I was hoping to love this place but found the "THINK LIKE US OR YOU ARE ONE OF THEM" atmosphere rather...shit-like.

It'll be interesting to see how my opinion of this city changes over time. Born and raised in LA, I moved up here less than a month ago with my husband as he attends Cal. We will live here 2 or so years. I have lived in Germany and Japan during my life. However, I have never experienced culture shock as intense as when I moved here. I was nearly in tears the first day we visited Berkeley. I thought I had seen mobs of homeless people in LA but I was wrong. Compared to Berkeley, LA seems to have a more sparse population of crazy hobos. They don't just ask you once for change either. Here, they're persistent. Day after day, so much so that I have to change the route I walk my dog on. In LA we just ignore them. But there, if I ignore one, they act like I'm the social problem. It is so hilly here too, there is a giant fault running through Cal's stadium, parking is so difficult and the parking enforcement is ticket happy. Calm down, traffic dudes! I thought it was just a dumb joke that this city is all hippie organic too. However, I've never seen so many people concerned with organic free range everything. Random other things that I think are strange: the windows have no screens there are no hanging, lighted street signs there is an overabundance of one way streets people like to eat in the "ghetto" apparently you can be a yuppie and a hippie at the same time there are no drive through fast foods 99% of things are mom & pop rather than chains there is no mall everyone loves used and hand made stuff I've seen homeless people holding signs that say "help! need change for pot" which at least they're honest but... the speed limit is like half of what it is in so cal cars need three people to use the car pool lane there are pedestrians everywhere and no one treats them like they must be insane for walking more than the length of a driveway the building I live in (and most) are older than I am I learned a new word "freegans" which are people who eat from the garbage cause they say its wasteful I've only seen one starbucks they expect you to pay the price of a decent apartment in so cal for a hole in the wall that hasn't been cleaned in 30 years its weird like I traveled back in time to some place where the modern world hasn't touched, I hate it but who knows maybe it'll grow on me on second thought ...no read more

Well, I grew up here in the 60's and 70's. I was tear gassed at people's park with my dad and attended too many anti-war demonstrations to remember, when I was too young to remember much of anything. I knew Huey Newton and Abby Hoffman, among many others, musicians, politicos, freaks, etcetera. I lived in a house across the street from Tim Leary's Acid Lab for many years, too. That's the Berkeley I grew up in. In those days, you could hear the campanile bells and knew what time of day it was. Not anymore. Nowadays, the farcical radicalism of Berkeley (particularly the City Council's recent attack on the Marine Recruiting Station and subsequent support of that ratty joke, Code Pink) is not just annoying, it's threatening the economic status of our businesses. It seems as if the people we voted to represent us have simply decided that they're the In-Club and it doesn't matter how their decisions effect the citizens, and I am truly disgusted. Yeah, yeah. I hate George Bush. i think the war in Iraq is based on lies and oil. But does that mean that Berkeley has to look like the unruly step-child of boheme parents? I mean, come on. The homeless problem; most of them are mentally ill, some are legitamately downtrodden and have no hope for recovery from their economic status. Pres. Reagan made sure they needed a place to sleep, and the neighboring States decided Berkeley was a great destination for a one-way bus ticket. It's annoying, but saying hello and no, are two pretty easy words to say. That, and gentrification, makes Berkeley and terribly unfriendly place for people with less than a 6 digit income. But the Powers that Be let them stay, without much recourse other than a night in jail periodically. Yeah, I'm sick of getting hit up for money by dirty, patchouli stankin' white kids who should run back to their Middle Class homes in the burbs. And I get sad watching the filthy loonies wearily ambling down the streets, mumbling to themselves, but too mentally ill, even, to ask for spare change. What about the newest wave? The guys at the gas stations with empty gas cans and their sad-ass stories about being 100 miles from home, running out of gas, their kid's in the car. Blah, blah, blah. Oh I'm so done with that bullshit. But you know, I have no problem saying Hi, and No. It works! I'm sick of unruly high school students who are scary enough that I feel uneasy about even looking in their general direction. I'm sick of the hoards of rich tanned undergrads wandering around like beautiful zombies who never learned how to cross a street properly. I get a parking ticket maybe once a year, but you know what folks, I actually feed the meters. I don't park in yellow zones. I'm willing to walk a few blocks from the parking garage to get to my destination. It's not that fucking hard! But there is a good side to Berkeley, and it's not necessarily the gourmet ghetto. I can live without Cheeseboard Pizza or Cesar, for instance. In Berkeley (unlike the entirety of Marin County, where I work), I can find excellent Ethiopian, Indian, Pakistani, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, French, Mediterranean, Vietnamese and Thai food as well as Philly Cheese Steak and Top Dog, without putting much thought into it. I can also take visitors (or myself if budget allows) to amazing 4 and 5-star restaurants and pay decent prices for incredibly, fresh perfectly prepared food (of course Yelp! helps determine where to go if it's a new restaurant). The other thing I re-realized the other day while walking to do my errands is that Berkeley is really beautiful. I live in North Berkeley, and it's a fairly new neighborhood in comparison to "old Berkeley", but the gardens are beautiful. Plum trees, fig trees, roses, wisteria, irises, freesia.. what a lovely walk! I thank my neighbors for taking the time to make their yards beautiful, if wild, as mine is. I really appreciate it. The other thing is Tilden Regional Park. There are tons of great hikes, fun things for kids, like the little farm and the merry go round (hey, I'm in my 40's, and I still ride the carousel!), Lake Anza Then there's the Rose Garden and Cordineces Park across the street. If you haven't done the huge cement slide at Cordineces, you don't know what you're missing. Bring a big piece of cardboard (waxed is best) and slide to your heart's content! Generally I take the Berkeley of my birth with a grain of salt. I hate the Berkeley Bowl for all the fighting soccer moms, but I'm glad it's there. Monterey Market is a pretty good second, sans angry soccer moms. I love that I go to Andronico's and the crazy "Rare" man is there.. it's kind of fun watching other shoppers jump out of their skin. That's all I have to say about that. Oh, and Linda Maiao? I won't be voting for you again. Ever. Have a nice life. read more

