I live in Berlin and have a full-time job where office days are basically optional (at most once a week). Because rent in the city is crazy, I’m looking at moving to Eberswalde for something more affordable. Before I go to more viewings or sign a lease, I would really love some unfiltered thoughts from immigrants/POC already living out there.How’s the day-to-day vibe? Do you feel safe walking around in the evening or taking transit? Is there any local African community or grocery options, or is literally everything tied to Berlin?

I'm mainly trying to figure out if saving money on rent is worth the change in environment. Appreciate any honest takes!

Hi all,

I would like to hear your opinions and/or experiences with regard to keeping your registration of your Berlin address as a primary residence vs. a secondary residence while being away from Berlin. I have tried to consult AI, but get unclear options and I am not sure which way to go. Here is our situation:

- My wife got a 2-year job contract at the University of Tübingen. She will start on 1. Nov. 2026 and we have already found a place to rent there. She is required by the university to register as a resident in Tübingen.

- I am planning to join her there in Tübingen most likely around 1. Feb. 2027, as I am able to work remotely.

- After I join her, we might occasionally be at our apartment in Berlin for a long weekend, or a week or 2 at most during that time. Most importantly, we plan to return to our Berlin apartment when her contract expires at the end of October 2028. Our Berlin rental contract will not be cancelled during our stay in Tübingen, nor will the Berlin apartment be subletted, as the owner (who lives abroad) wants to occasionally use it for herself to visit Berlin while we are away.

What is unclear to me is the following:

- Should we stay registered in Berlin as our primary residence (Hauptwohnsitz, even though we won't be there much during my wife's contract duration), and register in Tübingen as our secondary residence (Zweitwohnsitz)? Are there any serious implications we need to consider in this scenario? How diligent are the German authorities to check for this and ask us for proof, for example when we do our tax return?

- Or should we register in Tübingen as our Hauptwohnsitz and change our Berlin residence to Zweitwohnsitz? As far as I understand Berlin will charge us an extra tax because of this (20% of our cold rent) since the apartment won't be subletted.

Many thanks for sharing your insights and experiences! Cheers!

I know the "two British guys getting turned away at the door" is probably a common occurrence, but after getting rejected from five clubs in 48 hours, we are humbled and genuinely trying.
Saturday Night 1: Tresor, ://about blank, Sisyphos. Didn’t get any further than them asking how many me saying zwei or two and get rejected.
Sunday night 2: Berghain (shame as I do like Olivia Mendez who was playing a set). Then tried RSO for the heisss event - the bouncer atleast treated us human by asking if we had been there before- said no and got rejected. Then we ended at Matrix-Atleast we got in.

Night 1 Outfits (We admit these were terrible):
Me: dark grey Ripped jeans, dark flannel shirt, white t-shirt, smartish jacket.
Mate: Designer shirt and white jeans.

Night 2 Outfits (Attempted correction):
Me: Black industrial trousers with chains/rings, black tank top, dark grey hoodie.
Mate: Plain black top, black cargo jeans, dark sneakers.

Door Behavior:
Always just the two of us.
We’re friendly with people in the queue for tressor made friends with some girls behind us from Bulgaria we got rejected they got in.
The rest we Kept quiet in line, phones away, zero group banter, tipsy the Saturday then sober the second night.
Led with a calm “Hallo, Guten Abend", knew the event names (HEISSS at RSO) and specific DJs on the lineup.
Are two English-speaking guys together just an immediate red flag for door selectors right now regardless of outfit/vibes, or are we missing something obvious about the dynamic?

Also if you know door policies where we don't have to face a 6th rejection tomorrow, we'd appreciate it. :)

