residencyWeissensee

The Daimler-Chrysler Art Foundation has an impressive, changing exhibition that is free entry, hidden away in Potsdamer Platz: Haus Huth, Alte Potsdamer Straße 5.

art-berlin.de has a listing of private collections and exhibitions, some more commercial than others.

The Sammlung Hoffmann (Collection) has a new selection every year from this insane private collection, presented in their private apartment. Look forward to meeting Erika Hoffmann herself at the end of the tour. Book well in advance for the almost-private tour for €12.

The Sammlung Boros claims that its private collection is worth $100 million. They keep it in a bunker where small groups of 12 get shown around. Online booking is easy. You pay €12 at the bunker door.

The Me-Collectors-Room (next to KW) has a weird and wonderful Wunderkammer permanent collection, plus changing classy exhibitions.

My current favourite cinema is the tiny, 40-odd-seater, LichtBlick Kino, in Kastanienallee 77. As well as regularly screening Berlin classics like 'Wings of Desire', it has inspiringly leftwing documentaries, random short film festivals and much with English subtitles.

Yorck Kinos Berlin is the major arthouse chain with several cinemas around town. Their website is determinedly in German, but they do screen movies with English subtitles and in original language - you just have to dig to find them. The International is their 50s architectural jewel, worth visiting just for its stylishness.

berlin.angloinfo.com has lots of basic Berlin-survival information, and a generalist listing of English language movies, mostly mainstream. But it's a handy place to check if in need of cinematic anti-void escape.

The cinema that is actually nearest to me is the Brotfabrik Berlin in a small old bread factory. Their movie program is incredibly hardcore, such as a whole festival of obscure Polish docos. There's also a theatre and bookstore, but I haven't found a reason to try them yet.

The ehemaliges Stummfilmkino Delphi is a distressed and crumbling old silent moviehouse with achingly beautiful, water-stained arched, soaring roof and oystered proscenium. Now it's a venue for occasional art events, worth going just to be in there.

Echtzeitmusik is the almost comprehensive listing of any music event that is remotely experimental.

KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Auguststraße 69 is usually free and has ever-changing groovy shows with a nice cafe in its courtyard. The bookshop is also sometimes worth a peek.

suggestions: residencyweissensee AT gmail.com

My closest contemporary art gallery is Sexauer, Streustrasse 90, which is about 6 minutes walk. It's a private gallery run by an lawyer, but beautiful simple warehouse-converted space, and classy art so far.

initiative neue musik berlin is a more classical contemporary music listing, just in German.

The Unheard Musik presents a contemporary music concert every Tuesday night at the BKA (usually a cabaret venue). Seems, however, that their funding is threatened.

copyright 2015 residencyWeissensee

Mies van der Rohe only designed 2 buildings in Berlin: the Neue Nationalgalerie (closed for renovation), and a private house in Weißensee, free to visit.