Späti-crawl

Berlin has a thriving street culture, promoted in large part by the seeming lax attitude people have about acceptable behavior in public. There are no open container laws, people of all stripes can be seen enjoying an beer while walking down the sidewalk, and Spätkaufs are usually open 20-24 hours a day to grab a bite or drink.

Recently, I attended a crawl around the 'Am Friedrichshain' neighborhood, discovered through my favorite traveling site- Couchsurfing, to visit these wonders of Berlin.

The host kept us moving from Späti to Späti every 15-20 mins. Just enough time to grab a drink (often as low as .80 for a beer), meet and chat with some fellow travelers.

The variety of each Spätkauf shows how these neighborhood stores serve the community they operate in.

 Some are basically closets for drinks, smokes, and snacks.

Others have internet services or full sit-down areas with hearty food. I got a delicious olive and potato patty at this one.

The group on this night was a good mix of locals and visitors. Berlin is very much a city of immigrants, it's transient nature written due to the political history of the past 100 years, but the people who call it home take great pride in showing it off. Something I very much appreciate and love to celebrate.

Here's to the Brazilian, New Englander, Ukrainian, Argentinian, Dane, and Berliner I spent a good few hours with talking politics, entertainment, and just enjoying a night of outdoor drinking.