Heman Chong
Age: 30
Occupation: Conceptual artist
Length of stay: Five years
Berlin's buzzing arts and cultural scene is what drew conceptual artist Heman Chong five years ago and it is also what keeps him there.
With more than 50 theatres, three major opera houses - the Deutsche Oper, the Berlin State Opera and the Komische Oper - and 153 museums, the German capital is the perfect destination for arts buffs.
The city is also a major centre of European politics, media and science. It ranks as the third most-visited tourist destination in the European Union as well.
To make the most of your visit there, you should plan well. You do not want to be caught in Berlin during winter, a season that Chong says can be depressing. The summer-autumn period is more pleasant.
GETTING AROUND
The best way to get around is...
By bicycle. You can rent them on a daily or weekly basis at Fat Tire Bike Rentals. Visit www.berlinfahrradverleih.com to check their current rental rates and locations.
The best way to explore the place is by...
Keeping an eye out for posters on the pavements for activities such as events, concerts and exhibitions. The best things in Berlin are usually announced this way, and it is so much fun reading off the walls on the streets.
The best time to visit the place is...
In the summer-autumn period, between May and September.
What is the weather like?
It is perfect in the summer months, warm and dry with occasional days of rain. I would not really recommend experiencing winter in Berlin. It is depressing.
Which places really excite you?
Some of the best clubs in the world can be found in Berlin but there is one that you cannot beat and that is the Panorama Bar (www.berghain.de). Located in a massive old factory complex near one of the main train stations, Ostbahnhof, Panorama Bar offers the serious clubber a night not to be forgotten.
Dance to the beats of world-renowned DJs under the artworks of superstar photographer Wolfgang Tilmans while enjoying a never-ending flow of affordable cocktails at the 12m-long bar. You know it is a great club when it opens only at midnight and only on Fridays and Saturdays (with an occasional Thursday party). Be ready to head home in time for lunch.
For the best contemporary art in town, visit three of my favourite galleries in Berlin - Neugerriemschneider (Linenstrasse 155, 10115 Berlin, tel: +49-30-2887-7277), Barbara Wien (Linenstrasse 158, 10115 Berlin, tel: +49-30-2838-5352, www. barbarawien.de) and Esther Schipper (Linenstrasse 85, 10115 Berlin, tel: +49-30-2839-0139, www.estherschipper.com).
All three are located on the same street, so it is easy to visit them in one go. These galleries represent some of the best artists in the world, including Olafur Eliasson, Simon Starling, Jorge Pardo, Pae White, Haegue Yang, Jimmie Durham, Hans-Peter Feldmann, Ceal Floyer, Pierre Huyghe, Angela Bullock, Thomas Demand and many more.
You will have more to see than you expect. Plus they have cavernous spaces on multiple floors and Barbara Wien has an amazing bookshop with her gallery for all your souvenir needs.
I would also recommend a chilled pre-dinner beer in the revolving restaurant at the Fernsehturm. It is Berlin's most well-known landmark and is visible from all parts of the Silver City. You can view Berlin's skyline on a slow-moving platform that goes a full circle, giving your weary feet a rest from a day of trotting around the city.
Must one know German to get around?
Most people in Berlin understand a couple of English words and sentences, so it is perfectly fine not to be able to speak German. The signs are mostly bilingual, but it does help to have a simple pocket language guide book just in case you are in a situation where you need to say something in German.
CULTURE
The entire city has so much to offer, where does one start?
You are right. Berlin is home to hundreds of international commercial galleries, project spaces and museums offering an amazing selection of works from the contemporary art world.
The whole scene can be a little overwhelming but a good place to start is to do a little research with the help of Index (www.indexberlin.de), which is a well-designed gallery guide. Here you have a list of the top galleries in Berlin and you can also browse through a list of all the artists who are currently holding exhibitions in the city.
Another useful magazine to pick up is the ExBerliner (www.exberliner.com), which is a great local magazine in English about things that are happening in the city. If you read German, then a more comprehensive city guide would be Zitty (www.zitty.de).
Your favourite stop is...
The PRO QM Bookshop (www.pro-qm.de) where you can find books on art, architecture, film and music. It is one of the best and most progressive bookshops in Europe. It also runs an extensive programme of talks and seminars.
