Summer in the Körnerpark

A busy hot Sunday afternoon

I am not a big fan of going on the other side of the city, one of the reasons being that I have a lot of things to do already in my Western corner. For various reasons, I am still thinking in terms of the Cold War and I am perfectly wrong. If I want to get connected with interesting people and places I should go in the East at least every 10 days, if not more often. And as I need to have some pleasant company when I go there, I try to be very socially active lately and see as many people as possible. Of course that all the nice and cool people live in the East.

A little bistro not recommended in the summer

The last Sunday was another - one of the few, probably - full summer day and I was invited to have a walk in the Körnerpark, in Neukölln. As very often, I needed to do some research before being sure that I will be able to arrive in due time and at the right location. I never been there before and not even heard about it. Before reading some small information on a wall at the mini-bar inside, I was convinced that the name of the park has something to do with a 'corner'. In fast, the park bears the family name of a rich local family that used to own many pieces of land in the area, including Britz.

The park started to develop as a local destination from the end of the 1980s and nowadays it is a very popular place among the residents of in Neukölln. A couple of minutes away from it there are many playgrounds, answering the needs of the growing population of very young residents in the area.

Compared to other parks in the East, grilling is not allowed and everything looks very clean and quiet. Kids were playing and jumping around, a group of youngsters were playing guitar and accordion, shy ladies were reading some English novels while some teenagers were sharing some beers. Welcome to Berlin, East Berlin to be precise. Even though the place looked quite packed, I did not notice too much action and noise. It was like everyone was respecting quietly the other's need for silence. 

Loved the architecture of the stairs

I was surprised by the architecture of the place, reminding me a little bit of Potsdam. A small but geometrically organized park in the middle, bordered by benches and purple flowers. On the top, a promontory with another green rectangle, a couple of tables, an exhibition place and a little orchestra playing flamingo music. As usually at this kind of gatherings, at least 2 people, over 50 or more, were bold enough to have a little dance on their own. 

This park is one of the many free pleasures of Berlin. You can carry your basket with food, your blanket. books and drinks and enjoy a pleasant afternoon, with some spontaneous musical background. As long as you clean after you go and you don't start yelling at people for no reason, you can enjoy a pleasant afternoon, not only on Sundays, but also during the week. Of course, at least you don't have a rainy day as today.