Heading to Berlin, Germany, anytime soon? Taking the kids or going with girl friends, either way let local-resident (of 6 years) Shanay Rocker be your guide…
We featured the beautiful Shanay a little while ago (HERE) but this time, we want to know all about her (current!) hood. The Australian-born doula, model and mother to two, Iyla, 7 (born in New York) and Lenni Mae, 5 months (born in Berlin) shares her favourite spots that she likes to hit up with her husband and kids…
LET’S START WITH THE ESSENTIALS… BEST COFFEE?
Best coffee is in my old hood in Kreuzberg called Mugrabi on Gorlitzer Strasse, Passenger Espresso and The Barn. It’s little hard to find food coffee but I know where to find the international owned cafes have the best! And my husband makes a pretty good coffee at home in the mornings!
FAVOURITE PLACE TO EAT WITH THE KIDS:
Can’t go wrong with a beer garden in summer called Biergarten Jockel Kreuzberg that serves pommes and wurst (chips and sausages) also flammkucken (thin oven pizza), like pub food! The kids can eat and after play. I also like a place called Umami they have a kids menu and its balinese style food with a modern twist, always yummy! My daughter loves the mango lassis.
AND WITHOUT THEM:
Date nights I don’t get to go on much these days, but I love the natural wine bar Jaja and for really yummy food: Cookies Cream in Mitte (fine dining vegetarian style) and Peking Ente Berlin – best dumplings!!
ANY SHOPS WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT:
Berlin has some amazing second hand markets, every other weekend. You can find great second hand kids clothes and vintage homewares. Mauer Park is very popular but very over crowded I like the smaller ones like Noekoelln Flowmarkt, that’s on first and last Sunday of the month.
KIDS PLAYTIME:
The parks are incredible in Berlin, there is no plastic or soft grounds, always wood and sand. I like Gorlitzer Park we call it the ‘ship park’. Close by they have a very big slide towards the end of the park and a free petting zoo.
MAMA’S PLAYTIME:
I’m really into dive bars in Berlin but have to be careful not to choose a smoky bar because people still smoke inside them. I like Tier Bar, Beuster Bar and any rooftop bars. Another option would be to go all out and hire a booth at Monster Ronsons – a karaoke bar with private booths for you and friends, they bring you jugs of your choice.
FAVOURITE MUSEUMS:
The Natural History Museum is great, my favourite room is the stone/gem room. Me and my eldest daughter pick out the big ones we wish to take home. Learning about space and seeing the ancient costumes is pretty cool too.
GETTING OUT IN NATURE:
Berlin has beautiful lakes in the summer and pretty nature walks all year round. The best time to go is Autumn when the leaves first fall. Go for a nature walk in Grunewald Forrest or Liepnitzsee, it’s about 40 mins to one hour drive from the city. I like our secret place (which is not so secret anymore) we call it “Spain” because it’s like a little beach and also reminds me of Sydney Harbour (in a way) – there are sail boats, jet skis and water sport activities, its near Schlachtensee.
BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT:
Summer! The city is a completely different place. People are smiling, wearing less clothes and you can ride your bike everywhere – especially with kids (most roads have bike lanes and you can get great bike seats for babies). The city really comes alive, everyone is out until 8/9pm it’s still light out.
GO TO: shanaythedoula.com
INSTAGRAM: @shanayrocker AND @shanaythedoula
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Inspiration/ImageCredits: Shanay Rocker
