The truly frugal should try Chengdu restaurant (absolutely authentic and excellent Szechuan food) and the fantastic Sinaloa Tacos on Telegraph Ave.
and you forgot yo mention the Acme Bakery on San Pablo?????? Long lines start at 7:30 AM every day!
1
Rent a bike and don't drive. The air is fresh here coming off the ocean through the Golden Gate. Great biking and flat on the Ohlone Greenway bike path. Miles and miles of paved bike path from Berkeley to Albany to El Cerrito to Richmond and no cars allowed. Bike over the bike bridge (no cars) and get to the Berkeley Marina for a bay view of San Francisco and kite flying and sailing..
Also recommended is the Berkeley Central Library. Great arts, poetry, literature, non fiction , architecture and music sections=housed in a most pleasing and functionally designed library building/ Views of the Bay from the 5th floor arts and audio library which houses a remarkable selection of books, cd's and lp's/
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@Winston Smith Biking is fine if you stick to the flats and can tolerate traffic, but once you "head for the hills" (and steps), it's hiking.
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@Molly There IS an "easy way" if you take spruce up to Grizzly Peak. It's a slow steady climb, but if you have some stamina it's not hard at all to bike up it. Where you get to tthe top you'll be at hte far north end of Grizzly Peak, just a block or so from the county line -- marked by barbed wire fence with pasture and cows on the other side [i.e., north]. But there's easy access to Tilden Park from there, and the view downhill out over the Bay is gorgeous. That is, if the fog has not come in. That's a big "if" -- You're directly across from the Golden gate here, and the fog comes in there first, since there's nothing to block it. When the wind changes direction, the fog comes in like an army.
You couldn't ask for a better grocery store than Berkeley Bowl. There are two of them, with huge organic and conventional produce and meat and fish departments, international foods, great selection of fresh local bagels and breads, a huge selection of cheeses, just plain canned goods, a deli with tables, and unbeatable low prices. We never shop at Whole Foods—expensive and pretentious.
We have shopped at BB from its beginnings, when it first opened across the street in a former bowling alley—they didn't even have to change the sign!
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Don't forget to bring a jacket. It's 4:30 p.m., it's sunny, but the temp is only 67°. The predicted low is just 54°, and tomorrow's high will be 70°.
We don't do hot weather much.
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@dutchiris suffering through the heat and swampy humidity of Manhattan right now, the (year-round beautiful) weather is one of the best things about Berkeley.
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For those into books, Berkeley has amazing (frugal) options. The university has the largest US library west of the Mississippi, and the Bancroft Library has the Mark Twain Papers (among many other gems). Moe's Books on Telegraph is a great place to spend an hour hunting for an out-of-print souvenir.
3
That picture of the view from Indian Rock park stirred all kinds of childhood memories. Cragmont, Indian Rock, Remilard, Grotto, Live Oak and the Rose Garden were amazing places to explore. Perhaps most memorable are the Berkeley Hills paths; the cool, steep, tree covered, sometimes almost secret shortcuts between its winding streets. The pipe railings I slid down as a child in the 50s and 60s are still there and they tempt me toi this day.
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For great vegan food, Sanctuary Bistro, The Butcher's Son, and Millennium should not be missed. Touring campus you can see where the atom was first split by Dr. Lawrence, ushering in the atomic age; view the building where Dr. Lewis discovered the covalent bond and coined the term 'photon." Stand on the steps where Mario Savio helped bring free speech to the USA, and walk inside the Valley Life Sciences building where Dr. Marian Diamond discovered neuroplasticity. At Cory Hall you can see where the RISC microprocessor and the 3-dimensional transistor, the chip technology used in your computer, were designed and implemented. And uphill is Berkeley Lab, where 14 elements on the periodic table were discovered. Berkeley is paradise for nerds. Go Bears!
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The art at the Albany Bulb was a good pick. There's an organization that runs tours and performances out there called Love the Bulb.
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As a Cal alum who happily enjoyed all that Berkeley had to offer for four wonderful years, I’m excited to see this article! I’d add on: great Japanese food at Kiraku and Kirala (get there early for both to avoid a long wait), the Berkeley Rose Garden and UC Botanical Garden are both lovely afternoon activities, and grab a mint mojito coffee at Philz. Truly a unique and special city that mixes an urban environment with a small town community feeling. I’d love to live there again someday.
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@Emily Complete agreement on UC Bontanical Garden!
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How about Bette's Oceanview Diner on Fourth St? it had great breakfast!
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@Betty Get there early or be prepared to wait, which is okay, since the turnover is pretty quick and the food worth waiting for.
How could you leave out Peet's coffee? It started the Gourmet Ghetto. Guess youcan't include everything. Architectural walks are fun, there are books in the library that tell you where to walk, who designed what. Berkeley is a lovely place to visit. Go in October and combine it with Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, a great three day concert in Golden Gate Park.
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Berkeley may have changed, but there’s a lot in this article to suggest that much of the spirit that I loved about it as an undergraduate 35 years ago (and on a budget indeed) remains. All that’s missing is the stress of papers to write, exams to study for, and the basement room I had to sleep in.
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I'd add Julia's, located on the Berkeley City Club on Durant, near the campus. Lovely room to eat in and very good food. Plus, you're in a fabulous Julia Morgan building with wonderful rooms and incredible details.