Berkeley is a fabulous college town with many unique neighborhoods and opportunities. Highlights include: * a multi-cultural, muti-subcultural environment * really awesome fog in the summer * many amazing restaurants, parks, and shopping areas * the Berkeley Art Museum (http://www.yelp.com/biz/m9voMlXz9QVyiVbqv2z6Fg) * the Pacific Film Archive (http://www.yelp.com/biz/9MDPqz1MgygBTZWkDADeZQ) * free sake tasting at the Takara Brewery (http://www.yelp.com/biz/WgtdWUN689E9U79es8zeVQ?hrid=HUL2cweK7TYihZCeQeed9A) * University of California, Berkeley (http://www.yelp.com/biz/0iSN6PgiXKP4oSVL037ATg?hrid=G7VURHH7EkiZ2j8b0EVwqQ) * UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens (http://www.yelp.com/biz/aX65cOSVcZrGZEpP8p_g8Q?hrid=0el-T6JHZGELpGlLoyphvA&fsid=FBHUiZ-pQuMpFkzHdpFoBA) * Tilden Park (http://www.yelp.com/biz/4LS2pBY0vUvRK-ra9wPo5Q?hrid=vNPc_ULqdrU8hZNLC7c4bA&fsid=oFceiAcN9ysINpI3LbD4mg) * Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden (http://www.yelp.com/biz/GPbpzRDek45PGapWZuBC-Q?hrid=8_0eJQFRqhQgwM2AE4tYfQ&fsid=3-mHkU11wPRuSFgPoXdVNg) * the Rose Garden (http://www.yelp.com/biz/tNPPnr7c1jJPDpFvO2jKjA?hrid=GA0NuAr9ch-j-EoUGhNCuw) * Lawrence Hall of Science (http://www.yelp.com/biz/1GPGeS_Ab5WowyOOY-FRgA?hrid=Ydh6PLxojbHwmBjg4bjRSA&fsid=Vn_yV0EK8FGNtaVMLeaC5Q) * a decent airport nearby (http://www.yelp.com/biz/BPkI61RKuukFavUoVWLzBg) * easy access to Oakland, SF, and the rest of the bay The city maintains a fabulous site called "Cool Things To Do In Berkeley" (http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/coolthings/). Columbus Day is called Indigenous Peoples Day. Living in Berkeley is an experience worth having. read more

