Living in Nikolassee, Berlin

Nikolassee is one of the greenest and most affluent neighborhoods in Berlin, at the far south-west of the Steglitz-Zehlendorf district. It was born in the early twentieth century as a villa colony (the Villenkolonie Nikolassee, from 1901) and that character has remained intact: wide, silent streets, single-family houses with gardens, pines everywhere. It's tucked between two stretches of water much loved by Berliners, the Schlachtensee and the Großer Wannsee, with the Strandbad Wannsee just beyond. You come here for the calm and the nature, not for city life.

Who lives here

Affluent German families, accomplished professionals, academics, long-established retirees. It's an area of owners more than renters, with few shared rooms on the market. Very few students and young singles: those who rent here are usually after silence, greenery and space, and are willing to stay far from the center to have them. The atmosphere is composed, residential, family-oriented.

What it's like during the day

Very quiet and set in the woods. The big draw is the lakes: the Schlachtensee can be circled on foot or by bike along a loop trail through the pines, and it's one of Berliners' favorite spots for swimming and walking. The Strandbad Wannsee, one of the largest lake beaches in Europe, lies right in the territory of Nikolassee, on the eastern bank of the Havel bend. All around are the woods and trails of the Grunewald. Neighborhood life is minimal: the odd bakery, a café, little else.

What it's like in the evening

Very silent. Nikolassee is not a neighborhood for going out: no nightlife, very few venues, the streets empty early. The evening is spent at home, at dinner with friends or on a stroll by the lake. For bars, restaurants and nightlife you go elsewhere, toward Steglitz, Zehlendorf or the center.

Getting around

The hub is the Nikolassee S-Bahn station, served by lines S1 (toward the center along the Wannseebahn) and S7 (along the Stadtbahn, to Potsdam). There's no U-Bahn or tram in the area. On the surface run buses 112, the 312 (seasonal only, toward the Strandbad) and the N16 night bus. The neighborhood is skirted by the AVUS, today the A115 motorway (Spanische Allee exit), handy by car but far on foot from the city center.

Eating and shopping

An essential offering. The odd supermarket, a bakery, a couple of neighborhood restaurants and cafés, often with outdoor seating in summer near the lake. For full shopping or to choose among many cuisines it's better to head toward Zehlendorf. It's a neighborhood where you eat well at home more than out.

When NOT to pick it

If you're a student or after social life, venues and nightlife: there's none here. If you don't want to depend on the S-Bahn for every trip, because the center is far and the connections, though good, remain a single main line toward Mitte. If the absolute quiet of the evening weighs on you. And if you need everything close at hand: services are few and scattered.

Nikolassee is the right pick if you put greenery, lakes and silence first, and you gladly accept living far from the center in exchange for a quality of life rare in Berlin.