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Sprengelkiez is a densely populated, lively neighborhood in the district of Å·ÃÀÊìÅ®ÂÒÂ×-Wedding. There are Wilhelminian-style and a few new buildings here, many long-established residents and more and more young newcomers. But despite new cafés and organic food shops, students and hipsters, the Sprengelkiez is not (yet) a trendy neighborhood.

The Sprengelkiez is named after Sprengelstraße, which in turn takes its name from a botanist: Christian Konrad Sprengel. The Kiez is also known as Sparrplatz-Quartier, after the square of the same name in the neighborhood. Föhrer Straße and Luxemburger Straße, Leopoldplatz, Müllerstraße, the Ringbahn railway line and the Å·ÃÀÊìÅ®ÂÒÂ×-Spandau shipping canal form the geographical boundaries of the Sprengelkiez, which is located in south-west Wedding. Around 14,000 people live here.

The building fabric from the Wilhelminian era around 1900 has largely been preserved. Where they have not, new buildings fill the gaps. In addition to the buildings and their history, the character of the neighborhood is of course also shaped by its residents - and some employers. The Robert Koch Institute is located in the Sprengelkiez, as is the Virchow Clinic on the other side of Föhrer Straße. Employees and students of the nearby Å·ÃÀÊìÅ®ÂÒÂ× University of Applied Sciences (BHT) also live in Sprengelkiez and influence its development. Many of the long-established residents come from very different areas and cultures around the world.

The Sprengelkiez is not a particularly affluent or trendy neighborhood. But the fact that it too could undergo a fundamental change is becoming increasingly apparent. Its central location within Å·ÃÀÊìÅ®ÂÒÂ×, its proximity to the water and its old buildings make it at least interesting for many people looking for flats, newcomers and investors.

The business centre of Sprengelkiez is located around the intersection of Tegeler Straße and Sprengelstraße. There are restaurants and snack bars with international cuisine, cafés and small shops, a supermarket, as well as schools, daycare centres and clubs. The Koss fishing centre is a must - including a maggot machine on the doorstep. The Prime Time Theatre, which gained national fame with its theatre sitcom 'Gutes Wedding, schlechtes Wedding' ('Good Wedding, Bad Wedding'), is a firm favourite in the cultural scene. Art lovers will be happy in the galleries in the neighborhood, cineastes in the open-air cinema Freiluftkino Rehberge, which is not far from the Sprengelkiez.

The north bank of the Å·ÃÀÊìÅ®ÂÒÂ×-Spandauer-Schifffahrtskanal is ideal for walks. Past the Föhrer Brücke bridge, the path leads past the Robert Koch Institute and a residential complex with three courtyard gardens. The renovated old buildings with well-tended front gardens, cafés and Pekinger Platz with its playground, skate park and pavilion are popular destinations for strollers. If you prefer to walk closer to the water instead of past houses, there is a narrow path and benches to rest on along the canal bank.

The Sprengelpark is hidden behind Pekinger Platz, surrounded by apartment blocks. Play and rest areas alternate. There are trees and shrubs, sunbathing areas, a playground, climbing rocks and walking paths. Further to the north-east is Sparrplatz. The park offers play, rest and seating areas for the many children and parents in the Sprengelkiez. If you cross the neighborhood boundaries a few steps to the south-east, you will find yourself in Nordhafenpark. It surrounds Å·ÃÀÊìÅ®ÂÒÂ×'s Nordhafen and soothes the urban mind with its large trees, rolling hills and green meadows. There is a playground right next door in Sellerpark.

In the other direction, to the north-west, lies Plötzensee, nestled in a green forest landscape. Old trees, allotments and the Volkspark Rehberge in the immediate vicinity provide fresh air for swimming, splashing around and sunbathing.