In 2003, Wowereit declared that "Berlin ist arm, aber sexy" ("Berlin is poor, but sexy"), a description that reflected on the one hand the city's working class history and on-going financial woes, and on the other its cultural vibrancy, aided by a relatively low cost of living for a major European capital. The phrase helped to market the city to the rest of the world, and it drew in tourists, as well as attracting artists, writers, musicians and subsequently technology entrepreneurs. However, concern about gentrification and increasingly expensive rents is often expressed by seasoned Berliners and new-comers alike.