3
My favorite reason to go to Berkeley? Gotta go to the always spectacular Dry Garden Nursery on Shattuck. Coolest selection around; You won't leave empty-handed.
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A good thing to do on a budget in Berkeley is to walk the many interesting neighborhoods. There is a guidebook listing walks all over town called Berkeley Walks. Here is a link: www.berkeleywalks.com
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The musical offering cafe. The Marsh. Berkeley Repertory Theatre. BAMPFA.
A $28 pizza and a $30 lunch count as frugal? The old benchmark for this column was $100 a day, including lodging. I guess the author stayed with one of his numerous relatives in the area?
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@wrenhunter A very BIG pizza, hand made, original, memorable —
Is Gordo's not considered budget anymore?
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I miss Gordos!!
Thai Temple for brunch anyone?
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We live here and despite all the places you visited, you could return 5 more times and write 5 more totally unique travel stories about the place without duplication.
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I grew up in Berkeley in the 40s, 50s, and part of the 60s, when it was truly an exciting place. Thanks to the city's totally succumbing to the proud, self-important no-nothing leftist posers, who back then huddled on the outskirts of the University they probably never attended, talking about their 'Movement,' I'm perfectly happy never returning. The old Berkeley, the real Berkeley, is gone, never to return.
And your article ... really? Not even a mention of Caspers? Top Dog ...? Really?
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@Nick Hoogs -- As a Berkeley native living in NYC, I say, good riddance to you. I have my problems with my hometown but certainly don't whine like a nostalgist who misses the days when Caspers and Spengers were the height of local cuisine. The current food scene in Berkeley is amazing. Did you even read the article? Please stay in Bethesda.
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Top Dog was mentioned.
(Although Moe's Books was not, which is a shame, so here you go, NYT readers: http://www.moesbooks.com/)
Note that some folk just love reading about Berkeley and then carefully bashing it.
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Good bye
You can get blue neckties with little golden Cal bears at George J. Goode's on Telegraph Ave. But you have to go via the Wayback Machine.
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For an epic night of live music, check out The UC Theatre (not affiliated with CAL) in downtown Berkeley. Best place to see a show in the Bay Area, the restored 100 year old movie palace is a tiered nightclub with a Meyer sound system, variety of genres of music.
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@Yoni UC Theatre rocks!
Berkeley is known all over the world for it's residential (and other) architecture and it's beautiful built environment. Stay in an AirB&B and take a look by walking our wonderful paths:
https://www.berkeleypaths.org/path-list/
http://berkeleyheritage.com/berkeley_landmarks/landmarks.html
We also have a 2 outstanding botanical gardens, one at U.C. and a native garden at Tilden Park which has many attractions for children including a little farm, a science center and a merry-go-round.
4
There are indeed lots of great walks in Berkeley. There's a book called "Berkeley Walks" by Robert E. Johnson and Janet L. Byron that has guided tours of neighborhoods, with notes on interesting architecture -- plus trivia like "this is the apartment Patty Hearst got kidnapped from". Good for locals and visitors alike if you want to see the town by walking.
1
What about Bongo Burger?
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@TM — Really? Bongo Burger is still alive?
Chez Panisse always gets an obligatory "must-go" rating. However, be warned all-ye-tourists, it is expensive and so, so pretentious. The Cafe can be worse. The diners in the cafe are there because they couldn't get a booking in the restaurant. Whenever I have been in the Cafe out-of-state tourists are the majority. Tourist destination, sure, but there are many great restaurants where you will have great food without the pretension of CP. Find your own path.
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@Bruna I prefer to visit CP as I would another performance like a play. This approach has solved my inclination to object.
@Bruna That was not my experience. Granted, I only ate at the cafe, but the service was friendly and excellent, not pretentious in any way. I hate pretentious restraunts, but I left Chez Panisse saying "I wish more eateries could be like Chez Panisse!"
Label me easy but each of the comments to this article add thoughtful insights to our beloved Berkeley!
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My favorite take-out: Juice Bar Collective on Vine. Yum!!!
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The cafes and coffee shops! There's no mention in this article but that's what I missed most about Berkeley. Take your pick. My favorite is close to campus on College and Bancroft Ave, Cafe Strada. Pick up a Mocha Bianca and sit outside and watch people go by along with students who are pretending to be studying.
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@Kevin
Everyone's favorite! Best coffee in the East Bay if not the entire area.
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Strada was my go-to on the way to campus from '92 to '96 and where a latte got its definition (in my mind)! Its been years, thanks for bringing me back.
@Paul As a cal grad (‘17!) the coffee’s not great but you go for the atomosphere and the social connections. Can’t sit there long without seeing someone you know.
Acme Bread off of Cedar and San Pablo is also a great (and renown) bakery that is reasonably priced. The line can be long on weekends but it’s worth the wait. Their pan de mie is my personal favorite, and you can’t go wrong with their sour baguette.
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@Nolan Chao Additionally - while you’re there, stop by Bartavelle next door for avocado toast with an olive oil egg. The best!
