I always feel a bit like I’m in Paris when I turn into Leonhardtstrasse, with its street-side cafés and old trees. It’s also home to Hacker und Presting, my favorite bookshop. Amidst the store’s stuccoed ceilings and striking coral-red shelves is where the West Berlin bohemian scene meets, as shop owner Julia Hacker’s stories reveal. Like how the small pane of blue glass in the shop window is actually a souvenir from a 1965 Rolling Stones concert. Or how the iconic greyhound in the store’s logo came into being. Besides taking the time to advise you, Julia’s staff have a knack for beautiful things: I often leave the shop not only with some recommended reads, but with some fragrant soap or a handmade ceramic bowl too. Be it fiction, non-fiction, children’s books or English-language literature, there are reading selections for all, and any book you can’t find can be ordered on the web shop or Instagram for easy pickup or delivery – ideal in the current climate. For literature lovers, this is a truly beautiful address out west. (Text: Kiki Albrecht / Photos: Hacker und Presting)
Berliner Kiki Albrecht works as a communication consultant for fashion labels, designers and artists. She is the founder of Fountain Berlin.
Hacker und Presting, Leonhardtstr.22, 14057 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map
Mon–Fri 9h30–18h, Sat 9h30–14h
@hackerpresting