Last year, it was selected to run the bookshop at the contemporary art exhibition Documenta 12. This key exhibition showcasing the best in modern art is held once every five years in the German town of Kassel.
One cannot leave without visiting...
The Soviet War Memorial in Treptower Park. This one is for history buffs. It is the main war memorial of East Germany and was opened four years after the end of World War II on May 8, 1949.
The most incredible feature is a set of 16 stone carvings, each depicting military scenes from the war. It is definitely worth looking at. They do not make monuments like these any more. Not on this scale.
Sit among the tulips during the summer-autumn period.
FESTIVAL TOWN
Any key festivals to work into one's travel plans? Several. I would recommend the Berlin Biennale (www.berlinbiennale.de). In August there is Tanz Im, Berlin's international dance and performance festival. All the details can be found online (www.tanzimaugust.de). If you are into movies, catch the Berlin Film Festival (www.berlinale.de/en/ HomePage.html).
SHOPPING
What about shopping? Is it a shopper's paradise as well?
Unlike other European capitals such as Paris or London, shopping in Berlin is not fantastic. So it is good to actually plan ahead and hit the sales season in order to be able to afford top international fashion labels at half price. The sales season is from the second week of June to end July.
There are a few shops in Berlin which stock amazing things for guys. The first is Mientus (Weinmeisterstrasse 12, 10178 Berlin, www.mientus.com) and they have several branches in Berlin, but I really like the one in Mitte. It stocks Y3, a collaboration between Yohji Yamamoto and adidas, which is my favourite label.
The French cult brand A.P.C. (Mulackstrasse 35, 10119 Berlin, tel: +49-30-2844-9192, www.apc.fr) stocks suits, shirts and all sorts of minimal things that you can wear on most occasions.
Acne (Muenzstrasse 23, 10178 Berlin, tel: +49-30-2804-4870) has a wonderful range of highly stylised denim wear, which is essential for the urbanite.
Camper shoes are necessary for all that walking around in Europe - in style. (Camper, Neue Schoenhauser Strasse 11, 10178 Berlin, tel: +49-30-2462-8892, www.camper.com)
And finally, Sopopular (Mulackstrasse 39/40, 10178 Berlin, www.sopopular.net) is an incredibly delicious designer joint for suits that are simple and elegant yet have enough details to be interesting.
FOOD
Do not leave without...
Tucking into the ubiquitous Turkish doner kebab made of meat that is cooked on a vertical spit and sliced off to order. The meat may be lamb, mutton, beef, goat or chicken.
Then there is currywurst which is a German dish of hot pork sausage cut into slices and seasoned with curry sauce. Also try the bionade, a non-alcoholic drink which comes in flavours such as lychee, herbs, ginger and orange.
The best breakfast is at...
The Bateau Ivre (Oranienstrasse 18 10999 Berlin, tel: +49-30-6140-3659), which is at the corner of Mariannenstrasse and Oranienstrasse in Kreuzberg. It has a fabulous romantic morning-after atmosphere where you can have a French breakfast consisting of a very strong espresso, a plate of cheese and cold cuts, as well as fantastic fresh bread.
Plus, a look at the lovers kissing around you will certainly make your day.
The best dinner is at...
The Il Casolare (Grimmstr. 30, 10967, tel: +49-30-6950-6610). This is one of Berlin's most-loved Italian-style restaurants. It is famous not just for its huge collection of homemade pizzas, but also for its authentic Italian atmosphere.
SUNDOWNERS
The best drinks are at...
The Bar 103 (49/10119 Berlin , www.agentur103.de/bar/bar) on Kastanienalle in Prenzlauer Berg. Kastanienalle is also known as "Casting Alley" because casting agents hang out there to look for models and actors for films and TV projects. It is one of the few places where you can enjoy a glass of champagne at 10 in the morning without feeling guilty about it.
What is one drink you must try?
Beer. Every single sort you can get your hands on.
The one place you always take your friends to is...
The Cafe Moskau (34 Karl Marx Allee, 10178 Berlin, tel: +49-30-2463-1626, www. das-moskau.com). It is a great place that attracts a very relaxed Berlin crowd.
FURTHER OUT
What is there to explore beyond Berlin?
Spend a day exploring the lakes around the city.
This article was first published in Life, The Sunday Times on July 27, 2008.
