After two decades in New York, designer Tina Lutz returned to her native Germany to be closer to her ailing parents. With her husband and son in tow, she moved to Berlin in July of 2015 and has thrilled in exploring the city ever since. “[It] reminds me of New York in the early 1990s,” she says. “When all my friends were living in Manhattan and the city was affordable and full of possibilities and creativity.” Here, Lutz shares some of her insider tips.
FAVORITE THING: The summer. Now I understand why most Berliners go on vacation the rest of the year. The entire city turns itself inside out. The wide sidewalks become open air restaurants, the parks are oases for picnics. There are countless flea markets, concerts, and events.
LEAST FAVORITE THING: Grumpy Berliners.
MUST SEE/ART: The Boros Collection [housed] in a renovated bunker; Hamburger Bahnhof [a museum] in a former train station; and the König Galerie in a converted 1960s church.
MUST SEE/HISTORY: Check-point Charlie and the Wall Museum; the Jewish Museum and Jewish Memorial.
MUST SEE/SIGHT-SEEING: Take the hop-on, hop-off bus. It stops at all the major sights. Visit the Dome of the Reichstag followed by a coffee or dinner at Restaurant Käfer to enjoy the view. Try breakfast in the revolving restaurant on the Alex, Berlin’s famous television tower. And go to Museum Island, with its countless museums, you feel like you are in Paris.
WHERE TO CHILL: A boat tour on the Spree or the many canals. Watch the Karaoke event on Sundays in the Amphitheatre in the Mauerpark. Go for a swim! Every Berliner has a favorite lake, the most famous is the Wannsee.
BEST FASHION: The Store at the Soho House has an amazing selection of high–end designers. It is the sister store to Alex Eagle in London. Also, Andreas Murkudis, a temple to fashion hidden in a courtyard.
WHERE TO EAT: There are countess restaurants and I have barely scratched the surface, but here are some of my favorites so far: Dottir (a restaurant by Victoria Eliasdottir); Grill Royal (for meat lovers); Daluma (the Berliner version of Juice Press); Borchardt (a classic, famous for schnitzel); Engelberg (southern German food); Goldener (yummy Italian); and Panama (nouvelle German cuisine).
ON LIFE AS AN DESIGNER IN BERLIN: Berlin to Germany is not what Paris is to France. Due to its history, Germany is decentralized and most fashion companies are situated all over the country. For most designers this means that they have to move when they change jobs. For me, this means I have to travel all over the country in order to consult for different companies, all while starting my own business in Berlin.
ON MISSING THE U.S.: My friends.
