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I went to the Bayview Eagles performance space, adjacent to the bar for a fabulous Cajun/Zydeco…read moreperformance by a new friend of mine, Andrew Carriere and his group of extremely talented musicians. He comes from a storied Louisiana family of Cajun and Zydeco musicians. He is versatile, sings, plays the triangle, the harmonica and the washboard. and in my little experience of watching him play with various groups, he lets everyone shine. His band's music was made for dancing and I have two left or right feet. The regular fans know what they are coming for - to dance. One of these days I'll earn without upsetting a partner. But then someone has to pay the price for teaching a newbie. A great place to visit for affordable beer and some wine. If Andre performs there, I'll be prepped to dance :)

The Solano Avenue Association is really active in keeping local people involved in this hub of…read moreAlbany and North Berkeley. It's about a street and the shops on the street, but it's also a state of mind. Lots of people are members of the group even if they are somewhat far afield from the street itself. Alan Cain, the current Executive Director of the Association, is a ball of fire when it comes to keeping things moving and keeping people involved. The Solano Stroll - the September mile-long street faire - is a great coming-together of food and fun and people watching. SAA is ultimately responsible for all that.

From the owner: Solano Avenue is a charming, tree-lined boulevard with convenient parking for shopping. Good…read morelighting and safe neighborhoods make it delightful for window-shopping after dinner or the movies. Spanning 1 1/4 miles through two cities, Solano Avenue hosts over 500 businesses which include 75 restaurants, 150 retail shops, two theaters and pocket parks.

Our second bar of the night! Stopped by Club Mallard after Blue Rabbit Bar for something more…read morespacious so our group could all be together. This was very nice; it was very spacious and offers outdoor patio with tiki vibes! Our group was able to snag the outdoor patio upstairs! Other people were free to also hang out in the patio too, but because we got there early and our group was big, we were able to put the tables together and it really just felt like we were the only ones there; very intimate. There is a pool table and a bar on the second floor, so you don't have to go back downstairs. The staff were very friendly and helpful. They provided great customer service and came by to our table to pick up empty glasses. There was an incident that happened where a man was taking pictures of people in the bar and he came outside to the patio and started taking photos of our group, which we felt very uncomfortable about. We alerted staff and they were able to handle the situation and came back to check on us. They don't serve food here, but they do allow you to bring food from other places! That was very convenient because we were already comfortable and didn't want to leave to go somewhere else. Tacos El Autlense is a 5 min walk away and it's one of my fave places to get tacos; that's where we got our food at! I literally had it the night before too hahaha, but I wasn't complaining! This place was so cute; the music, the ambiance, the service... a whole vibe!!! I would definitely come back.

Sexy cabin themed bar for the win!…read more Relaxed and fun spot with lots of spaces to explore. Pool, the bar and a bamboo themed patio on the ground floor, and then an upstairs too for a more intimate vibe. Drinks seem above average quality, but I just stuck with Guinness (poured quite well). Street parking.

The Hotsy has provided me with years of great memories, laughter, and good times. It is one of…read morethose places that has more character and charm than many bars twice its size. The menu changes regularly, which keeps things interesting, but one thing that never changes is the consistently excellent service. One of my favorite things about this spot is how dog-friendly it is. The owner's dog is practically the co-owner of the bar and is often lounging around, adding even more personality to the experience. If you are lucky enough to meet him, just know the dog has standards. The dog only accepts meat, so do not bother offering him the tortilla from your taco. Trust me, you will be judged. Another major perk is that they allow outside food. Conveniently, there is a taco truck right next door serving some of the best carnitas tacos around, making it easy to pair great food with great drinks. Also, keep an eye on the TVs. They always seem to be playing some delightfully over-the-top late-night movie programming that inevitably sparks random conversations and plenty of laughter among the crowd. Overall, this is a fantastic neighborhood bar with a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere and a ton of personality. It can get crowded, so try to grab a spot early if you can. You'll notice plenty of regulars who come back again and again, and to me, that is always one of the best signs that a place is doing something right.