An excellent round up! I'm a Berkeley grad x 2 (BA '78 and MS '90) and hubby is PhD '98. We are taking our 19 year old daughter to the Bay Area for a week of reminiscing. We are up in Seattle now -- driven out in '98 by high housing prices -- Ha! But I lived in or near Berkeley for over 20 years and I miss it a lot! So much is the same and so much has changed.
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The original Peet's, on Vine and Walnut, a block from the co-op, was still pretty new in 1971.
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You failed to mention where you stayed on your visit. How budget friendly was that or did you stay with your relative?
Otherwise the Motel 6 in Hayward off I-880 is the only option.
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@Suzanne Wheat There is a cheap motel in El Cerrito, more than one, actually -- that's just next door to Berkeley The Berkeley Y has a hotel. and AirBnB has infected Berkeley aplenty and AirBnB tends to not pay any taxes. Plus in the summer months, submits for even a few days are abundant because if students rent apartments and go home for the summer, they will rent for a weekend, a week or more. Plus quite a lot of locals rent rooms in their house but you do have to know where to look. Classified ads are hard to come by with no newspapers anymore (no local hard copy ones with classifieds, anyway). . . .and. . Berkeley has youth hostels.
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What else... Tokyo Fish Market, Sho Chiku Bai Sake, the Ashby Flea Market, the Berkeley Playhouse, Pegasus Books, the East Bay Vivarium, 924 Gilman, the Rare Barrel and Fieldwork breweries, Westbrae Beer Garden, and how could I forget Cesar Chavez Park?
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Revamped UC Theatre on University ave is now a wonderful music venue.
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And, the Freight and Salvage around the block from the UC Theater on Addison is a delightful venue with a variety of music, but specializing in folk, bluegrass, roots, and Americana.
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@Max Green I agree, it’s a beautiful nightclub and the best place to see live music in the Bay Area.
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RIP Flint's BBQ
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There is a good Frank Lloyd Wright home and center not mentioned in this article. https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/15635720_zpid/globalrelevanceex_so...
Also not mentioned is how hilly Berkeley is. There is about 1000 ft elevation gain between the center of town and its top. Be prepared. Also, if you're looking for cheap, decent rooms check out room at "Holy Hill" (a consortium of 9 seminaries north of UC). Try [email protected] which is about $80 to $125
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I haven't seen it plugged in the comments below, so I'll plug Starry Plough in South Berkeley. Come for the good food and beer, stay for the revolutionary propaganda... leave when the Trad jam starts.
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Top Dog on the North side of campus near the J-school was famed for franks, brats, etc., but it was also a temple to right wing rancor replete with a ranting, raving sausage-version of the Soup Nazi. For the minuscule footprint it occupied -- maybe 15'X15' -- it had to be the smallest space with the highest density of retrograde rightism pinned on just one wall by the condiments. I recall a leaflet advertising Ayn Rand discussion groups (in Berkeley!) partially obscuring a decrepit John Birch Society bumpersticker demanding Chief Justice Earl Warren's impeachment juxtaposed with a Young Americans for Freedom recruitment flyer. Across the street was the Math bldg where the youngest UCBerkeley faculty member, Ted Kaczynski, aka Unabomber, taught. Two blocks over was where Patti Hearst was abducted by the SLA.
There's a dotted line that connects Top Dog North side to the $1 million recently spent on police security by UCBerkeley to accommodate right wing provocateurs and their selfie-marketing campaigns.
What the dots connect I don't know but Free Speech back then was a lot cheaper and at worst you got indigestion. The antidote wasn't Antifa, it was anti-gas.
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Rick Perlstein loves it, Yuri!
@Yuri Asian
Patty Hearst was abducted from the South Side, on Benvenue between Dwight, College, and Telegraph.
I've heard thru the grapevine that since my last visit, Black Oak Books folded. I dropped several hundred in there - things I never saw in my fave Seattle used book haunts. Good to know from other reader posts that there are others.
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@Mary Ann
But none nearly as good, alas!
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The author's idea of "on a budget" and mine are a bit far apart. $28.00 for a pizza, $5.98 a pound for, well basically lettuce, and $32.00 for lunch for one is a not "on a budget". That said, the author does offer a fairly wide spectrum of cheap and free things to both eat and do, and the comments offer even more possibilities, so this article is a gem! I intend to save it as a new CA resident who is dying to get up to Berkeley.
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@Bhibsen welcome to the Bay Area:)
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@Bhibsen $28 for great pizza that feeds four is budget to me. $3.50 for a brat at Top Dog is budget to me. Indian Rock is free. Tilden Park is free. And the writer didn't know how to order at Vik's Chaat. I never heard of anyone getting a salad there but a salad with pork and pork belly is hardly basically lettuce. What is your food budget when on the road?
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Paying $3 for a hamentaschen just means you’re a sucker, Bay Area prices or not
Great article. Guessing your brother guided you.
Probably not frugal enough, but when you are in the Monterey Market area, Monterey Fish is the only fish to buy. Impeccably fresh. The only fish market in the world that doesn't really smell of fish.
Also, shout out to Keith at Emilia's. For my kids and me, it is the pizza against which all others are measured.
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A fine article. I lived and worked in Berkeley for ten years. It was the kind of place where you could enjoy the good (terrific food, diversity, stimulation of all kinds) and accept the bad (bums going through your garbage, cars parked across your driveway) as part of life in a human admixture.
