Berlin Travel Forum

Morning all, would highly appreciate your advice. My friend and I will be in Berlin end Oct for 2 days and we are looking for a b&b or a hotel in the center or not very far + in a safe district. I found 2 offers in 2 districts and trying to decide which one to take. Could you please advise me on where to stay - Schöneberg or FRIEDRICHSHAIN ?

thanks a lot in advance!

Depends on what you like...
Friedrichshain is more the young, hip, edgy and a bit trashy district with punks, alternatives, reggae guys (for example), artists, homeless people, many clubs and bars and restaurants (also many cheaper ones), many dogs, subculture, streetart, ugly and nice graffiti and so on...
Schöneberg in three words would be: for the settled Friedrichshainer ;) it's a district with less clubs and bars, but many nice restaurants and an aged alternative scene and it's the berlin gay-district (around motzstraße especially). if you like it a bit more upper-class, the area around Viktoria-Luise-Platz it is.
So in general: If you're young and wild, Friedrichshain is the place to be, if you like it more settled/quiet, Schöneberg is ok. The advice of course would be more accurate if we know where exactly the places to stay are located...

all this said, it's not necessarily true for all of the district! these districts are like small cities on their own (with about 150.000 inhabitants) and these descriptions are generalizations of a small, but characteristic part of them. for example Friedrichshain as described above is just the corner around Boxhagener Platz/Simon-Dach-Straße, Ostkreuz and Rigaer Straße, the rest is more like a "normal" residential district with nicer and uglier parts, in Schöneberg it's the area around Winterfeldplatz/Nollendorfplatz/Akazienstraße/Goltzstraße and Viktoria-Luise-Platz which is the most interesting.

ah, and don't care about transport: it's excellent for both districts! just have a look if the place to stay is not too far away from a U-Bahn station or S-Bahn station.

thank u so much for ur reply!
In Schöneberg the choice of apartments is close to Hauptstr./Dominicusstr. and feurigstrasse (2nd choice)

In FRIEDRICHSHAIN its Agon Frankfurter Allée hotel at SCHARNWEBERSTRASSE 21-22

If you have any advice on these streets - it will be more than welcome

I take a note of your words on thee differences of the districts -we are early thirties and are interested in sighseeing and good eating rather than wild partying.

Great post by stativi *applause*.

In this case, I for one would opt for Friedrichshain. It's within or bordering the nicer part of Friedrichshain stativi mentioned before.

I really do not wish to confuse you, but since the Agon Hotel is not really cheap (up to 160 Euro/night), you may want to take a look at this hotel:

http://www.honigmond-berlin.de/ (Mitte area)

and / or at the Blue Home:

http://www.ackselhaus.de/ (Prenzlauer Berg).

If you rather want something more affordable, something closer to B&B (and don't mind small rooms too much):

http://www.pension-guesthouse-berlin.de/ (Prenzlauer Berg again)

Hm, it's quite similar - both locations (feurig/scharnweber) are in a quiet and mediocre street (if the location at Hauptstraße/Dominicusstraße is directly at one of the streets, skip this one, cause these streets are rather loud streets with many cars), but the nice things are just three minutes away. To be honest, I'd take the cheaper one ;)
Both are also good connected to the city center and the main sights.

sounds like i should opt for FRIEDRICHSHAIN - on the site of the hotel the prices for 2 nights is 122.50euros. I guess i should check in with hotel that it really is the price

thank you for the links - i will check in for alternative options. Im glad i posted a question here - i was lost in my search as i dont know this city at all!

i had a look - the offer in Schoneberg is cheaper but without breakfast included. Whilst in Friedrichshain (given that the hotel really IS at 122euros :))- breakfast is included. For 6 euros difference its worth takign the hotel huh? Im thinking out loud here :)

Good point about loud streets - had that experience already - definitely smth to avoid!

seems to be a good deal at agon...
I'm living not far away from the hotel, so if you have any specific questions about stuff in the area, don't hesitate to ask further.

Im gladly taking your offer! thank you very much. We are traveling end october so im a bit in advance but closer to date i will highly appreciate your advice.