If you're looking for a laid-back neighborhood spot with great drinks, Hotsy Totsy Club is it…read more A friend of mine used to live nearby and always raved about this place--especially the drinks and the taco truck parked outside. When I finally met him there, I immediately understood the hype. It's got that classic old-school bar feel: plenty of seats right at the bar if you're in the mood to chat, plus some more tucked-away seating in the back if you want something a little more low-key and private. I honestly can't remember the exact name of the drink I ordered (which probably says something ), but it was a mezcal cocktail--and it was so good I had two. Smoky, smooth, and dangerously easy to sip. You order at the bar, the bartender was super friendly, and the overall crowd had that welcoming, neighborhood vibe where everyone seems to know each other--or at least is happy to talk like they do. We also grabbed burritos from the taco truck outside (pro tip: do not skip this), and you can bring the food right into the bar. Great drinks and legit tacos? That's a winning combo. Overall, it's a fantastic local watering hole--unpretentious, comfortable, and exactly the kind of place you're happy to become a regular at.

Trecee DJ'ed a surprise party I hosted and I could't wait to write this review. He is really…read moreresponsive and sent a contract the day I reached out. He arrived an hour before the party started and helped come up with fun details like a walk in song and coordinating the arrival timing. The dance floor was packed at the party. So many great songs were played and I thought his rate was really reasonable. Highly recommend reaching out and working with him if you need a DJ. He was awesome.

DJ Trecee was a thorough professional DJ who enthralled all our grad party guests with the right…read moremusic to get them excited to join on the dance floor. He even had a great set of Bollywood music that pulled the shy dancers on the floor. I surely recommend him and would work with him in the future.

Note the average age range for people attending these events is 40 and above…read more... My OOT friend and I happened to be in one of the hotels where they where hosting an event. We walked passed and heard DJ music and decided to check it out. I inquired with the folks monitoring the check-in desk and asked if we could peek in the door for 5 seconds to check out the crowd. It was around 11:30pm and the music was retro (80's style). The woman "screamed" NO! I thought "geez lady" relax.... Entry fee was $20. So we paid and checked it out. It was very clear why now she did not want us to preview the event---as there were only 2 dozen folks (including the DJ and bartender). The majority of the crowd was female. We stayed for 1 drink and no more people showed or left. We deserted the event about midnight. Overall, RUDE staff, not well attended and a waste of time and money. Definitely PASS on these events by this promoter. YELP the fact that you allow this review to be filtered shows that you are no more than a paid site!

One day, sometime early last year...my friend and I, heard about a singles party being thrown by…read morethe S of SP. We had never been to a singles party, so we thought it would be cool to check it out. The party was going to take place at the Golden Gate Yacht Club in the Marina. So far, so good, right? Um, yeah... So, it's the day of the event, and we finally make it to the parking lot. FIRST THOUGHT - OH.MY.GAWWWD. ARE.YOU.FKNG.KIDDING.ME? NO, FER REEEEEALZ? FER REEEEEALS? ARE WE ON CANDID CAMERA??? THIS IS A JOKE, RIGHT? IT'S NOT?!!!! We're sitting in the car in the parking lot, and I swear to you, everyone walking around, parking, leaving...had to have gone to high school with our grandparents!!! I believe the flyer we saw had read 30's and up crowd. WOW, THIS CROWD WAS DEFINITELY MATURE. Worse yet, these old guys were in button downed polyester shirts with chest hair flowing out!!! Yes, these guys just time-warped back into the 70's!!! *THE.FKNG.HORROR.OF.IT!* *MY.EYES.MY.EYES.ARE.FKNG.BURNING!* Needless to say, we sat in the parking lot for no more than two minutes and high-tailed it outta there!!!! We have since never attempted attendance to any singles party. ONE STAR = SUPER FAIL!!! THE NIGHT'S LESSON - I best stay a cradle robber, than a grave digger! MEEP-MEEEEEP! ========================= UPDATE: Aww, it looks like some of you are offended. When I say old, I definitely don't mean you folks in your 30's and 40's!!! I'm generation X, too! Duh!!

