Any review of sights and venues in Berkeley is highly subjective.  One writer says “it is possible to see the world in Berkeley, the free-thinking, scholarly, liberal town across the bay from San Francisco.”   It’s perhaps a little pompous, but since I’ve lived in Berkeley for 15 years and intend to die here, I couldn’t agree more.  This article is adapted, changed and transmogrified from a recent local article and highly spiced with my own point of view.  The Berkeley Convention & Visitor’s Bureau (2015 Center St; www.visitberkeley.com, 800-847-4823, or 510-549-7040 can provide a more complete range of activities.

Cal, the UC Berkeley Campus

 Founded in 1868, the Cal campus is the oldest in the UC system.  Near the intersection of Telegraph Avenue and Bancroft Way, visit two of its icons:  Sather Gate, one of the entries to Sproul Plaza, where any number of student protests have taken place and any number of eccentrics shout their message now.  The other icon is Sather Tower (closed Sat-Sun, $2), also known as the Campanile.  The Campanile’s 200 ft high viewing platform provides a stunning view of the Bay Area.  As you take the elevator to the platform, realize that you are passing rooms where the University’s collection of dinosaur fossils are stored.  From the elevator, a 38 step climb takes you to the top for a view.   

Walking tours of Berkeley 

Offered by the Berkeley Historical Society.  (www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/historicalsoc/#NEWS)  or visit them at 1931 Center St, 510-848-0181. 

Museums

The Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology (10-4:30 Wed-Sat, 12-4 Sun; $4) is located in Kroeber Hall, Bancroft Way at College Ave., 510-643-7648.  It’s the oldest anthropology museum in the West and has a strong collection of Native Californiana.  Much of that collection is undergoing repatriation to local Native California tribes.  A Museum of Vertebrate Paleontology and of dinosaurs is located in the Valley Life Sciences Building.  Grab a coffee at the Free Speech Café located in Moffett Library.  [This writer’s house was owned by Mario Savio for 3 years.] 

Telegraph Avenue

The shops immediately across Sather Gate retain much of the flavor of the 60’s.  There are still a few head shops and “smoking paraphernalia” is in evidence.  During the school semester, Telegraph Avenue is lined with street vendors selling beaded jewelry, batik shirts and henna tattoos.  Two outstanding world-class bookstores, Cody’s Books (2454 Telegraph) and Moe’s Books (2476 Telegraph) are a must for all visitors.  For tunes, new and used, visit Amoeba Music (2455 Telegraph) and Rasputin Music (2401 Telegraph).  Walking south on Telegraph Ave, you will come to the Blue Nile Restaurant (2525 Telegraph Ave.; 510-540-6777), one of several Ethiopian restaurants in the area.  Food is reasonable and quite a tasty treat.

Fourth Street Shopping and Ocean View

 The waterfront area of Berkeley was originally called Ocean View.  Gold miners arrived in San Francisco on sailing ships, took the ferry across the bay to Ocean View and then horse-drawn stage coaches north and east on San Pablo Avenue to the gold fields.  After the University was founded and the city incorporated as Berkeley, Ocean View was subsumed into the city of Berkeley.  There are many old Victorian houses in the area and one church has a ceiling remarkably like an upturned ship’s keel (Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, 1823 9^th St).  The Finns were an early force in Berkeley and a Finnish Brotherhood Hall remains active and there is one Lutheran service a month in Finnish.   

Spenger’s Fish Grotto (1919 4^th St) was originally at the edge of the water, but now more than a mile of fill extends the land into Waterfront Park.  Spenger’s recently passed out of almost 100 years of family ownership, but the menu improved so much that nobody minds.  North on Fourth Street is a booming shopping district.  Bette’s Oceanview Diner was a popular spot 20 years ago when Fourth Street consisted of warehouses, seedy rundown homes occupied by very strange elderly men, and people living in their cars.  It is now in the center of a trendy retail haven.  Handmade Japanese paper is at Miki’s Paper (1801 Fourth), Peet’s Coffee (1776 Fourth), and high-class kitchen utensils at Sur La Table (1806 Fourth) are just samples of the 25 or so shops in the area.  A branch of Cody’s Books is also located on Fourth Street, as well as Builder’s Booksource, an amazing architecture and construction bookstore.

Parks

Site of the old Berkeley Dump, Cesar Chavez Park is home of some wonderful kite flying and a pleasant stroll at the extreme west end of University Avenue.  The Berkeley Marina is in this area as well as several large restaurants.  The large, somewhat Aztec looking sculpture near Hs Lordship’s restaurant was rumored to have been offered by the sculptor to the City of Berkeley.  When the City turned him down, he hired a truck, plopped the sculpture at its current location in the middle of the night, and left town.  It’s been there for a good 20 years.  Berkeley has a strong selection of neighborhood parks but this writer’s favorites are the off-leash dog parks Pt. Isabel and The Albany Bulb.  Both are right on the water and you can chuckle as you hear earnest dog owners trying to decide if the curl in their dog’s tail means he’s 5% chow or 5% husky.  But the star of Berkeley’s parks is Tilden.  Located at the top of the hills, there are miles and miles of hiking trails, a carousel, a miniature train ride, a golf course, a native plant garden, and much more.  Check out www.ebparks.org

Little India

There is a strong Indian presence in Berkeley marked by Indian restaurants and Sari shops between 6^th St and Sacramento Avenue.  They make a good walking tour and great shopping.  There are Indian restaurants around campus as well.  I particularly enjoy the sari shops where I dream of the day I’ll have the figure to wear a sari.

Gourmet Ghetto

The stretch of Shattuck Avenue between Cedar and Vine is home to a collection of excellent restaurants.  Cornerstone is Chez Panisse (1517 Shattuck, 510-548-5049).  Founded 30 years ago by Alice Waters, it is one of Berkeley’s proudest landmarks.  The downstairs restaurant is booked months in advance but the upstairs Café is more reasonably priced and still delicious.  For tasty Jewish comfort foods, try Saul’s Restaurant and Delicatessen (1475 Shattuck, 510-848-3354).  This area of Shattuck Avenue is crowded on Sunday morning with those seeing and wishing to be seen.  Just look for those people reading the New York Times and sipping lattes and cappuccinos.

I close with the usual protestations that one small article can’t possibly cover all the joys of Berkeley.  The Asian and Latino restaurants are amazing and every ethnic cuisine is represented in Berkeley except maybe Greek.  The Berkeley Repertory Theater has a national reputation.  Architects Bernard Maybeck and Julia Morgan designed a number of Berkeley public and private buildings.  Stonemountain and Daughter is a fantastic fabric store. Coffee is a religion in Berkeley and chocolate is becoming one as the Scharffenberger Chocolate Factory offers twice daily tours.  We urge you to come to the LifeRing Congress so you can enjoy this great town and its environs.