We went to eat at a restaraunt on college avenue. Parked in one of their parking lots paid the fee and when we came back my husbands car had a ticket on it for not having a front license plate. Most m 3's do not. However what got me was a meter maid gave us a $25 ticket for something they do not bother with in either San Jose or San Francisco. By the way Berkeley I am not coming back to your city for a long time.. Maybe I will become a republican because of this.. You and your self righteous yuppies can have this place read more

Parking is near impossible, even when UCB is out of session. It's a run down city, with overpriced restaurants and a self-congratulatory attitude. Avoid if possible. read more

The only reason I ever go to Berkeley is to visit a few restaurants (MANPUKU!!!) that I like. Otherwise, Berkeley sucks ass. Case in point: I went to Manpuku a little while ago. Knowing the parking *anywhere* in Berkeley is a nightmare, I made a point of going in the mid-afternoon, on a week day. I also made a point of parking 9 blocks away from the Elmwood epicenter, as to not have to hassle with meters. I was sure to read the 15 parking restriction signs, and found I was legal to park, at least for long enough to chuck down my Vegi-Yaki-Soba (The hostess says "ah, very good choice!" every time I order that). I enjoy my noodles, then rush back to the car, only to find a #@^$*&@#$ ticket on my windshield! What! How can this be? The bitch-ass meter cop wrote me up because my front registration plate wasn't on the car. WTF? Way to dig up the obscurities of California vehicle code. I took the plate off because all the 'parking by feel' drivers in this area had mangled it so bad. That was making my G-Sled look a little too ghetto for my liking. Now, in Oakland, or any other town with 1 ounce of shame, they wouldn't be *robbing* people in broad day light, writing tickets for any stupid thing they can possibly think of. But, in Berkeley? It's game-on for them, they have no shame. No shame at all. Bitches. Don't even get me started about the parking lot at Berkeley bowl... read more

I had a lengthy conversation with an old homeless, nomadic musician in front of Starving Musician. How cool does that make me sound?

And I thought I was the only one that thought the city of Berkeley was not so sensational! I don't write reviews but I had to say that I was very entertained by all of the posts here about this dirty little city. However, although I'm not fond of Berkeley, it's not too bad. One shining attribute is the amount of nature around the area that I've recently discovered for running and hiking. Simply amazing. I also have to agree that the two times I've dealt with the BPD they were very nice. Strange. They were courteous and smiled when they let me off for two would-be tickets. I have never experienced that ever. Okay, maybe except for that time I was going 100 mph and the the LAPD (yes, LAPD) officer let me go. =) Chez Panisse cannot be forgotten either nor the UCB campus with all the, mostly, bright students that I attend with. Oh and I love Bart. Dirty though it is, I am grateful for public transportation. I'm not going to list all the reasons why I DISlike the city b/c they are already here and well versed, however, I have to bring up CRIME. Everything good or bad about Berkeley is a moot point. Every city has it's pros/cons but crime is not something I will say, "okay, I can live with that." Major smudge for Berkeley. Oh, and I hate the self-righteous pedestrians as well. =) Unfathomable to see so many, mentally-challenged (not literally folks) people crossing the street without looking. read more

The city of Berkeley is one of the best places to live that I have seen and I have traveled a lot. This is a city that sponsors more public events that just about any city in California and probably any city in America. And these events are all free. Concerts, cultural events, parades, street festivals, music festivals, the list goes on. Very few cities provide the level of free entertainment that the city of Berkeley provides. The city government is one of the most liberal in the world. Standing up for issues that other cities will not even discuss. The weather is excellent most of the year. Great city parks and a fabulous Marina. Pretty good schools. Lot's of interesting stores, restaurants, movie theatres, clubs and places to go out and have a good time. Lots of buses, rail, and BART, so it's fairly easy to get around without a car. People are friendly and for the most part crime is low. The city of Berkeley gets 5 stars from me. The city of Berkeley is a sponsor of the Berkeley World Music Festival. read more

