Juni 2011

You are currently browsing the monthly archive for Juni 2011.

Goodbye Konny…We’ll Miss You!

30. Juni 2011 in Circus News by Paul

Konny bye bye

Please allow us to be self-indulgent, but today is the final shift in the office for Konstantin (aka. Konny) who has been working with us for the past five years. In looking through the blog this morning, I realised that Konny has been featured quite a bit since the blog launched. As well as the tireless work of actually doing his job, Konny has also been the midfield anchor of the Circus football team, taken gangs of us north to strange corners of Berlin, and allowed us even to document his wedding day. He was also, along with Matt, the creator of the Circus wiki, which is a funky guide to Berlin written by the Circus team and available on a touchscreen in the hostel as well as online.

When Konny came into work this morning there were some presents waiting for him, as you can see on the picture above. Certain colleagues decided to send Konny off on his way with a bottle of their favourite tipple, whether it is whisky (Andreas), a sterni or two (Jim and Toga), a fancy ginger ale (Jared) or a good old, no-nonesense, bottle of Becks (Felix). The Maintenance team also chipped in with a tin of stew and a bar of chocolate, just in case Konny is peckish after his liquid refreshments.

OK, this is turning into a farewell of oscar-acceptance-speech proportions, so let me just finally say to Konny (with a tear in my eye) congratulations for getting your diploma, farewell and thanks a million for everything you have brought to the Circus over the past five years.

PS. You are still the captain of the football team. You can’t escape that easy…

Rooms with a View: The Circus Apartments

29. Juni 2011 in Circus Apartments, Circus News, Design by Paul

fassade paulDoesn’t she look beautiful? Last week we finalised the plans for the next Circus project, a luxury boutique boarding house just 200m from Rosenthaler Platz. The Circus Apartments will open on Choriner Strasse in October 2011, and will offer different types of apartments up to a  truly mind-boggling 180 square metres, with a spectacular roof terrace offering breath-taking views across the city.

Why apartments, I hear you ask? Ever since the hotel opened in 2008 we have had an increasing number of guests who are in Berlin for reasons other than for a holiday. Some come during the Berlinale, the Gallery Week or the Bread & Butter, or else they are in town for a slightly longer period, sometimes working, and are looking for something with more space in which to base themselves.

perspektive paul

The new apartments will have everything from a full kitchen to separate sleeping, working and relaxation areas, and so will give people the opportunity to establish a real home from home in the city. Choriner Strasse is leafy and quiet, but within walking distance of the galleries, bars, cafes and restaurants of Berlin Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg.

Inspired by the New York approach to boarding houses, The Circus Apartments will be fully serviced and hosted by a concierge team made up of Phillip and Julia. Whether someone needs a table at Themroc, and place on the Gallery Walk, or just information about the best spots to buy groceries, reading material or a bagful of vinyl, Phillip and Julia will be the ones to make it happen.

We will also be working in close cooperation with a cafe/lounge on the ground floor of the building, which will be the place for a spot of breakfast, a coffee at lunchtime or a beer and a glass of wine at the end of the day. This is a big step for The Circus, and a very exciting one. If you would like to find out more, check out the information page on The Circus website.

The Circus Apartments
Choriner Strasse – See Map
Opening October 2011
Apartments from 60m² – 180m²
Prices begin at €130

Rosentage – Events at The Circus

22. Juni 2011 in Berlin, Circus Hostel, Circus Hotel, Circus News, Circus Talks, Events, Fabisch, Festivals, Film, Goldman's Bar, History, Music, Our Neighbourhood, Rosentage, Stuff We Like by Paul

Rosentage 930x1984

As you might already know, this upcoming weekend is the Rosentage – a neighbourhood cultural festival for the Rosenthaler Platz. We are extremely excited about the weekend, what with loads of great things going on around the square, including exhibitions, performances, music, film, theatre, street-art, creative corners and some silly dancing from our friends at Rotation. You can take a look at the full programme for Friday, Saturday and Sunday on the Rosentage website.

Here at The Circus we have a range of different things planned, which are free and open to everybody, so if any of the following takes your fancy, then make sure you come down to Rosenthaler Platz this weekend to join in the fun!

ROSENTAGE 2011 – EVENTS AT THE CIRCUS

FRIDAY

3pm – Circus Cafe (Hostel): Pavement Party– DJs, Sangria and Sun!
6pm – Circus Cafe (Hostel): Documentary Screening: 20 Years of Change in Prenzlauer Berg/Mitte, followed by wine and nibbles
10pm – Fabisch (Hotel): Live Music – Saudia Young + Berlin Sling (Soul/Jazz/Lounge)

SATURDAY

11am – Roof Terrace (Hotel): Rooftop Yoga – Free! Sign up at reception
3pm – Hostel: Meeting point for Rosenthaler Platz Urban Sketching workshop
2pm – Hostel: Open-Air DJ set from The Record Store team
3pm – Fabisch (Hotel): Free Coffee and Cake
6pm – Fabisch (Hotel): Eyewitness Talk (in German)

SUNDAY

11am – Hostel: Meeting point for Neighbourhood Walking Tour (approx 1 hr; Free)
2pm – PICNIC IN THE PARK – with food, drinks, circus show and more – Pick-Up from the reception

Opera in Berlin: Der Freischütz

21. Juni 2011 in Berlin, Events, Music, Stuff We Like by Paul

FreischutzDo you like opera? If so, then Berlin is the right city for you, what with three major opera houses and all…but if you want to see something a little different, and support the work of young artists and creative types from Berlin, then we have a suggestion for next Sunday and Tuesday evenings…

Der Freischütz by Carl Maria von Weber is Germany’s national opera, but the performances taking place at the Heimathafen in Neukölln are a modern interpretation of the piece created and organisation by a group of students in Berlin…including our very own Circus Crew member and Queen of the Rosentage, Judith Bodenstein.