And then came the fire.
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My family and I just moved across the bridge to Marin for work after 15 years in Berkeley. This article hits an emotional button, since there is so much that we already miss about the place. Peterson does a nice job capturing the highlights, though I would say that a frugal traveler should explore more of the San Pablo corridor, from Parker north to Gilman. Restaurants like La Marcha (Spanish) and Gaumenkitzel (contemporary German) reveal the cultural diversity of Berkeley's food scene, and historic spots like The Albatross pub and Ashkenaz, remind one that Berkeleyans like their fun a little different.
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@Jared Baird good catch on Ashkenaz. The author had a big miss when he omitted it.
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Another miss: Zachary's Pizza in Oakland's Rockridge near the Rockridge Bart station on College Avenue, and on Solano Avenue in Albany. Its deep-dish spinach/mushroom special is THE best pizza in the world!
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@Jane Iddings Zachary's on Solano is in Berkeley. Albany doesn't start until a few blocks west.
I used to live near the "gourmet ghetto", so frequently ate upstairs at Chez Panisse. When short of funds, I "made do" with Cheese Board pizza and fresh from the oven asiago bread, half sandwich and salad at Cafe Intermezzo (regenerated from a fire as Mezzo) with poppyseed dressing and a thick slice of honey oat bread (plus extra ends with butter), Top Dog (a bock and brat both with a generous slather of hot Russian) or lamb burger at Bongo. I ate very well as a student.
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Don’t forget to visit the original Peet’s Coffee shop on Walnut in the Gourmet Ghetto, close to Chez Panise.
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In a way, yes. But also, why? If you want to experience something different go to Trouble Coffee in Oakland or half a dozen other, newer places.
@Max Green This article mentioned the original Peets but does everyone reading NYTimes know that Starbucks founder modeled his business after the original Peets? Peets is owned by a Dutch conglmerate now and now interesting to me anymore. Instead Berkeley has new wave coffee shops!
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I have to throw in Freight and Salvage. Maybe the best small(ish) music venues in the west. And the music scene in general is superb.
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Nice overview for visitors, and if followed will keep them out from under our feet.
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Ouch @dl. Not the spirit of Berkeley... many in this country could benefit from visiting and absorbing.
On another note I'm so happy Vik's is featured! It was a non mainstream fixture in my college days in the 1990s and I am glad to hear it's thriving.
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The pool at Strawberry Canyon? Is it still there? My Canadian children learned Marco Polo!
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@Marie still there! The university has added an aquatic center for its water athletics
A recommended correction... Chez Panisse Restaurant actually runs up to $125 on weekends. The $100 is only a mid-week price point and not the highest end. Thanks!
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@S Bingo. I saw that and thought: "Huh. I paid $180 for two in 1992. I think that is just wrong."
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@S Worth mentioning that Chez Panisse Cafe menu upstairs has many of the same items, but not as prix fixe. so it can be both more affordable, and you get to pick what you want, and it gives you more flexibility on the pacing of your dining experience. The Cafe provides a more accessible version, and nearly as good but a little different!
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As the article alludes to, just walk upstairs for memorably delicious and creative dishes at one-fourth the price.
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How could you have missed Moe's bookstore?? It's the center of the known universe as far as I'm concerned. And what about the Persian burgers at Bongo Burger around the corner?
And I would rethink the idea that Berkeley is simply a bastion of liberal views and politics. Talk to folks who live in multi-million dollar homes in the hills near Kensington. Conservative-style NIMBY-ism is endemic there.
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@JDStebley Nimby seems to be a popular word these days to describe anyone who doesn't agree you. I've been been a renter here for 20 years in Berkeley and rarely meet anyone conservative. Many houses in the hills are owned by elderly people who bought them before the tech jobs drove up all housing costs - and they are living on a fixed income because they don't want to take another mortgage on their house. The more conservative people seem to be the wealthy ones moving here from other locations - at least on my street. So - things aren't always as they appear to be. :)
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@JDStebley I have to tell you this but Moe's closed years ago. I still miss it.
Moe’s is definitely still there and wonderful. Cody’s closed.
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My mom was born in Oakland and grew up in Berkeley, so it was nice to reminisce while reading this article. I was a little sad, though, that it left off one of her favorite spots, the Berkeley Rose Garden, a lovely spot for recharging one's batteries.
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@Sean are the major renovations in the rose garden done? Last time I was there, it was awful.
@Daffodowndilly: most of the renovations are done, now.
@Sean I was born in Berkeley where my Dad got his Phd. My parents were the first hippies (actually I've always wondered if this is a possibility). Thank you for an article about the city of my birth!
Other low-cost options:
Homemade Cafe (Dwight & Sacramento): excellent breakfast & lunch diner food.
Kirala Sushi (Shattuck across from the original Berkeley Bowl): Excellent sushi at reasonable prices
Intermezzo (Telegraph Ave.): Amazing huge salads
6
I studied at Berkeley in the 60's. On Saturaday mornings I often went for coffee to Peet's at Walnut and Vine on the north side of the campus. Alfred Peet, a Dutchman, had a considerable amount of knowledge about coffee and shared his knowledge whoever asked for it including the founders of Starbucks! Alfred Peet is recognized by everybody in the coffie business in the US as the founder of the coffee revolution in America. And it all started in Berkeley.