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berkeley has crazy drivers hanging out in berkeley is fun in small doses.... some good eateries and shopping.. i always look forward to going back home to oakland after shopping or hanging out in berkeley... read more

Woke up this morning with the dawning realization that not only have I been fiscally improvident recently (i.e. I'm overdrawn at the bank), and it's 4 days till Payday (that modern miracle whereby there is such a thing as "Automatic Deposit"), I also have a full day ahead with great weather, and dammit!, I need to be out and about. How to do this with...how shall I put this?..."reduced circumstances."..to work with?? Here's how: I actually used some of my much-hoarded paper products procured from Twig and Fig and wrote some letters. Rummaged about in the desk and lo! found there were stamps to be used. Allocated the left-overs in the fridge to me, myself, and I and had a splendid lunch. Who knew?! Here's where the good part begins...I leashed up the ol' pooch and we headed down California Street (south) till we got to Parker Street. We then proceeded all the way up Parker till we hit the Elmwood, then cut down Hillegass Avenue till we got to College Avenue. Man! What a day! The weather's in the 70's, the ratio of weirdos:relatively normal people was favorable, and the flowers...they stopped me in my tracks! I saw so many daffodils, crocuses, grape hyacinth...all in bloom!! In February, People!! This is not something one sees in other parts of the country! I smelled the flowering cherry, plum, almond, and peach blossoms while admiring the loveliness of the cascading blossoms in the light breeze. This was a real sensory experience & it didn't cost me a dime. I mailed the letters, and walked back along a slightly different route. Here's the thing about Berkeley: there are so many little hidden treasures if you get out & walk. Craftsman houses tucked behind great fences, Victorian jewels lovingly preserved, gardens that are out of this world. Then, there's the sculpture to be found in the unlikeliest of places (there's a tree covered with Valentines & old heart-shaped boxes placed by the Ladies for the Sustainment of Whimsy on California Street), a variety of ironwork fences made by Mark Bullwinkle (local artist)...I could go on and on. The point is, despite my financial constraints, I felt so rich walking along. It may sound corny, but we all live in a pretty great place for the most part. I highly recommend getting out, enjoying the weather & our city, and seeing what there is out there. I'm sure my route is only one of many that could provide olfactory/aural/visual interest. Have fun! I got some exercise, so did the beast, and it was a cheap, swell way to spend a chunk of the day! read more

berkeley is extremely obsessed with tickets. that's fine, if you are going to use the ticket money for things like increased safety. but why did my car window get smashed last night? oh because instead of going to safety at night, my ticket money went to painting new lines on the road. hippie towns need to look pretty, of course. but it's still "cool and liberal" to be dangerous at night. however i do like the quietness, flowers, trees, grocery stores, restaurants and farmers markets. read more

Hey City of Berkeley - just thought I'd let you know that I'm sending in a gift to you in the form of $159 for an unpaid parking ticket (with penalties) for a ticket I paid long ago. So long ago in fact that I don't have the time to dig deep for my proof of payment. So in my mind I consider it a gift, and in return I promise to come over and do as little shopping in your city as possible. I live in SF and enjoy(ed) coming over for a bit of sun and spending a bit of cash. But somehow you have exceeded San Francisco for hassle and annoyance. And I'll save the bridge toll too. BTW, it's interesting the payment processing for parking tickets is done in LA. Couldn't you even keep those jobs in your city??? read more

Berkeley would be great...if it wasn't for all the students who park all over the place, drive like idiots, and cross the street like getting hit by a car isn't a problem. As a native, I'm glad downtown is in the process of revitalizing, and that Berkeley continues to set the standard for social change and progress, but SERIOUSLY? I'm tired of people pooh-poohing Berkeley like the city itself is nothing but one big greying hippy in tie dye. I HATE the moniker "Berzerkley." No matter the history, no matter the future, Berkeley is a diverse city full of all kinds of people. And it's a great place to come home to after a long day working in San Francisco. read more

