Beautiful mall! Lots of stores and even a whole slide that…read moregoes from top to bottom! Want lego? Got it! Want food? Go get it! Want souveniers? Perfect!

I came to Berlin for the first time this month, and the Mall of Berlin was a quick walk from my…read morehotel. I stopped at Zara and purchased five items using the self-checkout. I placed my items on the scanner, entered my phone number, tapped my card, signed, and completed the transaction. Since my cell service has been spotty while traveling, my e-receipt didn't come through immediately. As I walked out, the security detectors went off and an incredibly aggressive security guard approached me. I tried explaining that I had paid and was simply waiting for the receipt to come through, but he would barely let me speak and repeatedly insisted that I had not purchased the items. He then threatened to call the police. What bothered me most was that a female Zara employee tried telling him that she had SEEN me pay, and he responded by telling her, "I'm not talking to you. Stop talking and allow me to do my job." He then brought over a male employee, who confirmed the exact same thing: I HAD PAID. Thankfully, my e-receipt finally came through and proved the purchase. The security guard didn't apologize or show even the slightest acknowledgment that he had handled the situation poorly. I wasn't expecting some grand apology, but basic professionalism and a little humility would have gone a long way. The male employee, on the other hand, was extremely understanding and even gave me some advice about shopping while in Germany, which I appreciated. My advice to other travelers: if you opt in for an e-receipt, make sure it has actually arrived before leaving the store, especially if your cell service is unreliable. And Zara/Mall of Berlin: security is one thing, but treating a paying customer like a criminal while store employees are actively telling security that they watched the customer pay is completely unnecessary. I hope the security guard has a terrible day.

We found this great shopping center a 5 minute walk from our hotel. In addition to a lot of…read morestores, there are restaurants as well. A bonus: Free Wi-Fi

This is not a fancy, destination mall. This is a decent, getting stuff accomplished mall. There are…read morea lot of stores where you can buy decent everyday stuff; Real, H&M, Cookmal, Nanu Nana, C&A. There's nothing fancy here but it is clean and spacious. They also have these hilarious horses that the kids ride around, it's very strange. There are a number of reasonable places to eat; potato box, dunkin donuts, kebab, ice cream. It's steps from the S and U which may be the best feature.

Die Hackeschen Höfe is a building complex with eight courtyards located in the Scheunenviertel…read more(Barn Quarter*) between Rosenthaler Straße and Sophienstraße in the Mitte area of Berlin. The building was opened in 1906, with an Art Nouveau facade, and mixed use commercial and residential spaces. After a period of disuse and damage following WWII, a revitalization started in 1993 which included extensive restoration. Today about 40 businesses call this location home--with a similar blend of vendors, including cafes, a theater, residential apartments, and a variety of retailers (apparel, shoes and accessories, home goods and furniture, art galleries, toys, stationery and a salon). For food there are a few restaurants, a couple bakeries and confectioneries, a gourmet food store and a coffee shop. Although the hours on g-maps show 9-10am, opening times for individual stores varies, so check prior to arriving. Especially on weekends when some opening times start closer to noon. When I arrived at 9am on a Sunday morning most places were closed, with the exception of Maison de Souvenirs, which although geared towards tourists, I enjoyed perusing because of the local and regionally made souvenirs they carried. Around 9:30am a couple of other shops started stirring, including a cafe, apparel store and gallery though only the cafe had opened by 9:45am. The courtyards are worth wandering around for 10 minutes to appreciate their unique architecture, though I didn't stay longer since most stores opened later. No parking available close by, they recommend arriving via public transit as it's a very busy area. Hackesche Markt S+U-bahn station is a couple minutes by foot, and a number of trams and buses stop nearby too. No public restrooms unless patronizing the couple of restaurants (and maybe the cinema) in this complex. *apparently in the 17th century this used to be the part of town outside of Berlin city walls that stored hay for animals, kept separate from the rest of the city due to fire concerns.

The store is beautifully appointed. The quality of the product is clear. Alice was exceptional when…read moresharing information and answering questions. Highly recommend stopping in if you are out shopping.

The best second hand store for men in Berlin: I came away with three beautiful pieces today and…read morefound the selection and price-to-quality rapport unbeatable. There's a women's selection too, but for once the men's selection is bigger and better.

On my fourth day in Berlin, I went to the Dudes Factory !…read more One star for the shop : The Dudes Factory is like a gallery. Clean and clear, all you have to do is open your eyes and you will finally see :D One star for the artwork : On the left handside, you take a sit and decide to go through one or all of the press books and decide which design you like best. Actually this is not possible. So you end up with at least 3 or 4 designs you like. One star for the concept : Once you have your design, you can decised on what support I want it to be printed on. Plenty of options (tee-shirt, hoody...) You can do that at the shop or from home. Comfortably sitted in front of your computer, browse through their website and try different combinations. You can play with the colour of the design, the size, place one or several designs. Just do it ! One star for the production : The printing of your personalized design is done... at the shop ! Love it :D One star for the website : Have you checked it ? Userfriendly and so cool. What else can I say... I can say www.dudes-factory.com ! Anything else to add ? Yes, you can also check their facebook page Dudes Factory and enjoy the cool pics. If you are around between now and 28th August 2011, give me a shout and I can meet you there XD

From the owner: We are The Dudes, a sworn collective that loves the good life…read more Just like us, our apparel has attitude to spare. The Dudes Factory' in the heart of Berlin is at the centre of this ever expanding universe and hosts not only this exclusive range of art, apparel and accessories but also many wild concerts and parties. In their unrelenting efforts to share their lifestyle and culture, The Dudes have recently opened The Dudes Delikatessen, a venue dedicated to celebrating the good life. Here lovers of good food, drink and rock'n'roll can indulge in a sumptuous range of meaty treats and exquisite liquids.

The Veganz chain of all vegan grocery stores has started an amazing trend. Wherever a store opens…read morein Berlin, a vegan mini-mall grows. In Prenzlauer Berg, the Veganz is surrounded by the 2nd Avesu vegan shoe store in Berlin and the fair trade, organic, vegan clothing store Dear Goods. Dear Goods offers one of my favorite fair trade brands ARMEDANGELS, has many Matt & Nat handbags, wallets and coin purses, organic panties, scarves, handmade jewelry and clothing! It is a vegan's paradise. Many of the brands sold are also German companies. I found the boutique after a long afternoon of wandering and eating my way through my new favorite neighborhood Prenzlauer Berg. Sadly, I was too tuckered out to try on clothing. Frankly, my visit to the Avesu shoe store in Friedrichshain filled up my suitcase with shoes so I had no room for more shopping anyway. However, I found a gorgeous, organic, fair trade scarf for my dog sitter. She has cared for my little Violet and two cats so that my husband and I could have this amazing two week, life changing journey! It was the least I could do to thank her! This boutique has just confirmed my feelings that this is merely the first and not the last time I will visit Berlin. The city is open and welcoming and, as a vegan, I have never been exposed to so many places to eat, drink and shop in the world. This city feels like home to me and I've only been here for 4 days. Next visit I will be sure to pack light so I can shop heavily at Dear Goods!

From the owner: "Fair, bio & vegan Fashion - aus Liebe zu Mensch, Tier und Umwelt" - das ist unser Motto, dafür…read morestehen wir. All unsere Produkte haben diese drei Kriterien, unsere drei Herzen, vereint. Wir freuen uns auf Deinen Besuch!

It is always enjoyable browsing through the racks. Goo always seems to have a really nice selection…read moreof coats. I can't help wonder where all this stuff comes from?

From the owner: Used clothing and shoes by Acne, APC, Barbour, Red Wings and many many other well known brandsread more