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@Ray Jurkovich
I had my first cup of real coffee there just after it opened. It was an eye-opener in more ways than one.
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@Ray Jurkovich
alas, Peet's coffee is a sellout. Purchased by somebody who also makes a dime by selling rat poison.
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@Ray Jurkovich Yep, a huge amount of stuff started in Berkeley!
This article is nicely done, but today any article on frugal Berkeley should include one thing that is no longer free, and that is speech.
Two years ago the revered radio station KPFA, the anchor of the Pacifica foundation, plunged themselves into eternal infamy by censoring the speech of several internationally known thinkers, among them the great Richard Dawkins. (In a twisted nod to Orwell, they call it 'de-platforming').
I myself was asked to leave a Whole Foods Market for the crime of photographing a sandwich. When I reminded the security detail that we were standing a short walk from where Mario Savio made his stand, I was met with befuddled stares from staff and patrons alike.
Many thing change of half a century, but I would have hoped this would not be among them.
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Asked to leave Whole Foods for photographing a sandwich? Unbelievable. What's the matter with them?
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@Sera I guess Amazon really does own Whole Foods now. WF no longer has the rebellious panache of its first store in Austin TX. I never shopped there much but now you get no sale prices if you don't pay for amazon prime, normal grocery stores just have sales. So no more WF for me but we have great local grocery stores in Berkeley!
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The best views anywhere near Berkeley are found at Inspiration Point in Tilden Park, and the hiking trail leading away from it. Don't miss it!
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@polymath You can just head down University Ave. to the Marina for fine, refreshing views of the bridges, San Francisco, and the Bay.
This is an excellent list, albeit with one glaring omission:
Yogurt Park, purveyors of frozen yogurt since 1977, at Durant & Telegraph.
I can think of no better place to spend $3 after browsing the $1 record bins at Amoeba and Rasputin!
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Yes. I don't know what they do to the frozen yogurt there but it is incomparably delicious.
2
Not a bad job of summing up some of Berkeley's attractions. But in praising the perhaps good but customer-unfriendly Emilia's pizza, you overlooked the always-available and very good Arinell NY-style pizza in downtown Berkeley. (I write this as a native New Yorker who's very picky when it comes to NY pizza.)
Without passing judgement, visitors should also be aware that parts of downtown Berkeley have a lot of homeless around.
For a really good and reasonably priced burger, with all sorts of options for toppings, etc., check out the several Barney's outlets in Berkeley (on Solano Av.) or in nearby Oakland (on College and Piedmont Avenues).
Other nice parts of town are the the aforementioned Solano, College (which runs from Berkeley into Oakland) and Piedmont Avenues for restaurants, shops, etc.
Tilden is a great recommendation for a park, with great views up top. For folks with cars and really into hiking, others that run along the spine of the Berkely/Oakland hills are Redwood (another very big park), Sibley and on a hot day (because much of it is shaded) Huckleberry.
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For those of you who have a dog with you, you must visit our 17-acre Off Leash Area at the Marina's Cesar Chavez Park. It has stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Or if you go to the Albany Bulb it too is a dog walking haven.
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Shhh ... That’s supposed to be a secret.
Golden Gate Fields? I spent over a decade in Berkeley and never heard of anyone going there. Probably because educated lefties know how the racetrack-to-slaughterhouse process works. Horse racing is not a humane sport.
I'm not giving away my secret spot...
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Books! Try Moe’s, University Press Books, and Mrs. Dalloway’s.
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The bookstores are a must visit when in Berkeley which I frequented often while living in the Bay Area.
8
I moved from NYC to SF during the 1980s. One of the things I discovered was that Berkeley had a symphony orchestra whose conductor was George Cleve, a Mozart specialist. Mr. Cleve also took the orchestra to Davies Symphone Hall in SF where he presented the Labeque Sisters playing Mozart Concerto for two pianist which is the piano concerto no. 10.
The small concert hall at UC Berkeley presemted some great jazz and classical music. The ones I remember was jazz and classical pianist Keith Jarrett. The other performance I remember was the concert given by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields from the UK.
I also remember some very fine restaurants and book stores in
Berkely. Some crazy things went on there in the park but it was a nice place to visit.
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@Tonjo Thanks for that! George was a unique and gifted man. He was a good friend of mine in the early days. He left us a couple of years ago, but his Austrian spirit and passion for Mozart remains in the musical community of the Bay Area.
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I agree that Tilden Park (including the smallish gem of a botanical garden) and UC Berkeley Botanical Garden should be on any list of Berkeley
destinations. A cheap thril is riding the seasonally-run Tilden train. But, how could the author not mention the growing Fourth Street shopping Mecca? Granted, it’s not “discount shopping” but is a friendly, original area with many one-of-kind, independent stores (and more recent additions of some good quality chains). Best inexpensive dining (I’ve been there 40-50 times) is the casual, delicious food at the Mexican restaurant, Tacubaya. Another Berkeley institution is the homey and satisfying Kirala (Japanese) on Shattuck near the original Berkeley Bowl.
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@Jane wrote: "But, how could the author not mention the growing Fourth Street shopping Mecca?"
