Berlin/Tempelhof and Neukölln

Tempelhof and Neukölln are two districts in the central south of Berlin.

Understand
Tempelhof was a district of Berlin until it was amalgamated with Schöneberg in 2001. As the two areas have little in common, we cover Schöneberg as part of Berlin/City West. Tempelhof is an industrial area and in the south is a living area for families. The northern part is mainly occupied by Tempelhof Airport, which was closed in October 2008 and now serves as a public park.

Neukölln is a district of Berlin that consists of four sub-districts (Britz, Buckow, Rudow and Neukölln). Neukölln has a history as a poor working-class district with a large number of immigrants. Neukölln offers big contrasts between the densely populated northern part and the more village-like southern parts. The southern neighbourhoods of Britz, Buckow and Rudow became part of Berlin with the 1920 Groß Berlin Gesetz and largely kept their structure. The northern part of Neukölln, nicknamed Kreuzkölln, has been undergoing gentrification much like neighbouring Kreuzberg. Neukölln frequently makes national headlines as a supposed Problembezirk (district with problems), but this is in part due to alarmism of the last two district mayors, who got book deals and federal office out of it, and in part due to press exaggeration. Yes, the area has higher than average unemployment and certain types of crime are more common, but it's not exactly "Lord of the Flies", and by global standards the crime rate is probably on the lower end of the spectrum.

Tempelhof
U-Bahn line U6 from station onwards south is the backbone of the district. The major S-Bahn station, a DB station with national and international rail service, and also lie within the district. Südkreuz also sees a number of long distance buses though there is no dedicated station like the ZOB near the trade fare area.

Neukölln
The U-Bahn lines and  are the backbone of transportation in Neukölln. All stations from Schönleinstraße to Hermannstraße and from Hermannplatz to Grenzallee are northern Neukölln. Several bus lines connect the residential areas especially in the southern parts.

The starts at Schönefeld airport and ends at. Bus X7 links the airport with Rudow, then you can continue towards Karl-Marx-Strasse or Rathaus Neukölln.

By car
The federal motorway 100 (the new city highway) has been constructed on the border line with Berlin/Treptow-Köpenick (the former inner Berlin border). It offers a fast way to the new BER airport. During rush hour, the entry and exit ramps might be congested, and there is sometimes airport traffic.

Neukölln


Neukölln has been known for its large immigrant population, but is now considered to be a highly up-and-coming neighbourhood of Berlin that more and more artists, students, and new homeowners are moving to. Northern Neukölln – also known as Kreuzkölln – has seen a huge influx of money and has become trendy, and this trend is moving steadily further south. An area that is particularly notable is the part of Neukölln close to the Maybachufer channel that also hosts the famous Turkish market (off of U-Bahn Schönleinstraße ), the Schillerkiez (off of U-Bahn Boddinstraße ), and the Richardplatz (off of U-Bahn Karl-Marx-Straße ).



Neukölln
The region boasts many specialty food shops (Asian, Indian, African, etc.), which offer an impressive international selection for very competitive prices.

Neukölln is home to many so-called "Spätis" which Berlin has become known for. "Spätis" are kiosks regularly open until 02:00 or 03:00 (some are open 24 hours), offering everything from cigarettes, drinks, and sweets, to necessities (dairy, dry goods, canned food, etc.) Slightly more expensive than grocery chains, but less expensive than gas stations.



Neukölln
Especially in the northern part of Neukölln (east of Kottbusser Damm, next to the Kreuzberg-border), the bar scene is becoming increasingly established. The rest of Neukölln houses a few student-friendly bars. Nearby Kreuzberg offers more variety.



Schillerkiez
Schillerkiez is close to the former Berlin Tempelhof Airport. Since the airport closed down, the area has become popular. There are several nice bars in the area.



Neukölln
Because Neukölln is not really in the city center, most hotels are for coach tours or bigger groups. They are busiest on weekends. If you come with a group (at least 10 people) negotiate a discount.



Stay safe
As mentioned above the area of Neukölln has a rather sensational bad reputation in the German press and some politicians would like to make you think it is some sort of apocalyptic hellscape which it in reality is not. Unfortunately what does seem to be a problem is antisemitism, as in 2018 a young Israeli wearing a kippah was beaten up and called "yahudi" in Neukölln. While the reaction of every politician of relevance up to the federal government was one of solidarity with the victim and condemnation of the attack and antisemitism in general, it is not advisable to be identifiable as visibly Jewish here.