The Berlin district of Neukoelln has the reputation to be poor and down. This is true to a certain extent, but there is a lot of positive change and developement going on in the last years.
In our nearby neighbourhood there are some very interesting and nice places to explore. You can walk to the "Richardplatz" within 5 minutes with its 200 years old forge, where art and handicraft meet, with its beautiful public "Comenius Garden" and the yard for the coach-horses and historic carriages. Often you can watch a white carriage drawn by 2 coach-horses on its way to a wedding. You can relax there in 2 beer gardens, 4 restaurants and a macrobiotic cafe.
Some steps more you find the "Boehmisches Dorf" with its tiny houses, narrow lanes and gardens full of flowers and fruit trees.
Walking just some minutes more you are in the "Koerner Park" with its beautiful classic architecture, a galerie, a cafe and a water landscape with dozens of children enjoying themselves.
Since June 2010 we have the huge space of the former "Tempelhof Airport" reopened for the public just 2 stations away going by the "Ringbahn". It's a quite unique situation to have free sight for more than 2 km and see just grass and sky right in the center of a big city!
People from dozens of different nations live together in Neukoelln and provide a vivid, tolerant and creative atmosphere. More and more students and artists settle down in the neighbourhood due to the relatively low rents. It is safe to move around alone by nighttime, even for a woman.
Just across the street there are excellent public transport facilities. Buses, underground and especially the "Ringbahn" (going in a circle clockwise and counterclock round the inner city of Berlin) take you in all directions. You can reach all the Berlin highlights within a short time.
You can explore the City by bicycle and start right outside our flat or take the bicycle into train or underground and start your cycling tour when you are in the green belt of Berlin.
Our two canoes (1 seat and 2 seats) are available to explore Berlin from the water. Each boat can be folded to a very small size and be stored in a trollybag (9 kg and 12 kg). As you can take the boats into public transport, there is no need for exhausting paddling back the same way. Just take the bus or train. Within a 10 minutes walk you reach a canal with an automatically lock.

We (age 50 and 58) are a couple for 30 years and both work as teachers. We've travelled into many parts of the world and enjoy the activities Berlin offers: Culture as well as nature. Often we move in Berlin by bicycle.
We prefer to work part time and as a result have more time but less money. In other words: Our work-life balance is quite healthy. Our flat is 100% compatible with our lifestyle: Functional and cosy but not high-society-like or high-tech-style.
Until now we've had 5 successful home swaps with Amsterdam, Paris, Bordeaux, Chicago and Basel. What we like most in exchanging homes is the fact that we are taking part in the everyday's life of another country. How does the post office deliver letters, how is garbage and recycling organzised, how is the relationship with neighbours, what special kitchen tools are there, what delicious things do you get for breakfast in the shop around the corner...
An exchange in winter is not very comfortable in our flat because of the tricky heating with coal.