If I could give this place 0 stars I would! Do not use this facility if you want to be treated with…read morebasic human decency. The Berkeley Food Network operates like a cold, corporate warehouse rather than a true community resource. I personally found myself in a situation where I have to use food banks, and the actual client experience on the ground at BFN is completely unusable. They force elderly, disabled, and vulnerable residents to stand outside in grueling lines for hours. I believe they train their volunteers in aggressive line management that is entirely inappropriate--a practice brought on solely by the failure of their own operations. Frontline staff enforce arbitrary, unwritten "verbal policies" to power-trip over people rather than showing basic compassion. I have officially reached out to the Alameda County Community Food Bank and have made them aware of the serious problems at BFN. I have also let friends and family members who are in a position to donate to the Alameda County Community Food Bank know exactly what I have experienced firsthand at BFN. This place is in direct violation of the equity standards required by public grants, and funding sources need to audit this organization immediately. I have now seen other places that do not have these problems, meaning I am forced to leave Berkeley and go to Emeryville just to get proper assistance. I am so grateful to First Presbyterian Church and the Emeryville Citizens Assistance Program (ECAP) for restoring my dignity and faith. I go to First Pres early for commodities, and the drive-through is incredibly well-run, orderly, and efficient. If I can get my place held in line as I like to choose what I need, I will gladly help out with the food bank operations at First Pres because they treat people like human beings. I also have to add that the church pantry on Sacramento Street was not working for me either--the mystery bags, the lack of being able to choose your own food, and the massive amount of carbs were way too stressful. Avoid BFN like the plague and stick to places like ECAP and First Pres that offer real choice and respect. What makes this even worse is that BFN has access to appointment-scheduling software that could eliminate these multi-hour wait times tomorrow. They deliberately refuse to turn it on because a long, miserable line wrapping around the block creates a visible crisis that looks good for fundraising and 'clicks for bucks.' They choose crowds and data metrics over the physical health of vulnerable citizens.

I rarely leave reviews like this, but what my 70-year-old father and I experienced at Berkeley Food…read moreNetwork was deeply disturbing and completely inconsistent with the "dignity" and "community care" image this organization publicly promotes. My father, who previously underwent open-heart surgery, waited in line for HOURS to receive food assistance. I arrived about 10-15 minutes later so we could enter together, something that had previously been allowed without issue. Instead, a volunteer named Sara B. stopped us and aggressively enforced what staff and management later admitted was merely a "verbal policy" requiring continuous physical presence in line. When I respectfully asked for a written copy of the policy being enforced against my elderly father, none could be produced because apparently it was never formally written or communicated. What shocked me even more was management's response. Rather than showing compassion, flexibility, or basic human decency toward a medically vulnerable senior citizen who had already waited for hours, facility manager Fruhar Safa became defensive, dismissive, and more focused on asserting authority than resolving the situation fairly. We were repeatedly told my father should simply go stand back in line again after already waiting for hours. This organization constantly speaks publicly about equity, dignity, and care for vulnerable communities. But based on our experience, the reality on the ground felt very different. If this is how elderly people with serious medical histories are treated while seeking basic food assistance, the public, donors, and community partners deserve to know. Organizations serving vulnerable populations should be held to a higher standard -- especially when they receive public trust, donations, and community support. They practice the opposite of what they preach no matter what they say on the website. I believe the federal funding and donors could be well spent somewhere else than this organization. The quality of their foods is mediocre too.

STEPH JUDGEMENT: Great thrift shop with a great mission…read more The hubby and I happened to be walking by and saw the sign saying it benefited Berkeley Humane so decided to take a peek. Indeed, every purchase helps the organization, and they have regular Cat adoption events. We browsed the aisles of interesting items, but I just left with a (new) cute Berkeley Humane sweatshirt. Would definitely make it a regular stop whenever I'm in the area!

Very friendly people that work here, everything was reasonably priced. Street parking…read more We didn't find anything this trip, but definitely worth the stop.

Rob was the most professional DJ we could have hoped for--responsive, accommodating, and fully…read morededicated to keeping us and our guests immersed in great music. His energy and enthusiasm matched exactly what we envisioned, and his photo booth made everyone feel like rockstars.

Rob (Deejaypros) came highly recommended by my photographer, for good reason! Our criteria was…read moresomeone who could get the crowd on their feet and keep the party going! Rob fit the bill. Our guests were dancing all night and kept raving about how good the music was throughout the reception! Rob also did our uplighting for the reception, which added a beautiful ambiance to the room. He also did our Photobooth. Upon learning that we were big Warriors fans, he made us a Warriors colored photo strip and even brought basketball as props! Our guests had a blast! Rob is friendly and easy to work with and made our wedding unforgettable. I highly recommend Deejaypros!

I recently lost weight so I donated a full wardrobe and also gently worn and new shoes. I recommend…read moredonating your gently used clothes, shoes and any other items here rather then a Goodwill because they can be given to the people who need them for free rather then donating to an establishment that will resell them. Some people just don't have the funds to even buy from a thrift or second hand store so giving directly to the people who need it is best.

their breakfast usually suck, but their lunches are top notch. Thank you for everything!read more