Showing 1-21 of 21 results
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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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Bancroft Library
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 Californiana include the surprisingly small gold nugget that sparked the 1849 Gold Rush. You must register to use the library and, to do so, you need to be 18 (or to have graduated from high school) and present two forms of identification (one with a photo). Stop by the registration desk on your way in.
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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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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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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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Campanile
The Campanile, officially named Sather Tower, was modeled on St Mark's Basilica in Venice. The 328ft spire offers fine views of the Bay Area, and at the top you can stare up into the carillon of 61 bells, ranging from the size of a cereal bowl to that of a Volkswagen. Recitals take place daily at , noon and , with a longer piece performed at on Sundays.
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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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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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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 .
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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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Lawrence Hall of Science
Lawrence Hall of Science, near Grizzly Peak Blvd, is named after Ernest Lawrence, who won the Nobel Prize for his invention of the cyclotron particle accelerator. He was a key member of the WWII Manhattan Project, and he's also the name behind Lawrence Berkeley and Lawrence Livermore laboratories. As for the Hall of Science, it has a huge collection of exhibits on subjects ranging from lasers to earthquakes and, outside, a 60ft model of a DNA molecule.
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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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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.
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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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Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology
South of the Campanile in Kroeber Hall, the Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology includes items from indigenous cultures around the world, including ancient Peruvian, Egyptian and African items. There's also a large collection highlighting native California cultures.
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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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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.
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Tilden Regional Park
In the hills east of town is Berkeley's crown jewel, Tilden Regional Park. The 2077 acre park has more than 30 miles of trails of varying difficulty, from paved paths to hilly scrambles, including part of the magnificent Bay Area Ridge Trail. Other attractions include a miniature steam train, children's farm, a wonderfully wild-looking botanical garden, 18-hole golf course and environmental education center. Lake Anza is a favorite area for picnics.
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UC Berkeley Art Museum
UC Berkeley Art Museum has 11 galleries showcasing a huge range of works from ancient Chinese to cutting-edge contemporary. The complex also houses a bookstore, café and sculpture garden, and the much-loved Pacific Film Archive.
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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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University of California, Berkeley
The Berkeley campus of the University of California (called 'Cal' by students and locals) is the oldest university in the state. The decision to found the college was made in 1866, and the first students arrived in 1873. Today UCB has over 30,000 students, more than 1000 professors and more Nobel laureates than you could point a particle accelerator at.
Showing 1-21 of 21 results
