What suggestions do you have for me?

Hey,
its Dylan here, typing from Berlin (I think Ive already mentioned that Im on a yearlong exhcange trip here...anywho.).

I know that Berlin has a very lively gay scene, and I am very interested in going to gay bars, or clubs (yes I know you legally have to be 18 to stay past midnight...). But my thing is, I dont want to go to a gay bar or club, where everyone is liek 30 and 50 years old. Im looking for a comfortable atmosphere where I can hang out and meet people, so I guess a bar is better for that. But Im not sure how I can find out places that have a younger crowd, including 17 and 18 year olds. Im interested in making gay friends, and if maybe I had a boyfriend, thatd be nice, but Im more interested in just making other gay friends and whatnot. And flirting and other stuff too is fun, but yeah.

So my question is, how do you think I could find out which gay bars would be the best for a younger crowd? Anyone have suggestions? I dont think anyone on here would jsut happen to be from Berlin, and thus be able to straight off giving me answers, so Im not expecting that...But is there some resource somewhere?

Thanks,
Cheers and LOOOOOOOOOVE,
Dylan

Ok...most places have like a newspaper of sorts that has a nighlife section that lists clubs and bars ....especially for tourists...they should have something like that...or go to a gay bar and ask about where the young gays hang out !!!

yeah that makes sense...hm...now i needta find a gay bar (there are many so that shoudlnt be hard).
hehe

Hey, I've had a minor obsession with Berlin for the last year. (I've got a 3' x 3' street map hanging above my computer as I type this -I downloaded it in pages and taped it together.)

From what I gather, some of the gay bars that the youngsters go to can be quite sketchy at night, or at least in sketchy areas. I wouldn't risk it alone. I'm talking Oranien Str. and that end of town.

But yeah, go to any gay bar, you can go during the day or ask at a gay restaurant. Have you found the Gaybourhood? Schoene Burg. (South of Nollendorf Platz) The area seems to be gay store after gay store. You can ask any cute, Miss Thing you meet around there where the cool bars are.

I am looking forward to visiting Kreuzberg, perhaps this spring! The gay museum is located there. Don't neglect your queer education, you should go there too.

You lucky dog, er glucklicher Hund -if I could wrinkle my nose and make it so, I would be there right now.

good luck

haha yeah berlin rocks. yeah, i found a guide to gay bars in berlin that have a young crowd, meaning 16 to 20ish
so thats good. i probably would go alone, i dont have anyone to go with right now. and plus, im pretty fluent conversation wise, so i woudlnt get myself into any traps, and im safe. :-) im more into just going out and seeing if i meet some people that are cool, whether or not they are to become a boyfriend, i just want gay friends to see what its like because ive never had contact with any gay people outside of my first and only boyfriend. i dunno. i just feel like i want to go out and experience it, and thats my confusing and not quite what i wanted to say explanation.
hehe
i live in kreuzberg! dont diss oranienstraße! hehe
tschüs!
dylan

What I've read is that the trains and stations are risky at night near oranienstrasse! The muggers don't care if you speak German or not, though they're more likely to be braver if you have an accent.

There are youth groups around. Try looking for one at a near-by Uni and see if they have a gay group. If they don't have an office for a gay group, just show up at a meeting. You won't get kicked out because you don't go to school there.

But going alone to your first gay bar in a city like Berlin, I worry for you.
You can bring along a straight friend. It's always questionable how 'gay' gay bars are now a days. And there are so many other places to meet gay folks than bars. A bar is the worst -espically if your new and alone.

Here's a few of the many links I've saved.

Nobbis Blog
Panorama Main entrance Oranienstrasse
queer.de
Gay & Lesbian Berlin
out-in-berlin
zitty
studentuniverse

Last spring I was on a german gay forum, alot like this one, but I stopped going because my Deutsh isn't that good. I can try looking it up if you're interested.

I live right near Oranienstraße.
Its not risky. I mean, in any city something bad can happen to you if youre stupid. I dunno if youve been here (?) or not though, or if youre talking from experience. But there is nothing unsafe about Oranienstraße, that makes it more dangerous than any other place in the city. Oranienstraße is where most of the life is at night, so its not some dark, shady, dangerous street.
Yeah, Ill probably be going to a bar with a friend or something. But anyways, I know the lanugage, and I can go into bars and gay cafes and ASK where the YOUNG, notice I say YOUNG, crowds go. Its not like Im trying to get involved with some 25+ year old.

And plus, Oranientstraße isnt the only gay area, its just the gay area of Kreuzberg. Its NOllendorfplatz in Schöneburg that is the gay neighborhood of Berlin.

My main reason for this thread was for how Id find out where good bars for YOUNGER people would go, meaning teens and up to very early 20s, as in 21. haha

Aynwho
Cheers,
dylan