-------
Ummmm, from the article: " Explore beyond the main drags of Telegraph and Shattuck Avenues and discover the other fun pockets of activity throughout the city — along Fourth Street in Northwest Berkeley, for example, or at Ashby and College Avenues in the Elmwood District."
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Tilden Park has a beautiful hilly golf course too.
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@Max Green
And Lake Anza, the merry-go-round, the little farm, Jewel Lake, the miniature stream train. Tilden is the best . Thanks to the creation of the East Bay Regional Park system that set that beautiful hill top land aside for everyone.
I always begin my visits to Berkely with breakfast at Bette's Oceanview Diner on Fourth Street. While there is no ocean view, the food is terrific, so plan on a wait, especially weekends. Bring a few quarters for the jukebox. The best seats are at the counter, where you can watch the chefs and staff in action, and chat up your neighbors.
I suggest the herb and cheese omelette made in the French style, with potatoes grilled with extra onions, a big dollop of sour cream, and a morning bun on the side. Add a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a cup of joe and you'll be in heaven!
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You missed the Rose Garden????
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@Max Entropy Yeah, that's a wonderful place. When I first moved out to Berkeley I'd sometimes take the (#7?) bus up the hills to the Rose Garden for its splendid view and gorgeous roses. Great way to spend an afternoon.
I'm a passionate connoisseur of botanical gardens, and I can endorse the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden as one of the best I've visited. A budget friendly destination, with beautiful views, it is a mellow soul-restoring place, and one of the highlights of a recent trip to the bay.
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Spot on. It’s also a great place to get married!!
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@Lisa Michele
I particularly recall the collection of Chinese medicinal plants on a visit long ago. I was with someone who knew much about herbal medicines and it was the first time he saw these as living plants. The botanical garden also used to have a sick plant clinic - bring in your sluggish or dying greenery and they'll diagnose it. Better for a local, but a visitor could drop in and still learn a lot (in an Antique Roadshow armchair way) if they still have it.
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@Lisa Michele I believe it had one of the largest collections in the world.
1
Wow! I was in Berkeley only this Monday with my grandson and cousin who we were visiting. My roots run deep in Berkeley, both my parents graduated from the UC Campus there during the depression in the 1930's. During the heady student free speech years of the 1960's my mother lived there again. I got to know Berkeley when it was affordable, when homeless encampments did not exist, when the sidewalks were clean.
Yes, Berkeley still has it's charming, quirky places and things to do but so does many other gentrified U.S cities nowadays.
And campus diversity? As we walked toward campus on Telegraph Avenue waves and waves and waves of Asian students walked through Sather Gate toward Telegraph. Only a few whites, African-Americans, latinos, could I see. I was astonished. The campus student body seems to have flipped from mostly white to mostly Asian. Just as diversity of ethnicities was wanting in decades past it continues to be lacking at UC Berkeley today.
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@Maggie that's because Cal does not use racial quotas. Unlikely Harvard, only the best get in. No legacy, no ethnic caps, just academics.
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@Maggie At one time in the not too distant pass, 37% of the Cal class was Asian and 26% were Anglos.
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@Maggie
As a 3rd generation Chinese American, it saddens me to see the subtle anti-Asian subtext of some of the comments. I am definitely getting “yellow horde taking over our city” vibes. I’m pretty sure there would not be the same comments if it was african americans taking over Berkeley.
That being said, there are more asian foreign students over the summer. The regular school year has more white students
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Ahh yes, the article did hit on some of the niceties in Berkeley. Maybe a bit off topic, but one thing I really dig about my little city is going down to the Monterey Market area, there for produce, then over and take a number at Magnani butchers, then over to Monterey fish market and top it off with a baguette at Cheeseboard (arguably some of the best in the nation). I do this run maybe 1-2 times a month and it gives my little slice of European living without the $1,500 plane ticket. Thanks for the article, Top Dog rules, sorry not gonna highlight my lesser known go to places. Cheers
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As an alumni there, here are my recommendations. The writer seems to stick to the Berkeley area, you got to think outside the border and seek Northern Oakland/Temescal art area. Here are my top picks:
1. Free vegetarian lunch at Berkeley Hare Krishna Temple. Iskcon Berkeley, 2334 Stuart St, Berkeley, CA 94705
2. Wat Mongkolratanaram - Sunday brunch, local spot. Decent Thai temple food, has vegetarian and meat option. Then sit in the grass lawn in the back of the temple for lunch.
3. Mountain View Cemetery - this is a weird one, I'm not a fan of macabre but this is also a park and has a beautiful Gothic Chapel. Beautiful view of the bay as well.
4. The New Parkway Theater - watch movies in large comfy sofas, with beer and pizza. has great indie films. pay-what-you-can weds, if its still around. they have free standups and open mic nites.
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30somethingyuppie, you can't be "an alumni" unless you have multiple personalities. You're either an alumnus or an alumna.
Sorry to be nitpicky; the misuse of "alumni" is a pet peeve of mine.
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this is sadly one of the more Berkeley comments on this thread ;) Berkeleyans love to look down their noses!
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Every non-local article/conversation/post/thought about Berkeley begins with Cheeseboard pizza. Sure, go, wait in line, eat. But have modest expectations. And if you're from NY/NJ, don't say I didn't warn you.