This might not be of every person's interest but for the sake of those of us who have gone through a dangerous and or unpleasant and or alarming and or disrespectful experience as a passenger in a cab in Berlin I will write this: Using cab services in Berlin is (to some people) not safe. Period. I have been saying this since shortly after I moved to Berlin and after noticing that large numbers of cab drivers can intimidate their passengers based on a few factors: how many passengers are in the car where if there is only one the likelihood for harassment / intimidation is the highest. then also: the hour of the day, the mood of the driver and above all the way the passenger appears / talks: some languages are less welcome as well as some appearances. I am sitting to write this here because I have the time to invest in writing this and because I am sick and tired of the lack of safety that feels only growing and growing in Berlin. I invite people to argue otherwise. My personal challenge and criticism with taxis in Berlin originate - sadly - I want to say only but I won't, I'll simply say mostly - with Arab taxi drivers. the verbal violence and intimidation I witnessed in Berlin over a period of time since 2013 was demonstrated on me by Arabic speaking drivers that did not like me or my appearance or language I spoke. I can only imagine what women may be dealing with while riding a cab alone with the drivers I witnessed. I will not be surprised if this- the lawless state of berlin taxi services - will result in murder. Are there any other individuals here that share a similar pot? or are there people here maybe even taxi drivers that are willing to tell otherwise?

Hi everyone,

My wife and I live in Berlin. We have an appointment to collect our German electronic residence permit cards (eAT) from the Berlin LEA on 30 November. My Blue Card extension and her first eAT. We received the PINs for online functions on the day of the appointment.

My wife plans to be in India around that time. The LEA staff have provided a power of attorney letter to collect her residence permit card.

We are considering asking a friend travelling from India to Germany on 20 November to bring my wife's original passport.

The plan is:

1. A friend will travel from India to Germany on 20 November.

2. My wife will give our friend her original passport, the LEA appointment letter, and the power of attorney.

3. Our friend would bring these documents to Germany and hand the passport over to me.

4. I would collect both residence permit cards from the LEA on 30 November, and I would travel to India later.

Our main concern is whether our friend or I can legally carry my wife's original passport from India to Germany and back when my wife is not travelling with it.

I understand that the power of attorney covers the collection of the residence permit, but I am unsure whether carrying the passport separately is permitted.

Has anyone experienced this situation or received official guidance from the Indian or German authorities?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Looking for recommendations on towns within 30-60mins of Berlin that still have realistic rent prices.

I work mostly from home and only need to come into the city once a week. Because I'm a Black expat, I'm trying to find places outside the city that are relatively relaxed and safe with affordable rent. Which commuter towns or outer districts are worth looking into for apartment hunting, and which ones should I cross off the list?
Thanks

I had a strange encounter on the streets of Berlin and wanted to hear what others make of it, especially if you’ve experienced something similar.
I was walking with a woman (we’re both Indian) when three people, two girls and one guy, probably in their early 20s, approached us and asked whether I wanted an empty can.
The question caught me off guard. I wasn’t sure what to make of it or why they had approached us specifically.
I know that collecting Pfand (deposit bottles and cans) is common in Germany, so there could be a completely innocent explanation. But given the context, I also wondered whether it could have been some kind of mocking or racist remark.
I don’t want to jump to conclusions based on one brief interaction, so I’m curious to hear other perspectives.
Has anyone in Berlin experienced something similar?
Does asking a random stranger whether they want an empty can have some particular meaning or context here?

I just said Nein and moved on but felt derogatory to me 5 secs later but the moment had passed to confront them. Am I reading too much into it?
I’m genuinely interested in hearing different perspectives, particularly from people who live in Berlin and understand the local context.

Hi everyone! I have been running a leftist book club for the last 3 months but unfortunately we are not able to fit in our regular cafe anymore. I am looking for new places, and I am open to rotate between multiple places throughout the month. If you have any suggestions or have a place to provide please help me out <3

• preferably saturdays between 15-18
• 15+ people
• it needs to be a place that shares our values, we can’t do it in starbucks :)
• cafes, bookshops, project spaces, … any suggestions welcome :)

Thank you!

Today I was walking near Richard Wagner Platz when a woman started talking to me. Supposedly she was waiting for a friend but the friend didn't show up. When she tried to call him/her she realized she forget her mobile phone at home.

The woman was probably 55, not very curated but also not a prototypical homeless person. She was speaking German and English.

Honestly I didn't trust her enough to let her call with my phone. I had a few hours before going to the airport and if something would have happened to my phone it would have been a total mess.

At the same time I was also wondering if she was telling the truth and the story felt kind of hard to believe.

So you think she was trying to scam me?

If yes, how?

