The Love Affair between Berlin and Vienna: A Commuter’s Perspective

When I read the interview with Olga Grjasnowa that appeared in the Berliner Zeitung on September 23rd, I had the feeling that I was sitting in her place in the café on the side street of Sonnenallee. We both deal with language full-time, we both lived in Berlin for a long time and now in Vienna. Even our hair color is the same! Just that I’m Swabian and she’s from Azerbaijan.

We then agree on our preference for order and cleanliness. For this reason and for a language arts professorship, the author recently moved to Vienna (funnily enough, I almost applied for this course). Now in the Berliner Zeitung she praises the Austrian capital and scolds the German capital for its poopy diapers placed on bulky waste sofas.

In Vienna everything is only thirty minutes away

Very similar reasons led me to move three years ago, as did the apocalyptic search for an apartment. It’s a shame that the 38-year-old doesn’t reveal how it went for her in Vienna, I assume: as well as me. Seven emails, two phone calls and a chance acquaintance led to an affordable real estate dream for me. The property management didn’t ask for my mother’s pension certificate or my seahorse badge any more than they asked for my Schufa.

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The Berlin renegade is also right when she states that everything here is only thirty minutes away, with the possible exception of a few city hiking trail starting points. I would only like to disagree with her on one point: that commuting is tedious. Admittedly, as someone without children, I am not exposed to the DB family zone, but apart from that, I really want to promote this model of life.

The offer of the ÖBB-Railjet on-board bistro

Flights are expensive, right, but if the train sticks to the timetable – and this chance still exists as long as it runs on Austrian rails – the fastest connection takes not more than eight, but seven forty hours. A not unpleasant journey, provided your fellow passengers understand the word “rest compartment”, which you can pass by doing text work, reading and a fairly stable internet connection.

The ÖBB Railjet on-board bistro’s offerings are impressive; they currently serve masala okra stew and poppy seed butter pancakes. I’m not the only one who believes that Berlin and Vienna complement each other in the most pleasant way. The former is undoubtedly more exciting, more cosmopolitan, has better brunch places and more interestingly dressed people.

I would move to Charlottenburg

On the other hand, it is always three degrees warmer in Vienna and the subway seats are vacated for older women without being asked – who feel like they have been completely gentrified from Kreuzkölln. Online dating isn’t fun in either city, but married Grjasnowa is great there.

My mom always says you can’t have everything in life, but in the case of the Vienna-Berlin axis you can. A term that I didn’t come up with, but that symbolizes the many commuters who do the same as me, not least one of my Berlin editors who recently rented an apartment in Ottakring without any hassle.

Maybe my writing colleague will reconsider this option, especially since, if I understand correctly, she wouldn’t have to go looking for an apartment in Berlin, but could settle in the nest she’s made, i.e. her partner’s apartment. And if not: I would rather move to Charlottenburg than to Sonnenallee.

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2023-10-10 08:48:23
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