Berlin is attractive to Germans and immigrants alike because it has literally hundreds of distinctive streets, squares, buildings, monuments, and parks, both historic and modern, that make the city a unique place to live. But this attractiveness is the result of decades of hard work and billions of dollars spent to rebuild the city. The city's leaders have been moving as rapidly as possible to create a new Berlin that will be both a desirable place to live and a political and economic hub for Central Europe. Ordinary Berliners generally like this revitalization and the jobs it has created, but are less enthusiastic about the noise, traffic jams, and other inconveniences that accompany such a rebuilding.

Berlin is the most changed and changing city in Europe, perhaps in the world, and its citizens often have trouble keeping up with the transformations. One of these...