Berlin Boulevards and London Lanes

WOOD GREEN, LONDON

Boundary Road, Wood Green, London

In London our street has cars parked all along it, so only one car can get though at a time. There are sidewalks on both sides with small trees along them. There's plenty of room for two to walk next to each other, but that's about it. In Berlin the streets around us can hardly be called streets, they are full-blown boulevards. On the main streets the sidewalks have enough room for several people to walk together, then a row of trees, then a bike lane. In the streets there are cars parked, but there are also parking spaces in the section between the two directions of traffic. There are large trees on both sides and the middle of the streets. The residential streets don't have a middle section, but the sidewalks are wide and tree lined.

I think the differences in the streets in London and Berlin are similar to the differences between the cities as a whole. Both are major European cities and capitals of important countries. Both were bombed during the war, and both have rebuilt. London is ancient, dating back to the Roman times (hence the tiny streets),whereas Berlin really boomed during the Industrial Revolution. Berlin has an artsy, laid back feel, almost quiet at times. London is a bustling, financial city.

 

Berlin

The two cities also view their pasts in different ways. In London the incredible scope of history is celebrated. Berlin on the other hand, is very focused and the wall. The city pulled though two devastating wars, only to be faced with the GDR government for nearly thirty years. Bits of the wall are all over the city, in the tourist shops, and talked about in museums. The era of rebuilding, starting in the nineties and still going on today, attracts a lot of artists. Both cities are vibrant and growing, but Berlin is still rising from the ashes.

Lily