Living in Halensee, Berlin

Halensee is a small neighborhood at the western end of the Kurfürstendamm, in the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district. It takes its name from the little lake of the same name, once a popular day-trip spot for Berliners. Today it's a residential, bourgeois area, quiet and well kept, crossed however by the Stadtautobahn (the A100), which marks its boundary and shapes some of its streets. The signature square is Rathenauplatz, with the famous and much-debated sculpture "2 Beton-Cadillacs in Form der nackten Maja" by Wolf Vostell, two cars drowned in concrete.

Who lives here

German families of the established bourgeoisie, middle-aged professionals, a historic elderly population and the odd expat on mid-to-upper salaries. Few students and very few young singles: the atmosphere is that of an orderly neighborhood, more than nightlife. Those who choose Halensee are after calm, greenery and a central position in the west.

What it's like during the day

Wide, residential streets, well-kept period buildings, the greenery of the Halensee and the nearby Grunewald within a stroll. The upper part of the Kurfürstendamm here is less glitzy than toward the Zoo: neighborhood shops, the odd café, ateliers. The Messe Berlin and the Funkturm are not far to the north. The background of the urban motorway, along the edges of the neighborhood, is a real presence.

What it's like in the evening

Calm evenings. Halensee is not a nightlife neighborhood: few venues, the odd restaurant and quiet bar. For clubs, concerts and nightlife you head toward Charlottenburg, the central Ku'damm or the east of the city. It's a place you come back to sleep, not one to go out in.

Getting around

The heart of transport is the Berlin-Halensee S-Bahn station, on the Ringbahn, served by lines S41, S42 and S46: great for circling the ring without going through the center. There's no U-Bahn in the neighborhood; the nearest is Adenauerplatz on the U7, a little over ten minutes on foot. In the area run the M19, M29, 143 and X49 buses, plus a night service. A handy location for those moving by car too, given the A100.

Eating and shopping

A residential-neighborhood offering: widespread supermarkets (Edeka, Rewe), bakeries, the odd good restaurant across German, Italian and Asian cuisine. For real gastronomic choice it's better to head down along the Kurfürstendamm or move to nearby Charlottenburg, much richer in tables.

When NOT to pick it

If you're after nightlife, venues and a young buzz: there's none here. If you're sensitive to noise, weigh carefully the addresses near the Stadtautobahn. And if you want to be a stone's throw from the U-Bahn, remember that Halensee relies above all on the Ringbahn.

Halensee is the right pick for those who want a quiet, bourgeois corner in the west, with the greenery nearby and the S-Bahn ring downstairs, accepting in exchange few lights in the evening and the breath of the urban motorway at the edges.