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@BJH: Try Gioia on Hopkins just north of Monterey Market. It would be quite respectable in NYC, and it even has rude service.
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@DKM: yes agreed, that's a good one. Not exactly NY, but good in its own right.
@BJH NY/NJ pizza is all very well, but in California we like to mix things up a bit. And Cheeseboard isn't just about the pizza.
I’m not sure how it’s possible you missed the cuisine of Solano ave. Well worth a trip to the north side.
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Solano is in Albany, CA, not Berkeley.
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Solano Ave runs through Berkeley and Albany. Either way, it’s worth a visit
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Margaret, the top of Solano Avenue is in Berkeley for many blocks.
Great article. I have visited Berkeley several times over the past few years, and - in spite of all of its challenges - every time I get ready to leave, I ask myself "why am I not living here??"
One more food highlight: Fournee Bakery, on Domingo Avenue at the foot of the Claremont Hotel. Sublime.
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@sabcjb
Best bakery: Nabolom on Russell Street just off College in the Elmwood district.
Two words: local “government”
What a great story. How I miss Berkeley. For anyone into gardening, Berkeley Hort is a fun place to visit. A bit more than just a plant nursery, it verges on being a beautiful garden.
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Its basically a commercial for the already over crowded places where old (often formerly? criminal) radicals turned yuppie sell overpriced stuff to other yuppies.
Go up Strawberry Canyon and tour the gardens halfway up to the Hall of Science, or keep going cross Grizzly Peak and explore Tilden Park. Great hiking and biking, heck ride your bike up that hill!
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I would add for kids the Little Farm, a free admission working farm where you can feed the animals lettuce and celery. I'd also add Adventure Park at the Marina, where kids can build forts with scrap wood, hammers and paint (also free).
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Berkeley is a beautiful city. Must visit for anyone who visits SF Bay area and plans on straddling over to the East Bay. Cheeseboard is a must visit.
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The UC Faculty Club is, in my opinion, architect Bernard Maybeck's masterpiece. Both the design of the building and its setting. Great place for a nice hoppy IPA.
For food, you might have recommended the Wood Tavern on College near Claremont and for breakfast Rick and Ann's across from the Claremont Hotel (on of the few non-Frank Lloyd Wright buildings admired by Frank Lloyd Wright). Rick and Ann's has fantastic red eye hash.
As for things to do, I'd recommend an exhilarating bike ride going up the hill from Colusa Circle and climbing up through Kensington to Grizzley Peak, then south along Skyline Drive to Claremont and back down the hill (where Rick and Ann's is waiting).
University Press Books on Bancroft is a fantastic book store with a very eclectic and well curated stock (and a very good place to listen to great classical music while knocking back an espresso).
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Wood Tavern and College Avenue (Rockridge neighborhood) are great additions! And visitors can use Rockridge BART to get there. Excellent additions!
@William Verick I love the Wood Tavern but it is crowded enough as is.....don't give it away!
For CA SF Bay Area residents: check with your library to see if they have museum passes to Berkeley area museums. Oftentimes they have passes offering discounts and even free admission if you reserve them. If they don't, you can apply for a Berkeley library card provided you live in CA.
I like the Lawrence Museum of Science, Chabot Observatory (technically Oakland) and surrounding park.
Wood Tavern not a frugal option!
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As a Berkeleyan I came to this expecting to sneer at an outsider missing plenty of good things. But congrats on an excellent round-up. Great guidance for people visiting our city.
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To the commenter who wants to complain about hot dogs: Top Dog is an institution in Berkeley (for both its food and its politics) and is now sadly down to only one location. The inclusion of Top Dog shows that the writer actually knows Berkeley. I’m not sure I can excuse letting Chez Panisse slip in to an article with the heading Frugal Traveler, even if it’s a lunch special.
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Top Dog currently operates in three locations: two in Berkeley and one on Lakeshore in Oakland.
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Lol - it’s relative - chez panisse cafe versus chez panisse. But you make a good and funny point.
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Lakeshore in Oakland. Catch a Top Dog after visiting the bonsai garden in the park along Grand Avenue. It has bonsai Redwood Trees and a bonsai called the "Burlingame Bonsai" because the Chinese gave it to Anson Burlingame, Abraham Lincoln's ambassador to the Qing Empire.
Oh goodness, you left out the really fine Mexican food at Picante! A true salsa delight.
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@kris: Picante? Oh please...try Tacubaya on 4th street - it is top-quality and not simply the usual anglo-Mex.
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@kris I left Berkeley 18 years ago and wondered if Picante was still there. I loved that place -- loved the food, and loved the fact we could go with little kids and no one batted an eye.
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Hello Berkeley! Hello California from Pennsylvania. I love you and I have fallen in love with all of you. I visited you many times in San Francisco, LA, and San Diego.
I recently met with my financial advisor and I asked her that I wanted to relocate to California and be with you, and she said to me that I could not afford you. She said that you are very high maintenance and cost a lot, and everything comes with a 20% plus premium.
I was sad to get the news, but I still long for you. Someday before a I go, I hope to be there with you forever, and embrace you with a big bear hug.
I love you.
