überlin

Boxhagener Platz Flea Market

by Zoë Noble

We’re slowly working our way through Berlin’s wonderful flea markets but, boy, are there a lot! Recently, we visited Boxhagener Platz in Friedrichshain, which we’d heard great things about. Thankfully it didn’t disappoint, with its great mixture of old nick-nacks, vintage furniture, punk wares and some fucking scary dolls (see pics)! On a much smaller scale than, say, Mauerpark, a trip to Boxi is short, but very sweet – we did one lap, scoping out the best sellers, before stopping off at one of the cute cafes across the Platz to watch people barter (terribly). Check out some of the weird and wonderful things they could have picked up!

Photos by Zoë Noble Photography.

Voodoo Market

by James Glazebrook

Try as we might, we just can’t get into the traditional Christmas market spirit. Sure the food and drink (Glühwein!) is great, but the stuff on sale is either crafty, or just plain crappy, and the vibe is just too… merry. Maybe we’re being Grinchy, but we’d rather spend our snowy Saturdays at one of Berlin’s many alternative Weihnachtsmarkts – like Holy Shit Shopping or, last weekend’s highlight, Voodoo Market.

Billed as “not your ordinary fleamarket“, this was our first chance to explore the new Urban Spree space at Warschauer Strasse, and catch up with some of our favourite Berlin people. We saw the studio where Mother Drucker printed up our überlin merchandise (on sale soon!), Linsey from VentureVillage getting tattooed by the AKA lot, SAY IT selling their geometric Bowie and Björk t-shirts and Josh Bauman, who was as stoked as we were about the response to our “How to Survive a Berlin Winter” collaboration. Other highlights included Berlin Cakes’ delicious cupcakes and Chop Chop Graphics, who were letting people print their own t-shirts and tote bags.

Stay tuned to Voodoo Market’s Facebook Page to find out about their upcoming events.

Toast & Jam

by Zoë Noble

Last week couldn’t have been busier with Berlin Fashion Week, Bread & Butter, Rollin Restaurant and an amazing night in Berghain all squished into seven short days. As if that wasn’t enough for my weary feet, I also managed a trip to Berlin’s Vintage Fashion Fair, Toast & Jam. Although a little on the small side for the €4 entry fee, it was like stepping into an Aladdin’s cave of treasure. A mix of decades offered something for everyone, and stalls were well laid out with quality hand-picked wears. Perfect for the bargain hunter who prefers carefully edited selections to flea market free-for-alls!

Überstyle: Mauerpark

by Zoë Noble

Flohmarkt Find: Hallentrödelmarkt Treptow

by James Glazebrook

Now this is a real fleamarket. This Aladin’s Cave, tucked in beside the Arena at Treptow, makes Arkonaplatz look like IKEA and Mauerpark look like a catwalk. We happened across the Hallentrödelmarkt (indoor flea market) on our way home from the International Tattoo Convention, and to be honest, this place was weirder. We encountered mountains of junk, an otherwise normal looking girl test-driving an accordian and countless angry stall owners telling us “keine Fotos!” (I guess if we can’t take a picture of that stuffed badger, we’re just going to have to buy it?!) Every time you see a computer monitor up a tree, or a giant plastic chandelier hanging from the ceiling of a neighbourhood bar, we’d bet it has passed through here. Come down and have a poke around – there’s no telling what you might find.

Hallentrödelmarkt Treptow takes place every Saturday and Sunday at Eichenstraße 4. For more details visit Qype.

Überstyle: Mauerpark

by Zoë Noble

Graefekiez

by James Glazebrook

We recently asked our Facebook fans what they wanted to see more of on the blog and the top answer so far (go vote!) has been “cool things to see and do in Berlin”. Now we don’t get out much, and if we do, we don’t stray from our Kiez – but that’s OK, because the area around Graefestrasse in Kreuzberg has everything we need (except for great coffee).

I decided that a niftybobs way of introducing you to the neighbourhood would be a personalised Google Map marked up with our highlights. As well as a dangerous number of eateries (I’m writing this with a gut-full of ice cream), there are bars, Hard Wax records (which I’m claiming even though its located over the canal), an expert tattooists and – what the what? – a licorice shop??!!

So have a click around Graefekiez. Let us know if we’ve missed anything, and why not make a map of your area? We’d love to get an insider’s view on other parts of Berlin. Ciao!

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