Schönhauser Allee
Schönhauser Allee is Prenzlauer Berg's main shopping area and Berlin's fifth busiest shopping street. One of Berlin's main radial arteries (it's also Federal Highway - Bundesstraße 96a), it stretches from the Torstrasse as far as the crossing with Bornholmer Straße / Wisbyer Straße. The busiest section is from the intersection with the Danziger Straße at U-Bahn station Eberswalder Straße until the next station outwards, Schönhauser Allee. There's also a number of smaller shops and entertainment venues between Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz and Senefelderplatz nearer the city center.
Shopping
The main retail "attraction" is the Schönhauser Allee Arcaden, a medium-sized indoor shopping centre / mall located directly besides (and partially above) Schönhauser Allee station.
Access
U-Bahn line U2 runs along the entire length of the Schönhauser Allee, while the S-Bahn ring line (S41/S42) crosses at Schönhauser Allee station. Tram M1 runs from Eberswalder Straße to Pankow, while trams M10 and 12 cross at Eberswalder Straße.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Berlin_Schoenhauser_Allee_Karte.svg
Schönhauser allee
One of the first things you notice walking through Prenzlauerberg is the number of children, prams, day care centers and shops selling children’s items. There is some confusion, however, as to whether there are really more children in this district of Berlin. Either way, it is certainly one of the hipper places to be, with most of the people here between 20-40. In the past few years a lot of Expats have also been moving to this corner of Berlin. Many of them artists, looking for cheaper alternatives to their expensive studios in New York or Berlin.
The two main arteries running through Prenzlauerberg are Schonhauser allee and Prenzlauer allee. The former is probably one of the busiest streets in Berlin, and while not as tightly packed with shops as the comparable Oranienstrasse in Kreuzberg, there is plenty to see and do. Besides it branches off into pretty much every place that is worth seeing in Prenlzauerberg. Let’s take a quick tour from its southern end, at Rosa Luxembourg platz, all the way to Bornholmerstrasse in the North, where it ends at the ringbahn (train).
Nightlife
Long after all of Prenzlauerberg’s many babies have gone to bed it is hard not to get engulfed by the nightlife in this corner of Berlin. There is a pub or club on or around every corner.
Café Burger
on Rosa Luxemburg platz, right at the beginning of Schonhauser allee. One of the most famous clubs of Berlin. Madonna rented this place to throw a party during the Berlinale. But there are also literary evenings every last Wednesday of the month. But most of all it is a place where people come to dance until way after the sun has come up. Rock a billy, classic rock, and psychedelic rock are what you will find here. As well as some gorgeous guy, or girl waiting to take you home for the night…
White Trash
More Rock a billy and psychedelic rock. Also another hangout of famous rockstars. David Bowie to name one of many, used come here. White Trash is a huge, former Chinese restaurant. There is a lot of live music and they serve burgers. Since a few months there are also movies on Tuesdays (not dubbed in German, which is a rare thing in Germany).
http://new.whitetrashfastfood.com/
Bassy Club
Across from White Trash. And yes, even more Rock a billy and psychedelic rock. A classy counterpart to Café Burger. Blue lit and ready to rock. This place is only open at the weekends though (while Café Burger is open every day).
http://www.myspace.com/bassy_club
8mm
Diagonally across from White Trash. A personal favourite. A small dark, dingy bar. Don’t know if it’s called 8mm after the movie, or the gun (there are hints at both in the bar). They usually play rock here, but also a big selection of eighties, new wave. A real expat hangout, with a lot of Americans.
Yesterday
This bar is another favourite hangout, but is strangely enough usually deserted. Perhaps this has something to do with the psychedelic interior: a foot-long sculpture of a bee circles the bar on a string, two mannequin dolls sit at one end of the bar and there are sunflowers and tables with games.
http://www.musikbaryesterday.de/
Scotch & Sofa
A typical Berlinesque bar. Lots of second-hand sofas and lots of cocktails. Nice place to start your evening. The address is :
Kollwitzstraße 18
10405 Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany
+49 30 44042371
Other worthwhile places
As mentioned, beside nightlife, Schonhauser allee leads on to many different kinds of places of interest. Here is only a handful of examples:
Mauerpark
If you turn left at Eberswalder strasse U-bahn and go down Kastanienallee you will find Mauerpark. This translates as ‘wall park’ and yes, it is a part of land where the wall divided West and East Berlin. This is a nice little park with an extensive flea market every Sunday, and it is also the location of many festivals, and a perfect place to hang out outside in the summer.
Due Forni
This restaurant deserves special mention. This is an anarchist pizza maker! Really fun place to eat, decorated with all kinds of anarchist inspired art and posters, plus, the pizza is delicious. If you want to get a table here be sure to reserve the day before, because it is always packed.
Schönhauser Allee Arcaden
And for those of you who like to go shopping, the Schonhauser Arkaden is the perfect place. A shopping mall right on top of S-bahn station Schonhauser allee with many different kinds of shops to visit, and also close to much more of the same in the close vicinity
http://www.schoenhauser-allee-arcaden.de/
