In our column “Meet a Local,” we present interesting individuals from different professional fields living in Belgrade. The idea is to get to know some locals and their favorite neighborhoods and venues in the city.
Please introduce yourself to our readers:
Hi everyone! My name is Milan Mihailovic. I was born in Belgrade and have lived my whole life in Zemun (the best part of Belgrade by far!).
Aside from my day job, I have a bunch of hobbies I enjoy, such as techno production/DJing, graphic design, writing, painting miniature terrain pieces, and lately (over the past two years) I’ve gotten into running.
When I release music online, I go by the alias Tim Jackman.
2. Has there been a new project lately?
I have a few things going on. First off, I’ve recently decided to get back on track with my music production. I had on/off periods during COVID and even before that, but now I generally aim to create something every month that sounds good to me and release it (https://timjackman.bandcamp.com/). Secondly, I’m getting more into hardware synths; I’ve got a few Korg Volcas to play with plus an Arturia MicroBrute. I just want to dive deeper into electronic music production.
Also, on the side, I am writing a small novel. But that is still under top-secret wraps.
3. What do you like about Belgrade?
What I like the most is that Belgrade is a place of many opportunities. Whatever kind of person you are, you can find someone alike and you can find your crowd to fit in. When you think that Belgrade cannot expand more than it already has, you just get surprised with a new part of the city that some locals changed up or more venues opened. All of that diversity gives you that homey feeling.
4. Where do you like to go out?
Barutana is the place to be. This venue has been active since I was a kid getting to know techno up until now, which is quite impressive. So for any techno lover, I would suggest going there at least once to dance under the Belgrade skies.
As a lover of the techno club scene (more than the festival scene), I would also suggest the club KULT. It’s a small club, 300 people max, with a good sound system that packs a punch and promotes local artists. It should be visited.
5. Name 3 of your favorite restaurants in the city.
There are a bunch I like, but I would say Marukoshi (down in Dorćol, a Japanese restaurant), Balkan Express (here in Zemun), and Piatakia are my favorites. Good food, a pleasant atmosphere, and medium prices.
6. Where do you drink coffee?
Usually at home or in the office; I just love Turkish coffee. If I have to say where I like to drink coffee outside, I guess I would say COFFEEDREAM; they have a good cappuccino.
7. Where do you spend your leisure time?
Usually at home. I don’t need much: a Saturday morning, good weather, a good book, and a cup of coffee do me just fine.
Also, a time when I recharge my mental batteries is when I am running. Being silent and exercising for an hour or two does wonders.
8. Name your 3 favorite locations in Belgrade and justify your choice.
- Promenade beside the Danube River up until the merge of two rivers, the Danube and Sava: This is my favorite place to exercise. It is exactly 5 kilometers from my house in Zemun to the merge of the two rivers, and this is the route I love to run. At the merge of the rivers, there is a beautiful park, and in the center of the park is a lovely building, the Museum of Contemporary Art. A great place to take a break.
- Downtown Zemun: This is a great place full of beautiful venues, restaurants, and activities. Just to clarify, people from Zemun are proud of their past heritage, considering this part of the city was only added to Belgrade in 1934. This part of Belgrade has its history and a different spirit from the rest of the city, and you should visit it to get the feeling. Here I would pinpoint the restaurant Šaran as a good place to eat and the coffee shop Anker to grab a cup of coffee.
- Dorćol: Many pleasant memories link me to this part of the city—many great clubs, many good parties, and very good friends.
Follow Milan: https://timjackman.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timjackmantechno/
Writer. Blogger. Traveler. Researcher. Electronic Music Lover.
