URGENT - is Kreuzberg that dangerous??

Hi

Im about to book an apartmwent in Kreuzberg, Hornstraße , and i just read many forums or articles that say its quite a dangerous area, and that one shouldnt walk alone at night. well im a single woman, so i got a bit afraid can you let me know if i should avoid that area, its Hornstraße ? Thanks!!

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Most people associate with Kreuzberg the SO 36 quarter

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_SO_36

That%26#39;s where the altenative and leftist scene is, where the riots on 1st May take place. Also where the nightlife in Kreuzberg is.

Hornstraße is however at the opposite end of Kreuzberg, in the Tempelhofer Vorstadt.

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempelhofer_Vorstadt

I%26#39;ve been only in the SO 36 part and wouldn%26#39;t say it%26#39;s dangerous even there. Maybe someone with better knowledge of the area the Hornstraße can give you better advices.

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Hello Alexth82,

absolutely no danger at all in that part of Berlin-Kreuzberg. Wide, bright streets, lots of cafes and restaurants and a lot of traffic.

In general, Kreuzberg is less dangerous than the average quartier in Paris, except for the riots every year on 1st of may, but in a complete different area of Kreuzberg.

Don%26#39;t worry

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Kreuzberg is in fact a large and diverse district that used to be its own borough with a population larger than many major cities, so it%26#39;s hard to generalize.

I don%26#39;t know Hornstrasse in particular, but I see from the map that it%26#39;s near Mehringdamm, Gneisenaustrasse, not far from Bergmannstrasse, so it%26#39;s a sort of funky neighbourhood with lots of bars, restaurants and cafés, many young people, perhaps a bit down to earth and working class. It%26#39;s not the area of Kreuzberg where immigrants live, if that%26#39;s any concern (it shouldn%26#39;t be). I wouldn%26#39;t think it%26#39;s especially dangerous for a woman alone. But do keep your wits about you and apply the same survival tactics as you would in Paris.

Not to scare you, but a friend of ours - a well-dressed woman in her early 50s - was recently violently mugged and robbed near her apartment in Wilmersdorf, in the somewhat upscale area of Friedenau, by someone who hit her from behind when she was returning home alone from the theatre late evening. So the district is not an indicator of any danger you might be in.

You%26#39;re probably best off in a neighbourhood where there%26#39;s a lot going on, also at night. I can%26#39;t say if Hornstrasse meets that criterion, but it%26#39;s at least adjacent to an area that does.

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thank you! i feel reasurred, and from the pics ive seen it looks like its on a very green street, with lots of trees. so apparently a nice area. is it difficult to find taxis in berlin? cause i see everyone speaks about public transportation, but i prefer at night to take the cab, is it expensive? thank you again, and im now waiting for the real estate agent%26#39;s answer!

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It%26#39;s not so hard to find taxis in Berlin. I don%26#39;t know how they compare in price with Paris, I think somewhat more expensive.

What many visitors don%26#39;t know, is that if you wave a cruising taxi down - not one standing at a taxi-stand or ordered by a dispatcher - and your destination is under 2 km away, this costs a flat rate of €3.50. You have to tell the driver it%26#39;s a %26quot;Kurzstrecke.%26quot;

Also: if you%26#39;re using public transportation and you%26#39;d like a taxi to be waiting at a station or bus stop to take you safely home, you can ask the bus driver or use the communicator in the U-Bahn or S-Bahn station to call one for you.

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As mentioned before there is no need to worry. I%26#39;ve lived in Berlin most of my life and had never any bad experiences. There are only a few areas were I don%26#39;t feel comfy at night but there are not anywhere close to Hornstr.

You are in a big city so you should use your common sense. As mentioned before there can always happen something but that could happen in very good area as well.

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Hey hey!

I%26#39;m a 22 year old (American) girl and I live right around there, and let me tell you, the biggest hazard I ever have down here is neighbors complaining that we%26#39;re playing the piano too loud for their babies to sleep. No joke. This part of Kreuzberg is maybe even the safest feeling place in the city. Lots of families and pretty buildings and cobblestones and the like. I walk and bike around by myself all the time and feel extremely safe. Also there is a big taxi stand at gneisenaustraße and zossenerstraße if need be.

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thank you all! im still looking at prenzlauer berg as my german courses will take place there, and anyway i havent heard back from the agency now about the place in kreuzberg. having cats makes it a lot more difficult to find a place!