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@JuQuin Your financial advisor apparently does not know about the well-informed, probably PhD, Realtors who serve the local market. Past politics have flavored business activities here such that the trumpian viewpoint does not thrive. One can find expert, diligent, ethical help from local Realtors. Just ask around and get feedback from locals. Good luck and welcome!
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@JuQuin: Well, we love you back, JuQuin, and hope you'll come again. (I recommend mid-winter, when the sun shines and plum trees are in bloom and airline tickets are cheap.)
On a hot day the Strawberry Canyon pool above the UC campus is a delight.
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Yes, and a hike up the strawberry canyon fire trail that leads up and away from the pool, too. Great idea!
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A city of sad extremes. Peet's coffee, Chez Panisse, The University of California and the lovely sunshine were welcoming. The mentally ill and homeless woman lying in the street and when we called the paramedics they carted her off as if she were a piece of trash. Our car was towed from the parking lot of a well known "friendly" natural/organic food market, next to our hotel. The explanation "oh I meant you should have parked on the other side of the hotel" $135 later we had our car back. Be prepared for the contradictions of this haven of liberalism and hyper-competiveness.
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Your car wasn’t towed because of “liberalism.” Your car was towed because the owners of the private commercial property you parked on without being a customer of their commercial business had you towed. That’s capitalism. It’s just plain silly to blame “liberalism” for your own mistake.
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@Brian K The residents know where you can park illegally & get away with it. So sorry for your bad experience.
Agreed - you absolutely nailed it. Two extras: the Rose Garden is free and well worth a visit at the right time of year. And, the Cheeseboard gives increasing reductions to folks over 55, and by my age (75) the cheese is really a bargain. Not to mention that the selection is amongst the best in the Bay area.
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@Lynn Nadel
The Cheeseboard did away with age discounts awhile ago.
@Lynn Nadel The Rose Garden has been under construction and a nightmare the last few years. When Berkeley pays cops $300K+ a year, it struggles to fund basic infrastructure maintenance.
Well done, this summary of stuff to do in Berkeley. I would add breweries (numerous), great Japanese food, a really fun cooking school and several bike/scooter share companies to make getting from place to place easier without a car. Everywhere is less crowded in summer when the University is mostly on vacation.
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What about Berkeley student's standards like King Pin Donuts, Kip's Bar & Restaurant, and Moe's Books? All still there.
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As someone who grew up in Berkeley, I can say that King Pin donuts still has the very best. And the Cheeseboard. But, it is sad for me to visit and see how expensive and crowded everything is. It is not the place in which I grew up.
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Yes, I wouldn’t be able to afford to live in the suburb of Chicago where I grew up. It’s gotten very costly. I’m not upset about it, it’s a simple fact of life. When a nice place gets noticed, and more people want to live there, prices go up. It’s a basic case of supply and demand, not a grievous societal injustice. I found somewhere else to live—and I like it better, lucky me.
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@Margaret can’t like this comment enough. I’m a 3rd generation Berkeleyan, went to CAL and still reside in Berkeley. Every city changes, I still love it here.
Ok - you went to Berkeley and had Hot Dogs and Pizza?!!! Besides the trendy Viks south indian, you missed mentioning that someone can walk pretty much anywhere and get decent to delicious Thai, Nepalese, Vietnamese, Hawaiian Poke, Ethiopian, Mexican, and Korean food. Come back again sometime!
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I was a student at UC Berkeley in the early 1950s when tuition was free, and the Young Republicans seemed to set the political tone on the campus. Ten years later, on a trip to Berkeley, I was surprised to see Telegraph Ave. occupied by squatters, and most of the book stores gone. I'm sure that Berkeley, like the rest of the Bay Area, is not the pleasant place that I remember.
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@Herman Krieger
Mr. Krieger, it's doubtful that any place on the planet still resembles your memories of the early 1950's, Berkeley and Eugene included. The Bay Area, like Oregon, still has many virtues, but neither has stood still in time.
Bogie and Lauren Bacall will always have Paris and, even in Mexico City, which sociologists and urban planners at the National Autonomous University declared in 1988 would be uninhabitable by the year 2000, locals often remind us, "Mexico [meaning the city] todavia tiene su encanto."
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@Herman Krieger
If the last time you were in Berkeley was in the early '60s -- that is, more than half a century ago -- how can you be "sure" that Berkeley today isn't a pleasant place? I know Berkeley very well, indeed -- starting at UC law school in 1972 -- until yesterday afternoon and evening when I took a stroll down College Avenue between Claremont and Russell, followed by dinner/book club at an old friend's brown shingle house. Berkeley is lively and interesting. Lucas Peterson's article is a good sketch of the place.
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@Herman Krieger I live here now and love it for its comfortable livability, small businesses, beautiful streets, and generous community. The city isn't the snippets you see on the news nor is the past the only benchmark to hallow.
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Don’t forget the Saturday morning Thai brunch at the temple!
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You forgot the 1911 Merry-Go-Round and steam train ride through Tilden Park. Both are great fun.
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Tilden Park is lovely!
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I started life in Berkeley in a home above the Berkeley Tennis Club. I have been back many times and have a love for Berkeley that never ends. I lived there from 1939 to 1947.
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Beautiful area!
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This is a great summary of inexpensive things to do in Berkeley. Good job NYT. From Top Dog to the cafe at Chez Panisse - you nailed it.
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