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Berlin Living Rooms

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Re: Berlin Living Rooms

#2
Having looked at some of the photos, one of the things that I notice is a lack of televisions which I see amongst sometimes with my friends.

I find when I go to my friends living room with a PS4 and tv, we generally chat for a few minutes before diving into games or videos. Or if I go to another friends place, they feel obligated to entertain instead of allowing one another to be he entertainment. And while I certainly enjoy those moments around the tv, it feels less gratifying than talking amongst each other about the state of things and being deep within our conversations. Perhaps that's why when I'm alone, I love listening to podcasts with two people talking amongst themselves because they tend to go very deep and are very focused.

Re: Berlin Living Rooms

#3
post #2

Having looked at some of the photos, one of the things that I notice is a lack of televisions which I see amongst sometimes with my friends. I find when I go to my friends living room with a PS4 and tv, we generally chat for a few minutes before diving into games or videos. Or if I go to another friends place, they feel obligated to entertain instead of allowing one another to be he entertainment. And while I certain…

Along those same lines, I never understood why bars and clubs have such loud music as to make conversation impossible. Especially if it's just canned music, so you're not there to listen. And especially more if the idea is to meet women (or guys).

As far as I can determine, it's fashion. It's not that games and videos are intrinsically more enjoyable than conversation, or that people have more success meeting the opposite sex if talking is impossible (granted that it might work very well for some people). I think it's more of a culture/fashion thing and this can change over time.

Re: Berlin Living Rooms

#4
Calling them living rooms is a bit of a misnomer for most of them, representational guest zone in uncommonly large apartments of the Berlin cultural elite might be a bit more honest description.

The last two (Blechschmidt and Hubalek) might be actual living room arrangements.

Re: Berlin Living Rooms

#5
post #2

Having looked at some of the photos, one of the things that I notice is a lack of televisions which I see amongst sometimes with my friends. I find when I go to my friends living room with a PS4 and tv, we generally chat for a few minutes before diving into games or videos. Or if I go to another friends place, they feel obligated to entertain instead of allowing one another to be he entertainment. And while I certain…

Along those same lines, I never understood why bars and clubs have such loud music as to make conversation impossible. Especially if it's just canned music, so you're not there to listen. And especially more if the idea is to meet women (or guys). As far as I can determine, it's fashion. It's not that games and videos are intrinsically more enjoyable than conversation, or that people have more success meeting the opp…

According to a friend with a restaurant, quiet restaurants get worse reviews and people don't seem to enjoy themselves as much.

Obviously there are exceptions, and some particularly expensive restaurants are pretty quiet (I have eaten at some of them with said friend and we have discussed this phenomenon).

Re: Berlin Living Rooms

#6
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Along those same lines, I never understood why bars and clubs have such loud music as to make conversation impossible. Especially if it's just canned music, so you're not there to listen. And especially more if the idea is to meet women (or guys). As far as I can determine, it's fashion. It's not that games and videos are intrinsically more enjoyable than conversation, or that people have more success meeting the opp…

According to a friend with a restaurant, quiet restaurants get worse reviews and people don't seem to enjoy themselves as much. Obviously there are exceptions, and some particularly expensive restaurants are pretty quiet (I have eaten at some of them with said friend and we have discussed this phenomenon).

I also heard that louder places sell more alcoholic drinks?

Re: Berlin Living Rooms

#7
post #2

Having looked at some of the photos, one of the things that I notice is a lack of televisions which I see amongst sometimes with my friends. I find when I go to my friends living room with a PS4 and tv, we generally chat for a few minutes before diving into games or videos. Or if I go to another friends place, they feel obligated to entertain instead of allowing one another to be he entertainment. And while I certain…

As mxfh pointed out, these are guest-welcoming areas of rich people. Elite people in Germany (pretend to) not watch much TV.

(I never owned a TV, within or without Germany.)

Re: Berlin Living Rooms

#8
post #6
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

According to a friend with a restaurant, quiet restaurants get worse reviews and people don't seem to enjoy themselves as much. Obviously there are exceptions, and some particularly expensive restaurants are pretty quiet (I have eaten at some of them with said friend and we have discussed this phenomenon).

I also heard that louder places sell more alcoholic drinks?

To reduce the boredom induced by not being able to have a conversation, no doubt

Re: Berlin Living Rooms

#9
post #4

Calling them living rooms is a bit of a misnomer for most of them, representational guest zone in uncommonly large apartments of the Berlin cultural elite might be a bit more honest description. The last two (Blechschmidt and Hubalek) might be actual living room arrangements.

You mean you don't have a queen-sized chaise lounge in your 20-ft-ceilinged warehouse-style living room? And is that a stuffed leopard? (Angelika Blechschmidt)

Re: Berlin Living Rooms

#10
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Along those same lines, I never understood why bars and clubs have such loud music as to make conversation impossible. Especially if it's just canned music, so you're not there to listen. And especially more if the idea is to meet women (or guys). As far as I can determine, it's fashion. It's not that games and videos are intrinsically more enjoyable than conversation, or that people have more success meeting the opp…

According to a friend with a restaurant, quiet restaurants get worse reviews and people don't seem to enjoy themselves as much. Obviously there are exceptions, and some particularly expensive restaurants are pretty quiet (I have eaten at some of them with said friend and we have discussed this phenomenon).

I think it has to do with the clientèle. At restaurants, you want to be around the buzz of conversation but not be unable to hear the people you're with, so restaurants where both are possible are better places. There's a sort of privacy within the crowd. Whereas at a dead quiet restaurant it's impossible to have a conversation of any depth because anyone at a neighboring table can hear it.

At a club most people are there to drink a little and dance, and it's much easier to dance when the music and the bass are loud enough to make you forget yourself. If GP is looking for conversation over drinks, maybe go to a pub or something instead.

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