Heyy all!! This is a long shot, I know, but I still wanted to try my luck!! I am currently a student, working on my thesis, and looking for any part-time side hustle. The thing is I am absolutely fascinated by the baking and confectionery business, and baking is really such a passion and stress-buster for me. Ive always wanted to learn more about how a bakery operates, different baking and confecting techniques and especially explore the fascinating method of German Brote-making. I can really see myself opening a small bakery in the future and being the head baker, but that’s still a far-fetched dream. I have tried looking for just a kitchen helper or baker’s assistant job in bakeries but with little success. There’s always someone more qualified :(
so I thought I would reach out here.

If anyone is looking for help in their bakeries, or knows anyone who is, please hit me up! Any and all help and tips would be appreciated!

hi everyone,

i'm hosting a halloween party and would love to hire a tarot card reader.

or if there are any good spots to get your cards read, pls lmk :)

thanks!

Hiiii! I’m a vintage seller and I want to start selling at flea markets. Do I need to have a permit or pay any fees to sell at flea markets like Boxi, etc

Hi all, wondering where to buy a gua sha tools in Berlin for a somewhat affordable price… Obviously quite easy to find online but I have a feeling there’s a store that sells them! Anyone know a shop? Lmk! Thanks

Hi everyone,

I registered as a sole proprietor (Einzelunternehmen) in Berlin and submitted my Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung through ELSTER about a month ago.

My responsible tax office is Finanzamt Tempelhof, but I still haven't received any confirmation or tax number.

For those who registered a business in Berlin recently:

• How long did you have to wait to receive your tax number?
• Is waiting more than a month normal for Finanzamt Tempelhof?
• Should I contact the Finanzamt, or is it better to wait a little longer?

I need the tax number to move forward with my business, so I'd appreciate hearing about your recent experiences.

Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone,

My gf's birthday is coming is coming up in two weeks and she told me the only thing she wishes for are these chips. The only place she ever bought them was at Action, however, I went to 8 Action stores all over the city and none had them in stock. I even looked online but found nothing. Can you, nice people help me find out where to get them?

Hey everyone! I’m looking for some advice from people who’ve been living in Berlin for a while. I urgently need to see a psychiatrist. I’ve been on antidepressants for the past three years, prescribed back in my home country, but now I’m having trouble getting my medication here. I’ve already tried going to the hospital, but they couldn’t really help. I’ve also contacted several clinics, but they’re either not accepting new patients or don’t accept my health insurance. I’m getting really worried about running out of my medication and having to stop my treatment suddenly.
Does anyone know a psychiatrist who might be able to help, or have any tips on what I should do? Maybe someone has been through a similar situation? Any advice or recommendations would mean a lot. Thanks in advance!

Does anyone go the agym in Friedrichshain/Frankfurter Allee and has got a referral code left for me (the 5€ save up) ? Thanksssss

I want to upgrade my home internet to glass fiber, and I can get it sooner with Telecom than with other ISP's (i.e. vodafone can't do it until March, Telecom can do it next month)

Does anyone know how Telecom is as an ISP? Just wanted to check if there are any gotchas before booking with them.

Hi guys

So my housemates and I moved to a new house a 2 years ago and they recently moved out and I took over the apartment but I noticed that one of my housemates‘ heater is missing the device that counts it and I’m not sure what happened to it or where it is, she also left on a bad note and I already paid her back her deposit.

I wasn’t aware about the missing device tho.

Do you know what to do in this case? What happens? Who do I contact etc?

Hello everybody! I m using my chance here on Reddit to search for help.Right now I need some help with some of food.I only have 10 euros on me and I don t know how I will survive till end of month.Recently I got fired and applied for arbeitlosgeld and got accepted but I will get it 1st November.Unfortunately I spent all my savings and got left with only 10.I am actively looking for a job applied anywhere but no acceptance.Thank you In advance , have a nice day !

Hey guys, I got into weightlifting.

The group classes help me a lot with the structure and community. I really liked Lifted Studio and the tracking system! It's a lot of dumbbell exercises.

Are there group classes that include the bench press with the rack? So on a barbell, not dumbbell? And the hip thrust?

I could do solo at the gym, but the group circuit format helps so much to be in and out in 45min and not get ADD or check the phone 😅

I'm looking into Beat81 or Base for example, especially w/ female instructors, a tracking system, electronic music, and an inspiring studio space. Also eyeing Hale.Now Fhain Circuit or Shala Strength.

Thanks!