Patrick Strattner
Indie brands
Away from Beverly Hills’ brashness, Silver Lake has enjoyed a reputation for creativity for over 80 years. Monocle meets today’s residents who are keeping the tradition of enterprising independence alive.
What’s up doc
Real-life medical shows aren’t just for light entertainment. In Spain, people turn on the TV for health advice, and in Egypt, women tune in to learn about sex. Monocle meets the TV doctors.
Pure and white
For centuries, German porcelain meant traditional designs. Hering Berlin has brought the old craft into the present with timeless pieces that are as wonderful to touch as they are to look at.
Voice of the people
Every city has a local media star who is part of its fabric. Content with staying on home turf, they become an institution, explaining their metropolis to a loyal public.
Home to roast
Seattle-born Cynthia Barcomi opened her Kreuzberg café in the 1990s. Now a local legend, she takes us on a tour of the district’s best bakeries and food shops.
We’re all ears
Sennheiser’s obsessives have spent decades perfecting headphone and microphone technology to produce the most authentic sound. This nerdish persistence has paid off, as the loyalty of its customer base proves.
Architecture/Design
An elegant summerhouse by Norwegian firm JVA, Pukeberg’s handcrafted glass from Sweden and a sleek stool collection from Melbourne. Plus, a catch-up with architect Kengo Kuma about his latest projects.
Good buy to Berlin
Stray off Berlin Mitte’s well-trodden tourist route to find the charming Gipsstrasse. Full of independent shops, ateliers, galleries and cafés, it should be a template for the rest of the capital.
Green light
The upside to rising fuel prices and a depressed property market is more willingness to embrace Kandiyohi Development Partners’ mantra: find a better way. Plus, overleaf, the view from New York
Health visitors
Affluent Arabs are increasingly choosing Germany’s private clinics for medical treatment. With patients spending an estimated €80,000 per stay, competition among German hospitals to attract these medical tourists is fierce.
