Sights in Berkeley
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People's Park
Just east of Telegraph Ave, between Haste St and Dwight Way, is the site of People's Park, a marker in local history as a political battleground between residents and city government in the late '60s. The park has since served mostly as an unofficial residence for Berkeley's homeless. A publicly funded restoration spruced it up a bit, and occasional festivals do still happen here, but on the surface it's still just a mangy patch of trampled grass.
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Telegraph Ave
Telegraph Ave is undeniably the throbbing heart of studentville in Berkeley, pumping out a sidewalk-flow of students and shoppers, vagrants and vendors, brisk walkers and sluggish strollers, those trying to squeeze their way out and those who never seem to leave. The frenetic energy buzzing from the university's Sather Gate on any given day is a mix of youthful post-hippies reminiscing about days before their time and young hipsters who sneer at tie-dyed nostalgia.
Ponytailed panhandlers press you for change, and street stalls hawk everything from crystals to bumper stickers to self-published books. It's all very interesting, but the street is also immensely useful to…
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North Berkeley
Just north of campus is a neighborhood filled with lovely homes, parks and some of the best restaurants in California. The popular Gourmet Ghetto stretches along Shattuck Ave north of University Ave for several blocks, anchored by Chez Panisse. Northwest of here, Solano Ave, which crosses from Berkeley into Albany, is lined with lots of funky shops, more good restaurants and a couple of movie theaters.
North Berkeley, heading up into the hills, is also chock-full of magnificent homes. You can see many examples of Bernard Maybeck's superb architecture, including 1515 La Loma Ave and at 2704, 2711, 2733, 2751, 2754 and 2780 Buena Vista Way. Wander these and other streets to…
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University of California, Berkeley
'Cal' is one of the country's top universities and home to 35,000 diverse, politically conscious students. The Visitor Services Center has info and leads free campus tours (reservations required). Cal's landmark is the 1914 Sather Tower (also called the Campanile), with elevator rides ($2) to the top. The Bancroft Library displays the small gold nugget that started the California gold rush in 1848.
Leading to the campus's south gate, Tele-graph Avenue is as youthful and gritty as San Francisco's Haight St, packed with cafes, cheap eats, record stores and bookstores.
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Berkeley Marina
At the west end of University Ave is the Berkeley Marina, frequented by squawking seagulls, silent types fishing from the pier, unleashed dogs and, especially on windy weekends, lots of colorful kites. Construction of the marina began in 1936, though the pier has much older origins. It was originally built in the 1870s, then replaced by a 3 mile-long ferry pier in 1920 (its length was dictated by the extreme shallowness of the bay). Part of the original pier is now rebuilt, affording visitors sweeping bay views.
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Downtown Berkeley
Berkeley's downtown, which centers on Shattuck Ave between University Ave and Dwight Way, has far fewer traces of the city's tie-dyed reputation. The area has emerged as a bustling area with numerous shops and restaurants, restored public buildings and a burgeoning arts district. At the center of that district are the acclaimed thespian stomping grounds of the Berkeley Repertory Theatre and the Aurora Theatre Company; nearby are several good movie houses.
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Campanile
The Campanile, officially named Sather Tower, was modeled on St Mark’s Basilica in Venice. The 328ft spire offers knockout views of the Bay Area, and at the top you can stare into the carillon of 61 bells, ranging from the size of a cereal bowl to that of a Volkswagen. Recitals take place daily at 7:50am, noon and 6pm, with a longer piece performed on Sunday at 2pm.
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Buildings
North Berkeley, heading up into the hills, is also chock-full of magnificent homes. You can see many examples of Bernard Maybeck's superb architecture, including 1515 La Loma Ave and at 2704, 2711, 2733, 2751, 2754 and 2780 Buena Vista Way. Wander these and other streets to examine the elaborate gardens and Asian-influenced front gates that are a feature of this neighborhood.
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San Pablo Ave
San Pablo Ave was formerly US Rte 40, the main thoroughfare from the east before I-80 came along. The area north of University Ave is still lined with a few older motels, diners and atmospheric dive bars with neon signs. South of University Ave are pockets of trendiness, such as the short stretch of gift shops and cafés around Dwight Way.
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Berkeley Rose Garden
On Euclid Ave just south of Eunice St is the Berkeley Rose Garden and its eight terraces of Technicolor explosions. Here you'll find quiet benches and a plethora of almost perpetually blooming roses. Across the street is a picturesque park with a children's playground (including a fun concrete slide about 100ft long).
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Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology
In Kroeber Hall, the Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology showcases the diversity of human cultures from around the world, with artifacts from ancient Peru, Egypt and Africa, among others. There’s also a large collection highlighting native California cultures.
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4th St Shopping District
Hidden within an industrial area near I-80 lies a three-block area known as the 4th St Shopping District, offering shaded sidewalks for upscale shopping, or just strolling, and a few good restaurants too. Take heed, it's often very hard to park in this area, especially on weekends.
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Julia Morgan Theatre
To the southeast of People's Park is the beautifully understated, redwood-infused 1910 Julia Morgan Theatre, a performance space (formerly a church) created by Bay Area architect Julia Morgan, who designed numerous Bay Area buildings and, most famously, the Hearst Castle.
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UC Berkeley Art Museum
A campus highlight with 11 galleries showcasing a wide range of works, from ancient Chinese to cutting-edge contempor-ary. Across the street, its world-renowned Pacific Film Archivescreens little-known independent and avant-garde films. Both are scheduled to move to a new Oxford St location by 2014.
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Museum of Paleontology
The Museum of Paleontology, in the ornate Valley Life Sciences Building, is a research museum. It's mostly closed to the public, but you can see a few exhibits in the atrium, including a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton.
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Elmwood District
South on College Ave is the Elmwood District, a charming nook of shops and restaurants that offers a calming alternative to the frenetic buzz around Telegraph Ave. Continue further south and you'll be in Rockridge.
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Bancroft Library
The Bancroft Library houses, among other gems, a copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio and the records of the Donner Party. Its small public exhibits of historical California include the surprisingly small gold nugget that sparked the 1849 Gold Rush. You must register to use the library, be over 18 (or a high-school graduate) and present two forms of identification (one with photo). Visit the registration desk on entering.
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First Church of Christ Scientist
On the southeast end of People's Park stands Bernard Maybeck's impressive 1910 First Church of Christ Scientist, which uses concrete and wood in its blend of Craftsman, Asian and Gothic influences. Maybeck was a professor of architecture at UC Berkeley and designed San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts, plus many landmark homes in the Berkeley Hills. Free tours are given the first Sunday of every month at 12:15.
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UC Botanical Garden
A great find in the hills is the UC Botanical Garden, in Strawberry Canyon, below the Hall of Science. With 34 acres and more than 13,000 species of plants, the garden is one of the most varied collections in the USA. It can be reached via the Bear Transit shuttle H line.
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Lawrence Hall of Science
Lawrence Hall of Science educates and entertains with a huge collection of displays, from lasers to earthquakes to a climbable 60ft model of a DNA molecule.
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