Is West Berlin or East Berlin nicer/better?

Just need to know if West Berlin or East Berlin is better and why?

Although I like both, I say West Berlin, for it's more modern, convenient and looks alot safer at night than in East Berlin. Most of the reconstruction is taking place in the East, so expect alot of cranes and demolition of old Cold War era building there. I also like the East for visiting there is like stepping back in time to the Cold War, with some Communist inspired government buildings and monuments as well as the Berlin Cathedral, which in my opinion, is better than St. Paul's in London.

it is night and day when comparing the two on its apperance. but after a couple of years modern life has krept in to east berlin (sorry: east side of berlin). the east side has been through alot during the communist era and all the buildings there are cookie cutter replicas that have not been cared for in a long time. west berlin is a modern cosmopoltian having advantage of being cared for by the NATO allies during the cold war.

Definitely the eastern area. Many tourists for example are amazed when I tell them, that the beautiful area we're walking through, is the eastern part, and that the ugly area which we cross after this is the former west-berlin (so to experience in the area near bernauer str. along the former wall).

For many reasons the east is "better": First of all, in the east there is the historical heart of Berlin (at Nikolaiviertel and south of Museums Island).
Second, in the eastern part, there are the main sights (Unter den Linden, Museums Island, the cathedral, the Bebelplatz, the TV tower, the town hall, the historical churches, the synagogue, the quarters of late 18th century, the hackesche H枚fe)
Third: The active art and creative people mostly live in the east, because after the fall of the wall, the flats were very cheap, so it's more lively than the west. The west is finished and more boring, the east is still under construction and people take part in it.
And least: There are most of the cool shops, the in-scene and most of the cool clubs and other nightlife. Also it's cheaper at most places in the east, especially in friedrichshain.

@ robertdihno: Neukoelln and Kreuzberg are former west berlin. Take some time and explore your city :)

Maybe we should see Berlin as whole. The wall is gone and the city is developing a lot on both sides since then.

I'd like to ask back why you "need to know" which part of Berlin is better? Can hardly imagine any "need" for that.

i agree with male4girlz it is one city and both sides have their ups and downs, both sides have great stuff and let's say less impressive stuff
due to the wall it is rather interesting how similar and also different the sides are, both parts have quite ugly houses but also really amazing sights, why don't you stay in the centre and then catch up on both or better all sides not only east and west but also north and south

check out www.berlin.de to see what is going on in this really cool city

greets from a real Berliner ;)

Anne

@robert: Kreuzberg is not in the East, sorry dude, maybe you should pay more attention in school

Hehe. I can't beleive anyone said that east Berlin is nicer. Anyways, the east is the formr DDR. That means it missed about 40 yrs of developement which the west had. East Berlin is where you dont go at night. You will get raped or verletz before you know it by turkish "gangstas" The west is richer becuase it was under the western influence which poured money into west Berlin. For example I live in one of the nicest areas of Berlin now which is called Friedenau which is in the west and I go to school in the nicest district in Berlin called Zehlendorf. A girl got raped at my school in a district called Neu K枚lln which is in the east and my friend got verletz in a district called Kreuzberg which is also in the east. The best thing about the east is that it is more historic than the west. Ovrall west better.

There is no such thing as West or East Berlin anymore since 1989. Now you cannot even tell which was west and which was east. So don't worry.