#MyGermany: ‘Living outside the Berlin Ringbahn means less competition’

Every month, a reader takes over The Local's Instagram to show us their Germany. Floraidh Clement from Scotland recently showed us her part of Berlin.

Published: 27 March 2019 13:13 CET

#MyGermany: 'Living outside the Berlin Ringbahn means less competition'

Floraidh Clement. Photo courtesy of Floraidh Clement

How old are you and what do you normally spend your days doing?

I'm 24 years old. When I'm not working as a social media specialist, I love exploring the city's museums, rollerblading around the nearest park and trying to find the best pizza in Berlin.

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Hello and Guten Tag! ? I’m Floraidh. I’ll be taking over The Local Germany’s IG this week. That’s me in my all time favourite Berlin spot, Tempelhof. If only it was t-shirt weather today…? . I’ve lived and worked in Berlin for almost 18 months, having moved from Glasgow, Scotland for a job at a travel blog ???????? . I just started a new role at a European digital bank and am super excited to get started. Being new is always daunting but I’m beginning to find my feet. ? . Right now I live in a quiet Kiez called Lichtenberg just outside of “the Ring” (the train line circling around the Haupstadt). People are always a little taken aback when I tell them where I live – there’s no large international scene, trendy restaurants or vibrant nightlife here. But there’s plenty more which has made me come to appreciate the slower, less flashy pace of life? . So if you fancy seeing more insights into a quieter corner of East Berlin, I’ll be posting snippets throughout this week! ? . Today though…I’m not feeling so great and am working from home. Waiting it out to see if I feel better and can crack on with my weekend plans? . I always feel like I’m not “making the most” of Berlin when I have a quiet weekend, though…it’s a unique kind of FOMO. Do you ever feel pressure to make the most out of your adopted home in Germany and soak up every second? Or can you give yourself room to breathe? Tell me your thoughts below!❤️ . #thelocalgermany #mygermany #berlin #berlinstagram #deutschland #berlincity #igersberlin #igberlin #travel #expatlife #unlimitedberlin #iloveberlin #tempelhof #tempelhoferfeld #berlingram #berliner #berlinlove #diestadtberlin #visitberlin

A post shared by The Local Germany (@thelocalgermany) on Mar 15, 2019 at 5:32am PDT

When and why did you move to your city/neighbourhood?

I moved to my neighbourhood in January 2018. At the time, it was more of a practical decision. The Berlin rental market is notoriously tricky and living slightly outside the Ring meant less competition while keeping our commutes to Alexanderplatz reasonably short.

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What is it with Berlin sunsets? ? This was taking at Rummelsburger See, around the Noldnerplatz area of Lichtenberg. Walking down here at the end of the day with a cold späti beer always makes me feel lucky to be here. I mean, I won’t be braving the water anytime soon as supposedly it’s veeeery contaminated, but it makes a nice photo, eh? #berlin #diestadtberlin #berlinlove #mygermany

A post shared by The Local Germany (@thelocalgermany) on Mar 18, 2019 at 10:25am PDT

What do you love the most about your city/neighbourhood?

My neighbourhood is peaceful, quiet and safe. That said, when we do want to head out and enjoy more lively neighbourhoods, we're only a few U-Bahn stops from Friedrichshain, or we can hop on the Ringbahn and be in Prenzlauerberg or Neukölln in 20 minutes.

As for my city…where to start with Berlin? It's diverse, it's fun, it's a city which doesn't take itself too seriously. There's always somewhere new to explore, it never takes that long to get anywhere, and it's still relatively cheap to enjoy. If you love history (I'm personally a bit of a Cold War nerd) you're basically surrounded by it every day. I do wish museums were free like they are in the UK, but I've not found one I haven't enjoyed yet.

What annoys you the most about your neighbourhood?

Sometimes it's a bit TOO quiet and peaceful, if you get what I mean! It would be great to have a bar or restaurant nearby we can stroll to when we're feeling lazy, but it really is just residential area. Overall, we're happy with where we are.

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Oops – forgot to post yesterday, so I’ll post twice today! ? Where do you stand on communist architecture? Do you like it or find it a bit imposing? There’s a lot of it throughout the east of the city, particularly in Lichtenberg. My district has both new, modern structures as well as plattenbauen like this. I like how this particular building has been updated ? #berlin #diestadtberlin #lichtenberg #architecture #berlinlove #berlinstagram #visitgermany #berlingram

A post shared by The Local Germany (@thelocalgermany) on Mar 20, 2019 at 10:58pm PDT

How should I spend a day in your neighbourhood?

Definitely by escaping to the less tourist green spots of Berlin. From Landschaftspark Herzberge to Stadtpark Lichtenberg and the banks of Rummelsburger See, my neighbourhood is spoiled for peaceful places to “get away” from the city.

It's a little further east and not technically my neighbourhood anymore, but Schlosspark Biesdorf is also idyllic and lovely. I'd also really recommend heading to the Stasi Museum.

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The #DDRMuseum in Mitte gets a lot of love, but the Stasi Museum in Lichtenberg is one of my personal favourites in #Berlin. It’s located right next to Magdalenenstrasse U-bahn. It took me a long time to go visit considering I live a short walk away, but it’s a fascinating insight into the everyday surveillance people endured in East Germany. The museum itself is the former Stasi HQ, with much of its original furnishings still retained. The building and the ones which surround it are imposing socialist structures and it feels like a step back into not-so-distant history. Inside, you can read more about the surveillance methods used by the Stasi, as well as how they recruited both workers and informants. There’s so much history in Berlin, some good, but most incredibly dark. What’s your favourite museum to visit? #thelocalgermany #mygermany #berlin #history #stasimuseum #myberlin #berlinlove #diestadtberlin

A post shared by The Local Germany (@thelocalgermany) on Mar 16, 2019 at 3:37am PDT

What's a fun fact not everyone knows about your neighbourhood?

The Bahnhof Edeka in Lichtenberg is open on a Sunday. Sounds like an unimportant detail, but when you wake up on a Sunday with a hangover and no fry up ingredients…

Follow Floraidh Clement on Instagram here. To find out how you can become The Local's next #MyGermany host, click HERE.

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