been here 8 years now and honestly i've thought about it every winter lol. but then summer hits and i'm at tempelhofer feld with a beer and remember why i stay. the chaos and the freedom here are pretty unique, even if the burgeramt drives me nuts.

arrow_drop_up 17 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

honestly the thing that keeps me here is how easy it is to just exist. been 6 years and i can still find a €2 coffee and a seat by landwehrkanal on a random tuesday. tried leaving for cologne last year but came back within 3 months, berlin's grime just fits me better. tho i swear if they close another späti at 10pm i'm gone

arrow_drop_up 4 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

Coming up on 11 years now. I always tell myself I'll leave when the novelty wears off, but it hasn't yet. The city still surprises me, like finding a tiny courtyard gallery in Schillerkiez I'd walked past a hundred times. I think I'd miss the way Berlin lets you be weird without anyone caring.

arrow_drop_up 3 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

i'd say skip the big names and look at studiowest in prenzlauer berg, they do amazing japanese style but the waitlist is like 6 months. if u want something quicker, the artists at bitterlich tattoo in mitte are super underrated, especially for fine line. and honestly, walk past the instagram hype, go to a shop in person and ask to see their portfolio book, that's where the real stuff is.

arrow_drop_up 5 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

The Berlin tattoo scene is pretty spread out, so it depends on what style you're after. For fine line and minimalist work, I'd look at A Fine Line in Kreuzberg, they're booked out weeks in advance for a reason. If you want bold traditional, check out Die Wilde Ecke in Neukölln, they've been around forever and the artists there are solid. Honestly, your best bet is to scroll through Instagram and find someone whose healed work you like, not just the fresh photos, because that's where the real skill shows.

arrow_drop_up 3 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

One thing nobody's mentioned yet is the tattoo convention at Arena Berlin, usually in early summer. It's a good way to see a bunch of styles in one afternoon and talk to artists face to face without committing to a shop. I found my guy there three years ago, he works out of a tiny studio near Boxhagener Platz and does amazing neo-traditional, but he rarely posts on Instagram so you'd never discover him otherwise. Bring cash if you go, a lot of the booths only take that on the day.

arrow_drop_up 2 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply