Well, our favorite didn’t work out because it was too small for guests and I would have had to explain to the tax office what our clothes and bed and washing machine and kitchen and dining area were doing in something officially declared office space. But the worst part was still to come: I fell head over heels in love with a street in Charlottenburg, Leonhardtstraße, which must be the greatest place to live. On a hot day last week people were outside playing with water hoses, joking with passers-by. Great cafés and restaurants and little shops. Five minutes from the S-Bahn. We spent a delightful evening there. And then to our incredible delight we found an apartment advertised in the paper on that street. 4 rooms. Over 4 m high stucco ceilings. On the first floor, the “belle etage”. Including the incredible “Beliner Zimmer” where maids used to live, in a low ceilinged room, now used for a washing machine. A shower. A kitchen with a gas stove, with a designed look. Wood floors. A gorgeous balcony onto a leafy, friendly sidewalk, with a playground up the street. For (wait for it) under 1000 euros, including everything. Simply unbelievable. We hadn’t seen anything that even came close at any price. Most of the places were ugly, over-renovated, just plain weird. We’d looked at 25 apartments or so. But then, in Leonhardtstr., there was this couple who had the appointment before us, with a very sweet little child. They’d flown in for a day or two to find a flat.
They did.
Heck, I would have given it to them, too.
But my heart is broken.
We’re both completely and utterly exhausted. Time for a vacation.
Anyway, we’re moving to Potsdam, a big flat on the third floor in a quiet street close to one of the train stations and just around the corner from Sanssouci. Helmut has really lovely colleagues living in Potsdam and Babelsberg. The lakes are great. Potsdam is attractive, and in fact may be an easier place for me to find work. A lot of research going on out here, the kinds of things I’m interested in, too. But it’s a three-quarters of an hour train ride from Helmut’s place of work, and (let’s face it) I really wanted to move to Berlin. Friedrichshain. Leonhardtstraße.
One week is way too short to find a place to live.
Who knows: Maybe Fortuna knows something I don’t.
9 Responses
Sorry to hear it didn’t work out with your favourites, Anne, but living in Munich, I have to say it’s nice to hear these places exist at all :-). As it is anytime I hear about flats (and rents) in Berlin, I wonder again why I don’t live there…
Best of luck with your new place, may it soon become home.
Hey, my condolences! A week is much too short. (We needed months to find a place for a move within Dresden.)
I just wanted to write that I loved the upbeat note at the end of the post. Maybe Fortuna does have something up her sleeve. The best things about my apartments were the things it took me a while to appreciate.
Hi Anne
Sorry to hear about the difficulties in finding a flat you like. I am sure Lady Fortuna has something in store for you and Helmut. I do hope that your new abode will bring you happiness and a wonderful lifestyle as well.
Potsdam sounds like a great place to live in. You will soon get used to the new environment.
Best of luck with all the moving preparations.
Ah, so sorry.
But Potsdam could turn out to be good place to explore and learn about priorities that you never knew you had till you were up close to where you wanted to be.
Chin up and big hugs.
So much has been going on in my absence – you really have moved on us Anne! Well you will have real culture in Potsdam being near Sanssoucci. And perhaps if you keep an eye on your favourite areas something will turn up, eventually.
Good luck, big hugs and looking forward to the next installment, Joan
Thank you!! Now, after a week off, I’m looking forward to it … all of it!
Oh you are in Sans souci ! great name, meaning “no worries” in French ! hope you get a “sans souci” life in your new home.
Sanssoucis is a delightful baroque castle, the summer estate of Frederick the Great. It includes the Chinese House, one of the prettiest things you ever saw, in the midst of a lovely park. Most certainly a place of no worries 😉
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chinesisches_Haus_Sanssouci.jpg
Oh Anne, but I’m sure you’ll be happy in Potsdam – it’ll work out!