rolling with it). I left London on a high, enchanted by the cities charm and quick pace of life. With no expectations of Berlin, not knowing anybody in Germany, I moved.
Berlin and London are both capital cities, but they are strikingly different. Berlin feels tiny. Or is it that is London huge? In London, it is perfectly acceptable to travel over an hour to do anything. In Berlin, the idea of travelling on public transport for 40 minutes makes me reconsider. London’s size made it incredible for running. I could do a 13-mile run and not even break the central boroughs. Whereas in Berlin, my 13 milers can bag me most of the city’s landmarks. (Obviously, both dependent on my living locations.)
Berlin’s cosier size allows life to take on a slower pace. Rush hour doesn’t resemble a British rush hour. The dog-eat-dog atmosphere of London City is lost and replaced with a level of serenity.
Most people who have lived in Berlin for a few years believe the city is starting to get quite expensive. For me, the city is very cheap. But moving from London would make anywhere feel cheap.
Shopping in London is unrivalled. Oxford street, Harrods, Covent Garden, Camden Market, Portobello Market and Brick Lane – just to name a few classics. Berlin – all shops shut on Sunday. There’s not much else to say. It’s a pain.
I could spend days on end marvelling at London’s architecture. I could probably spend a day marvelling at Berlins – it’s not a pretty city.
To live in London, you have to want it. It is a way of life. To live in Berlin, you have to fall in love with its charm (which is an unexplainable charm). But once you have, and you’ve accepted the quirks of the German culture (which deserves an article to itself), the lifestyle in Berlin is more relaxed and certainly less expensive!
