Apartment Hunting in Berlin

I am considering attending a 6-month course at the VLB Berlin (Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei, part of the Berlin University of Technology). I would like to see what apartment rentals would cost so I can plan my budget - are there any websites or realtors that I can follow up with? Any information on the neighborhood of the VLB would also be helpful, as I am not familiar with Berlin. I would like to stay in the city center, in a fairly lively area with restaurants, bars, and markets, but would prefer a non-tourisy area.

What should I be expecting to pay for a studio or 1-bedroom apartment that is easily accessible and in a nice area? Any areas to stay away from? Any highly recommended areas?

Thanks for the help.

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Hi,

the VLB is in the district Wedding (north-west of the city centre). You get some first infos on wikipedia:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_%28Berlin%29

It%26#39;s certainly not an area I would rent an appartment in. If you want to stay in a save, non-toursity and lively area that is close to the sights and the VLB, Prenzlauer Berg may be the best district for you:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prenzlauer_Berg

Berlin is one of the cheapest cities in Europe. For a small flat you shouldn%26#39;t have to pay more than 400€ even in the city centre. For a first look you could check:

http://www.immobilienscout24.de/ (only in german).

I actually live in P%26#39;Berg and I don%26#39;t want to live anywhere else but Mitte, Charlottenburg and Friedrichshain are nice districts too. I would avoid some districts in the very East (Hellersdorf, Marzahn, some parts of Lichtenberg, Köpenick) and others like Wedding or Neukölln.

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VLB Berlin is in the quarter Wedding, now part of the district Mitte.

https:/…

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin-Wedding

One idea would be to stay in Prenzlauer Berg, which fits %26quot;a fairly lively area with restaurants, bars, and markets, but would prefer a non-tourisy area%26quot; perfectly.

And you can use from there the tram line M13 to the stop Seestr./Amrumer Str. (100 m from VLB).

bvg.de/index.php/…1395

Here a useful page about %26quot;staying longer%26quot; in Berlin

http://www.circus-berlin.de/1/laenger.html

Berlin is a huge and widespread city. Thus keep the travel times to the VLB in mind.

BVG timetable

http://www.fahrinfo-berlin.de

It%26#39;s also rather easy to find a place and the rents are comparably low.

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Most rentals in Germany are indefinite (long-term), so you need to find something appropriate for you otherwise you will have lots of expenses setting up the rental in addition to the monthly rent. Germans tend to rent rather than buy so it%26#39;s a completely different market.

You%26#39;ll need somewhere furnished presumably (not even kitchen cupboards are included as standard in Germany!). Key terms are %26quot;Mieten auf Zeit%26quot;; and %26quot;Möbliertes Wohnen%26quot; www.immonet.de is another useful site.

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