Can someone please explain to me the allure of Tempelhofer Feld? I sincerely do not understand it. This isn't New York's Central Park. It's just an empty airfield in the middle of the city. There's no benches. There's no picnic tables. There's no trees!
Several years ago, during my one (and only) visit, I was sitting on the ground with friends thinking, "Why am I sitting out here in the dirt and hot sun? Why are all of these other people just sitting out here in the dirt? Why is that man over there taking a piss in the middle of the field? How is this fun???"
Tempelhof is like Berlin: It's about the possibilities. You could inline skate. You could grill. You could figure out how to join the community garden. You could wonder what bird species they're protecting. You could go to a bar that feels like a rave. You could go up on the viewing terrace. You could imagine what it was like to fly in or out of there. You could think about the history. You could do your daily run. You could even play baseball. Also the fact that it isn't developed or controlled makes it feel like ours rather than theirs. Whoever we and they are.
As someone living in northern Berlin, i don't benefit much from having a giant empty park on the other side of the city. Build some housing on the edges, for godsake. Make it 100% social housing. Not a single rich-person condo. The city already owns the land so it will be relatively cheap. Things change. We don't need to freeze Tempelhof in its current state for time immemorial. What are we waiting for?
Not that I have any power, but I have no problem with them building social housing around the edges. I never got the allure of Tempelhof either. I appreciate Andrew’s poetic spin and I think that could be maintained if they turned it into an actual park with social housing on the edges. But it’s not someplace I’m ever excited to visit as is. Running is particularly boring there—and I typically enjoy running for hours on end, so that’s saying something!
so I was 100% in the “wtf is all the thf hype about” camp for years. and then I moved right next to it and now I feel like it's part of my soul. something about seeing it almost every day for over a year had brought home to me its magic- all the differentpeople who use it in so many ways. and the magic is very much linked to its expanse- the feeling of no longer being in a city, really, but almost like being at the ocean.
would i probably also be cool with some social housing built sensitively around the edge? yeah! do I trust a government to actually do that? particularly the current one? um..
There's something about an endless sight line that just stirs the soul. It's the same feeling I get looking at the eastern plains of Colorado. I love the Feld because it's an uninterrupted third space, a reclaimed area of commerce where Berliners said, “Actually, let this exist without a plan.”
It’s not empty. Tempelhof has multiple community gardens where people grow flowers, fruits and vegetables and keep bees. There are numerous dog parks. There are baseball diamonds, tennis courts, grounds for soccer and basketball. There are at least three restaurants/cafes/beer gardens. There’s a parkour area. There’s minigolf. And yes, there is also lots of space for cycling, skateboarding, a kite festival, concerts, writing workshops, large family barbecues, and a horizon line for watching the sunset. There are even (believe it or not) trees AND benches. You clearly didn’t explore much during your one-and-only visit -and that’s okay! But Tempelhof is far from empty and there are many, many reasons it matters to so many people -many of whom don’t have a balcony, let alone a garden.
What another poster said - the sheer vastness of it and being able to walk, bike, run, skate along the runway. Besides, the old airport building is incredible. It's a historic place and I think no other city has anything like it.
5000 Apartments for Rich assholes in exchange of destroying the one big green area in Berlin? We already voted no to that, stop trying to make this bullshit Happen
Serious question. :) Are they just sending notices to our phones again or are they testing actual physical air warning sirens? I recall when they did started doing the annual test in Germany that Berlin was the only state that didn't actually have physical systems. Maybe I am wrong? Like did we suddenly get systems?
On a side note, I got a NINA warning today about the emergency system number being down. If that's related to the power outage, I am terrified (but also not surprised) that they don't have a backup generators for such events.
Thanks for the reminder, Cheryl. You're absolutely right. Phones will receive texts at 11 and 11:45 and probably vibrate in a disturbing way. Interesting about the NINA warning. Do you live in the area affected by the outage?
I hope they will build systems in Berlin if they truly think that war is a near serious threat. Being we‘re the capital and all. No, I am not in the affected area. But I’m curious! Sadly I can’t add attachments of the warning. Seems to be for the Kopenick and Schonefeld areas.
