The term “Mitte” refers not only to the entire district but also to one of its six subdistricts – the nucleus of the capital, which stretches from the Brandenburg Gate to Alexanderplatz and includes the historical centre of Berlin. Here, in the area that was also the centre of the capital of the GDR until 1989, you can find many modern buildings, and the density of the urban landscape increases around Alexanderplatz as a result of the nearby high-rises. Most of the open space between Alexanderplatz and the Jannowitzbrücke bridge on the Spree has now been filled in with new buildings. The Mitte subdistrict doesn’t play much of a role as a residential location. Several luxury residential buildings can be found among the numerous office buildings and cultural venues in the subdistrict, while more modest residential buildings and larger-scale developments are to be found at the border to Kreuzberg, as well as north and east of Alexanderplatz in the form of prefabricated buildings that were constructed during the GDR era.