Granted there are few places in the world that are exactly the same as they were 20 or 30 years ago. But then again, certain places -- like San Francisco New York, London, and many, many other cities -- have arguably "tipped" to an extent such that, while the postcard views are pretty much the same -- the overall vibe and intensity is but a glimmer of what it once was.
And sadly, Berlin seems to be one of those places.