My Berlin accommodation is a cozy European-sized apartment at the Citadines, an apartment hotel located in Kurfürstendamm. If you go on Google Maps, it’s southwest of the word Berlin. Our in-country advisor arranged for all IIP students to stay here, and so far, it’s been great and I absolutely love the area that we’re in. There are lots of restaurants and small shops, and it’s close to bus stops and train stations that can take you anywhere in the city. It’s on a street we call the “Rodeo of Berlin,” so we’ve seen a ton of supercars. I have one roommate who is also in the IIP program. I didn’t know him coming into the program, but we ended up getting along really well and are still good friends to this day. The apartment itself is quite small for the two of us, but we’ve made it work. We rearranged the beds so they’re more than a foot apart and shifted the bedside tables around to create some separation. Living in an apartment hotel certainly has its benefits. I could pack light because I didn’t have to worry about sheets or towels. Also, our room gets cleaned every Monday, and there are several amenities in the lobby that you don’t get at standard apartment buildings. There’s a small gym, a fantastic free 24hr coffee machine, and a Brita filter that dispenses sparkling water, or water “with gas” as they say here. The bathroom also has a heated towel rack which is a cool perk. One of the main challenges we’ve faced is just dealing with the limited space. Our fridge is definitely on the smaller side, as is the kitchen. Only one person can cook at a time, and the stove isn’t big enough for more than one pan at a time. Luckily for us, a lot of grocery stores around here sell single-serving items. There isn’t really any buying in bulk, as most people just buy enough food for one day. We’ve started buying one day’s worth of food every day to overcome our limited fridge space challenge. Another thing I really like about my Berlin home is the receptionists. All of them were super accommodating and helpful throughout the entire stay. Even after I checked out they were super nice, and even let my roommate and I store our four large suitcases in the back while we went to France for the weekend.
