Of course, this did not happen because housing in the west became cheaper - prices are rising steadily everywhere. It is simply that in the east this growth was much more intensive: as early as the end of 2003, a square meter of living space in the eastern part of the city cost an average of €4.13, that is, 22 cents less than in the west. Now the price is the same - €4.49 per square meter. Needless to say, the price increase as such is not pleasing. However, we must remain realists and realize that Berlin still remains an extraordinarily cheap city in terms of housing prices - of course, in comparison with other federal states. Thus, an apartment of about 70 square meters costs about €476 per month in Hamburg, in Munich one would have to pay €665 for such, and in the capital one can fit into €325 (we are talking, of course, about the "net" rent, without utilities).
Be that as it may, the choice of housing now takes place not according to the former principle - that to live comfortably one must necessarily rent an apartment in the west, but according to other criteria common to Berlin as a whole. The most popular is newly renovated housing in old buildings, which is quite logical: spacious rooms and kitchens, high suspended ceilings, bathrooms with windows - of course, this is more pleasant than the "economical" cubbyholes that can be found in relatively new structures built between 1991 and 2003 (it is precisely for these apartments that prices have not only not risen, but even fallen).
Well, and of course, as always, there are districts that are being settled with particular activity. Currently these are Prenzlauer Berg and Charlottenburg. The former is an obvious favorite: for some time now the district has been growing rapidly, and mainly due to the young population. By the way, this has led to such a curious result as the "baby boom" observed in Prenzlauer Berg over the past several years. This place is now extraordinarily attractive to the young left-wing intelligentsia, which, naturally, is accompanied by a jump in housing prices. Three-room apartments of more than 60 square meters are in particular demand here, all in the same newly renovated old building - such an apartment in Prenzlauer Berg now has to be searched for very persistently and for a long time.
True, the charm and undoubted advantages of an "old" house sometimes harbor dangers: the renovation of apartments is not always carried out flawlessly, and upon moving into such a one, you can encounter unpleasant flaws in the form of poorly closing windows or dampness on the walls. But here, as they say, one has to take risks. Especially since the degree of "renovation" is not regulated by law, and it may turn out that for the pleasure of having stucco on the ceilings and oak doors, you will have to pay additionally, eliminating the shortcomings of the housing at your own expense.
Returning to the age structure of the districts, we can note another curious phenomenon: in recent years it has become especially noticeable that Berliners, as they approach retirement age, feel a clear pull toward the city center. The waning personal social activity requires compensation; a person needs the feeling that he is at the center of events, participating, albeit passively, in the life of the capital. So "young old people" are moving closer to the center: 74% of the capital's residents who have reached 60 years old have expressed a desire to live not "in nature" but amid the city's noise and bustle. If we consider that at this age the purchasing power regarding housing is much higher than that of young city dwellers, it becomes clear that the demand for apartment ownership in the center is steadily growing, and that is not bad at all.
But what is sad is the fact that with the advent of the ill-fated Hartz IV reform, quite a number of people have appeared who cannot afford to pay the increased rent: about 70 thousand families in the city are now engaged in looking for cheaper housing. And then there is no time for stucco and doors, or even the quality of the apartment - just to fit into the reduced budget. In relation to these families, one cannot apply the saying about a home that is my fortress and a reliable roof over one's head - alas, poverty drives people from their habitual places, and apartments often remain empty, which, of course, looks rather absurd for a densely populated capital.