| go to the city. go to the ocean and marvel at how cold it is and how wonderful it is. go to the Beach Chalet and see the murals and have a beer in the late afternoon and think about how lucky you are. go to Golden Gate Park and go to the redwood grove--again, late afternoon is best--and maybe fall in love. or remember that you're already in love. go to berkeley marina and wander around and watch the boats sailing on the bay. take a cable car from Powell St. up to Nob Hill (i think). walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and think about what it was like before it was built. take a ferry to sausalito from SF, or to SF from oakland, and sit up on top and breathe deeply. (and if you're lucky, maybe it's somebody's birthday and you can have a party!) go to peets--definitely peets, not some other coffee shop--for the full berkeley experience. wander up and down telegraph ave and rejoice in the people you see there. they aren't any other place in the world. climb at least one hill in san francisco, and remember that people do so every day as they come home from work. walk. walk everywhere. go to Mama's for breakfast (in oakland). go to bookstores--Cody's is great, and there are tons of wonderful used bookstores in berkeley and the city. go to the haight, and laugh and cry at the ben and jerrys and the gap. mainly, just remember that you're in a magical place. |
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In the hustle and bustle of the seventeen years I lived in
Berkeley, one of the most peaceful places I would visit was
the Redwood Grove in Strawberry Canyon. Across from the
Botanical Garden (which is also worth a visit), the Redwood
Grove is small, and used to have an almost hidden quality,
since you would enter through a gate that was poorly marked,
and suddenly find yourself inside this cathedral of tall,
dark coolness. There is a short, quiet walk through the
redwood duff, and a small amphitheatre (is it still there?)
with filtered light coming down from above, that is perfect
for sitting and meditating or reading. Any of the hikes on the fire trails of Strawberry Canyon are also enjoyable, and graced by intermittent views of the Bay spread out below. Inspiration Point is also a favorite starting point for a hike, and the summer weather is usually just right for a morning jaunt along the fire trail. Tilden Park is a great destination with many interesting areas, whether hiking or driving, although it can be crowded on weekends. The Berkeley Rose Garden is beautiful all day with its tiers of roses, but is especially gorgeous at sunset, when people stand at the top of the garden and gaze out across the Bay as the sun disappears into the ocean. If there are a few clouds, the reflected light can be spectacular. Taking a walk through the residential areas of North Berkeley was one of our favorite things to do, especially in spring and summer when everything is in bloom. Some of the little streets up behind Solano Avenue are quaint and floral. I'm sure you've received many comments on food places! Some of my own favorites that were still in business when we left four years ago (don't know if they still are there!), that are fairly unique, and that we miss in SoCal are Ninos Brazilian Pizzeria on MLK (try the Brazilian pizza or the black bean specialties), Zachary's on Solano and College (deep dish stuffed pizza, especially the chicken and spinach), Intermezzo Cafe (the huge Veggie Delight salad), Cafe/Ristorante Venezia (great Italian with mural and clothesline atmosphere), Pasand on Shattuck (the tandoori chicken is awesome), Plearn on University (all of the Thai dishes are tasty), Petrushka's on College (someone told me it wasn't there anymore, but it had authentic Russian food that was quite good). Then there's the renowned and elegant Chez Panisse on Shattuck, where we celebrated many an event, usually upstairs in the cafe, but on occasions we splurged and ate downstairs in the fixed price restaurant (Mondays were lower, only $35 in those days). And Fat Apples has the best ollallieberry pie in the world!
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Here's one... I remember taking wonderful walks and drives through Wildcat Canyon Park and eating great Thai food at Cha'am (I think it is on Shattuck)--also great capucino at Nefeli Cafe on Euclid. I'll send more when I remember more..... |
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My favorite local spot is Tilden Regional Park. It's close
and it's really pretty. If you enter at Canyon Drive, there
is plenty of parking and a number of very short hiking
trails. There are also a number of activities for
youngsters, including a pony ride and a carousel. Check out
http://www.ebparks.org/parks/tilden.htm for details. My favorite shopping location is the area on Telegraph Avenue near Dwight Way. There are three wonderful used bookstores there: Moe's Books (at 2476), Shakespeare and Co (at 2499), and Half-Price Books (at 2525). That block also houses my favorite lunch place: Cafe Intermezzo (at 2442), which serves amazing salads along with great sandwiches and soups. |
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So many good memories...Peet's mocha's on an early sunday
morning; so many smart, fun people; late-night dorm runs to
Max's Cafe in SF; introduction to ballroom dancing at UCB;
daily walks from to campus past quaint College Ave shops;
always lovely weather; biking up to Tilden; jazz at Yoshi's
and Eli's Mile High Club; Yogurt Park for breakfast, lunch,
and dinner! A few not so good...my apartment getting robbed 3 times, carrying mace at night, watching the homeless population grow, watching the Oakland hills burn, riots on Telegraph, and the earthquake aftermath. |
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| Crepes a GoGo on University (between Oxford and Shattuck): A wonderful place for crepes, with a Parisian atmosphere. I think nutella-filled are the best (chocolate and hazelnut filling), but there's also chocolate and banana, jam-filled, and non-sweet egg-type fillings too. When we lived in Berkeley, nearly every Saturday morning, we'd go to Crepes a Go Go for breakfast. The waiters recognized us and would always say hello. |
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"Berkeley" conjures up so many vivid memories from my
undergrad days--so many things that were new to me! drugs, fun & filthy co-ops, political action (both rallies about national issues and interminable co-op meetings), *really* serious feminism, sports on a level where guys go pro, eastern philosophy, vegetarianism, sexuality of every persuasion, long sleeves (i came from SoCal), late night brainstorms, different religions, so many views, great big piles of knowledge. it's a whole coming-of-age novel for me :-) |
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