2. This is not necessarily a move towards "glory". Most Berliners value the arts and cultural scene that exists in part due to low rents/cost of living and readily available performance/exhibition spaces. To see Berlin turned into another Silicon Valley would for most of us here be a major downgrade
Ok, to clarify a bit: cities are roughly ranked into categories. The rankings are quite fuzzy but I still think they're a good starting point for discussion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_city
Based on the geostrategic importance of Berlin (capital of Germany, the biggest city in Germany, central position in the EU, etc.) it should be an Alpha+ city, if not an Alpha++ city. Right now it's not due to a historical accident that is being "fixed": the separation into West and East.
According to that study from 2004 (ancient, I agree), Berlin was classified as Beta. For comparison, they classified Bucharest as Beta+. I'm Romanian, but there's no way that makes any sense unless Berlin is "underperforming".
So if you're a Berliner, brace yourself! Want it or not, Berlin will move up in the world to its rightful place and prices will go up accordingly.
This list is heavily biased by political influence.
The fact that "Luxembourg" - a glorified village is an "Alpha" city says more about it's significance in the European Union than any amenities/industry/jobs/lifestyle that exist (or rather don't exist) in the city.
1. It's not just hipsters this is affecting
2. This is not necessarily a move towards "glory". Most Berliners value the arts and cultural scene that exists in part due to low rents/cost of living and readily available performance/exhibition spaces. To see Berlin turned into another Silicon Valley would for most of us here be a major downgrade