Alongside Judith over 100 people have voluntarily worked to create this operatic spectacle, telling the story of a bizarre family, its dark secrets and the envy, cynicism and randomness of events that is all beyond their control. Sounds intriguing? Well you are in luck, as there are two final shows taking place on Sunday 26th June and on Tuesday 28th June.

The music is performed by the Sinfonieorchester Schöneberg and the Chor Univocale, and the starting time on both days is 19.30. You can get to the Heimathafen by taking the U-Bahn to Karl-Marx-Strasse or, if you want to check out the Tuesday performance, there is a pick-up at the Circus Hostel and Hotel receptions. Another of the Circus team, the lovely Eva, will be waiting at 6.30pm and she will guide you to the venue…tickets cost €18 (€12 reduced) and can be bought on the evening.

If you would like to learn more about the story of Der Freischütz  you can do so on the Wikipedia page, but I reckon the modern interpretation that you can see in the flesh will be better than any website could ever do justice to!

Details again:
Der Freischütz, an opera by Carl Maria von Weber
Sunday 26th June and Tuesday 28th June
Starts: 7.30pm
Heimathafen Neukölln, Karl-Marx-Str.141 (Google Maps)

What Is Left Behind…Adventures of the Lost & Found

16. Juni 2011 in Berlin, Circus News by Paul

fleamarket 1

Can you imagine what get’s left behind at The Circus? Every week travellers forget or choose to leave any number of funky (in all meanings of the word) items in their rooms or down in Goldman’s Bar. Happily we are often able to reunite the forgotten items with their rightful owners, but more times than not there is nobody to claim such wonderful finds as designer suits, tambourines, promotional Milka-Cow-Trousers and cowboy hats. As the stuff piles up and threatens to overwhelm the office and Mr Becker’s desk, we need to find a productive way to use these items that are simply looking for a new home.

Thankfully Berlin has a tradition of fleamarkets, and these are the perfect places to help reduce the pile a little and make a little money for a good cause whilst we are at it. Isabelle, one of the Circus Crew, is involved in a refugee rights organisation called Motardstrasse, an initiative that provides different activities for refugees in Berlin, such as daily German lessons, sports and picnics in the park, and so needs funds to help these activities to take place. One future project the initiative is planning is an internet cafe, which will help raise continual funds for the organisation and allow them to keep moving with their different activities.

So at 5.30am on Sunday morning Isabelle and seven other members of the initiative were ready to get going…a little sleepy but extremely motivated. With the contents of The Circus lost and found boxes, amongst other items, ready for sale they manned the stall at the fleamarket until 6.30pm when they retired, exhausted but completely happy. The money raised on Sunday will be used for dictionaries for the German lessons, as well as public transport tickets for the different activities…as Isabelle says “Everyone was really happy with the results of the day – and we had a lot of fun, as the pics can tell…..”

fleamarket 2

fleamarket 3

fleamarket 4

Eduard’s Trip to the Lake

15. Juni 2011 in Berlin, Circus News, Hidden Places, Stuff We Like by Paul

Trip to the Lake

Last Saturday Circus receptionist Eduard had the idea to grab a crate of beer, some sandwiches, any guests who wanted to join him, and hit one of the lakes of Berlin. A day of hot sun, cold beers and cooling off in the water…right? Hmmm, sometimes the God’s of Weather decide to mess with our plans. Eduard writes…

Everything was perfect…except the weather. We met at reception, myself and eight guests who decided to join me on my day-trip out from the centre of the city. Perhaps the clouds in the sky should have been a warning, as it was pretty overcast when we left the hostel, and by the time we had reached the lake it had started to rain. Great, so no swimming then. We had a look round and drank some beers, but the weather was really not playing fair so we decided to head home.

And then…as the train doors closed and we pulled out of the station the rain stopped. Just our luck. Still, we had our beers and our sandwiches, and we had the chance to explore a different corner of the city. Next time though we hope the sun will be shining!

Keep an eye out at reception for more Circus staff trips…whether its a BBQ in the park, a trip to the lake, Jimbo’s Crazy Tours or whatever else one of the Circus crew will dream up next…

Rosentage Weekend – First Events Finalised

10. Juni 2011 in Events, Rosentage by Paul

rosentage for FBAs you might know, the Circus is taking part in the ROSENTAGE, a weekend showcase and celebration of our neighbourhood. The first events taking place over the weekend have been finalised, and you can read all about it on the programme page of the Rosentage website.

There is music, sketching, tours, talks, exhibitions, and a Sunday afternoon in the park, complete with food, drink, a circus show and much more fun and games. It is going to be a great weekend not only at The Circus but also exploring all the different things our friends in the neighbourhood are up to, as well as coming together on the Sunday afternoon for a relaxing time at the Rosengarten in Weinbergspark.

If you are in Berlin over the weekend, take a look at what is planned…there is surely something going on that will interest you!

Yoga Above The Rooftops

7. Juni 2011 in Circus Hostel, Circus Hotel, Circus News by Paul

yoga photo 5

Today we hosted our first yoga above the rooftops session at The Circus Hotel. These classes will from now on take place every Tuesday at 9.30am (depending on the weather) and are free for guests of the hostel and hotel. Mats are provided by The Circus, and if you want to join in you need to sign up at either of the two receptions.

The yoga classes are organised and hosted by Rachel Okimo from London, and begin with a warm-up before a flowing sequence of postures designed to build strength and flexibility. After that it is time for deep stretches, and a short guide to meditation and relaxation. A great way to start the day…and with one of the best views in the city whilst you are at it!

« Older entries