Can someone please explain to me the allure of Tempelhofer Feld? I sincerely do not understand it. This isn't New York's Central Park. It's just an empty airfield in the middle of the city. There's no benches. There's no picnic tables. There's no trees!
Several years ago, during my one (and only) visit, I was sitting on the ground with friends thinking, "Why am I sitting out here in the dirt and hot sun? Why are all of these other people just sitting out here in the dirt? Why is that man over there taking a piss in the middle of the field? How is this fun???"
Tempelhof is like Berlin: It's about the possibilities. You could inline skate. You could grill. You could figure out how to join the community garden. You could wonder what bird species they're protecting. You could go to a bar that feels like a rave. You could go up on the viewing terrace. You could imagine what it was like to fly in or out of there. You could think about the history. You could do your daily run. You could even play baseball. Also the fact that it isn't developed or controlled makes it feel like ours rather than theirs. Whoever we and they are.
As someone living in northern Berlin, i don't benefit much from having a giant empty park on the other side of the city. Build some housing on the edges, for godsake. Make it 100% social housing. Not a single rich-person condo. The city already owns the land so it will be relatively cheap. Things change. We don't need to freeze Tempelhof in its current state for time immemorial. What are we waiting for?
Not that I have any power, but I have no problem with them building social housing around the edges. I never got the allure of Tempelhof either. I appreciate Andrew’s poetic spin and I think that could be maintained if they turned it into an actual park with social housing on the edges. But it’s not someplace I’m ever excited to visit as is. Running is particularly boring there—and I typically enjoy running for hours on end, so that’s saying something!
This!
so I was 100% in the “wtf is all the thf hype about” camp for years. and then I moved right next to it and now I feel like it's part of my soul. something about seeing it almost every day for over a year had brought home to me its magic- all the differentpeople who use it in so many ways. and the magic is very much linked to its expanse- the feeling of no longer being in a city, really, but almost like being at the ocean.
would i probably also be cool with some social housing built sensitively around the edge? yeah! do I trust a government to actually do that? particularly the current one? um..
The edges are where all the interesting stuff is happening unfortunately :(
Sitting around in dirt is an integral part of Berlin summer fun!
There's something about an endless sight line that just stirs the soul. It's the same feeling I get looking at the eastern plains of Colorado. I love the Feld because it's an uninterrupted third space, a reclaimed area of commerce where Berliners said, “Actually, let this exist without a plan.”
It’s not empty. Tempelhof has multiple community gardens where people grow flowers, fruits and vegetables and keep bees. There are numerous dog parks. There are baseball diamonds, tennis courts, grounds for soccer and basketball. There are at least three restaurants/cafes/beer gardens. There’s a parkour area. There’s minigolf. And yes, there is also lots of space for cycling, skateboarding, a kite festival, concerts, writing workshops, large family barbecues, and a horizon line for watching the sunset. There are even (believe it or not) trees AND benches. You clearly didn’t explore much during your one-and-only visit -and that’s okay! But Tempelhof is far from empty and there are many, many reasons it matters to so many people -many of whom don’t have a balcony, let alone a garden.
What another poster said - the sheer vastness of it and being able to walk, bike, run, skate along the runway. Besides, the old airport building is incredible. It's a historic place and I think no other city has anything like it.
5000 Apartments for Rich assholes in exchange of destroying the one big green area in Berlin? We already voted no to that, stop trying to make this bullshit Happen
hehe, don't worry, it's never going to happen.
Serious question. :) Are they just sending notices to our phones again or are they testing actual physical air warning sirens? I recall when they did started doing the annual test in Germany that Berlin was the only state that didn't actually have physical systems. Maybe I am wrong? Like did we suddenly get systems?
On a side note, I got a NINA warning today about the emergency system number being down. If that's related to the power outage, I am terrified (but also not surprised) that they don't have a backup generators for such events.
Thanks for the reminder, Cheryl. You're absolutely right. Phones will receive texts at 11 and 11:45 and probably vibrate in a disturbing way. Interesting about the NINA warning. Do you live in the area affected by the outage?
I hope they will build systems in Berlin if they truly think that war is a near serious threat. Being we‘re the capital and all. No, I am not in the affected area. But I’m curious! Sadly I can’t add attachments of the warning. Seems to be for the Kopenick and Schonefeld areas.