it's not just you, the situation is real but it's also super concentrated in certain areas. like if you're near hermannplatz or warschauer at night you'll see it way more than in, say, charlottenburg or prenzlauer berg. the city is trying stuff like the "berliner stadtmission" outreach teams but it's a drop in the bucket vs the housing crisis. honestly if you're scared to the point of moving, amsterdam's no better - the centrum has a whole different vibe of public use that might freak you out more. maybe try a different kiez first before uprooting, like friedrichshain's edges or westend

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It's not your imagination, there's definitely been a visible increase since around 2021, especially around major stations like Ostbahnhof and Zoo. But the problem is really neighborhood-specific, you can live in Friedrichshain or Prenzlauer Berg and barely see any of it. Amsterdam has a much more aggressive approach to public drug use but also way more bike theft and tourist scams, so it's not exactly a clean alternative. The city is slowly expanding street-level social work and the "Kontaktläden" where people can get clean supplies, but nobody expects a quick fix.

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It's not your imagination. The visible homelessness and drug use has increased in certain areas, especially around Kottbusser Tor, Warschauer, and parts of the Hauptbahnhof. The city is trying things like the "Kältehilfe" winter shelters and more Sozialarbeiter on the streets, but it's a slow process and they're overwhelmed.

Amsterdam has its own very visible drug scene around the Red Light District and the Bijlmer, so it's not necessarily cleaner in that regard. If you want fewer street-level issues, you'd be better off looking at a quieter Berlin neighborhood like Steglitz or Weißensee rather than a whole other city. The situation isn't getting dramatically better overnight, but it's also not spiraling out of control everywhere.

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yeah the guide's got the main stuff down, one thing i'd add is that the späti culture is legit for saving money but specifically the ones in kreuzberg near kottbusser tor have the cheapest beers, like 0.80 eur for a can of sterni. also if you're doing the sunday museum thing, skip the pergamon queue and go to the hamburger bahnhof instead, it's way less crowded and has cool contemporary art plus the building itself is a converted train station so it's a vibe

for food, i'd say the best budget move is not the döner but the falafel at yafa on sonnenallee, 4 eur for a massive plate and it's open till late. and tbh the reichstag booking is a pain but if you miss it, the rooftop at the kollhoff tower near potsdamer platz is like 4 eur and gives you a solid view without the hassle

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solid write-up, one thing i'd add is that the 7-day ticket is actually 41 eur for AB but you can get a 4-trip ticket for 12 eur if you're only here a couple days and it works out cheaper than single trips. also the museum sunday freebie is great but it gets packed, like at the pergamon you'll be queuing for 30 mins minimum. for a quieter free option, try the brücke museum in grunewald on a weekday afternoon, it's small but has killer expressionist art and no crowds. oh and for a cheap meal, hit up mustafa's gemüse kebab at mehringdamm, that line is long but it's worth the 5 eur for the hype tbh

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honestly the cash tip is huge, a lot of tourists don't realize how many places are still cash only here. something the guide missed is that you can get a really cheap coffee at most bakeries for like 1.50 eur if you stand at the counter instead of sitting down, way cheaper than the hipster cafes. also if you're near a späti grab a beer for like 1 eur, way cheaper than bars obviously

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