A Civilized City

Writes a friend:

“Berlin is a very livable city. It’s huge, but for some reason doesn’t feel crowded at all. It’s very clean for a city so big, and has far fewer beggars and junkies than Vancouver and San Francisco. The people are quite friendly and helpful (except for the cab drivers). Over 100 museums, and more galleries than one can count. There’s always stuff going on, and the night life is vibrant to the extreme. People go out at midnight and stay up to dance through breakfast.

“One interesting way it’s freer here than the States: There’s no prohibition about drinking outside, so, for example, you’ll see tiny ‘Beer To Go’ shops where people buy a bottle and stroll down the sidewalk drinking their beer.”

UPDATE from Jason Livermore:

“I have to echo what your friend wrote about Berlin. I spent a wonderful year studying in Germany some years ago. I was 20 years old at the time. When it came to getting a drink, I never was asked for ID; never hassled by the Polizei. There were outdoor concerts right on the street where you could buy beer in a glass(!). Germans just do not drink out of plastic cups! We even had a student-run bar right on campus amidst the student housing. Oh, and there were beer vending machines in the laundry room.”

UPDATE from James Dunlop:

“I was an exchange student at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, in 1980-81. The student center there had FIVE pubs, all drawing lagers (and “bitters”) from huge kegs. No paper or plastic, just pint and half-pint glass mugs.”

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7:30 am on October 3, 2011