Berkeley--people hate on you, but it's only because they wish they could be as gutsy as you. You don't care if your peeps urinate in the streets, or if they smell like that peculiar mix of body odor and patchouli. You don't care if they're kind of mis-informed and entitled sometimes, because they're LIBERAL, DAMNIT AND THAT'S THE WAY YOU LIKE 'EM. You're just doing your thing. It's all good if the rest of the world looks at you like you're all crazy or whatever. You just don't care. That's how hardcore you are. Yeah. read more

The best thing about living in Berkeley was my next door neighbor, who is a really awesome guy. So, sure, you'd think the place is full of asstards if you go by the bumper stickers, but most people are pretty normal and it's really not that outrageous before. Other things that made me feel good: * You smell flowers walking down the street * Every neighborhood very walkable * A steady flow of cats, raccoons, opossums, and squirrels across my porch and roof (can get scary sounds at night, though) * Friendly people (that would be the actual people vs. some 30-year-outdated stereotype Berkeleyans) * _Multiple_ resident unicyclists, I believe * Nice restaurants (although SF easily kicks Berkeley's ass in that area) * Good number of movie theaters with great selection of movies * My hairstylist (she lives in Oakland but works in Berkeley) who is also a great friend and awesome person. I guess many parts of Berkeley seem kind of ghetto to people that live in areas that actually do construction and upkeep, and that is a bit disappointing, but it's not a major thing. And the many homeless people can be mildly annoying, but are almost always harmless. So those things don't bother me. More disappointing is the fairly high crime rate. I'm not sure what that's all about, but if you stay away from Telegraph and Dwight at 3am, you should be OK. Parking enforcement is diabolical, a shameful blot on the city. -37 stars for them. (I gotta mention, regular BPDs are really nice, though.) But hey, what city isn't governed by annoying busybodies? It's the regular people that make a place great, and Berkeley sure has a lot of interesting people. read more

Berkeley is one of the top five towns you have to visit if you are touring the bay area. If you are going to spend the day there, first walk up and down Telegraph Avenue and check out the college. You should see some interesting (you probably know Berkeley's reputation) sites and there is a lot of fun souvenirs are crafts to buy there. Then drive over to the marina. There is a place there where you can rent a kite. The Berkeley bay has some of the best conditions for kite flinger. Finally have dinner at Spengers restaurant that makes the best Calamari fillet. read more

Awesome city. If I didn't live in SF I would live in Berkeley. Lots of pot smokers and lesbians! Woohoo. Too many homeless and too many parking tickets. Awesome spot. Central Bay Area location. read more

I've been a SF Bay resident all my life and have always liked Berkeley. So much so that I'm moving there with my wife in about three weeks and we can't wait. Trees, cool parks, great views and a nice climate all start it off. Throw on top of that progrssive politics and a young at heart vibe from all the Cal Students and it gets even better. Then, to top it off an awesome downtown with great shops, entertainment venues, and restaurants. I can't wait! read more

By far one of the best cities in America...and the world! Good food, alternative people, left as left can be, amazing weather and a kick ass school. read more

why why WHY can't there be some more nightlife? shattuck down low just doesn't make the grade. apart from that, love the place. read more

Berkeley's got it's benefits and all, but I usually end up frustrated when I go there. First, if you're not from Berkeley, there's no good way of getting to Berkeley. Once you're there it's annoying to get around because of all the dead-end streets that aren't really dead ends. When you finally reach your destination, you can't park find anywhere to park. I feel like it's all one big lesson about why it's better to bike or walk rather than drive. I could dig that if I lived in Berkeley, but it's too damn expensive. read more

Most of the clerks are very lazy. They are not there to help customers. 3 minutes job on other cities in city of Berkeley takes 3 days . What a waste because of lazy employees. read more

City of Berkeley is the worst place to visit if you drive. No parking to start off with. If you are lucky to find a spot then you have to get out and walk to find a ticket machine that actually works, then you get a piece of paper you place on your dash. If you are lucky you get someone checking the meters that isn't blind and actually spends the time to read the receipt before giving you a ticket. Oh and if you do get one "accidentally" you only have a short time to dispute it or the late fees start racking up .... the fact you shouldn't have gotten it in the first place doesn't matter you still have to pay! read more

Love, love, love it. My favorite place in the world. It's beautiful and peaceful, though vibrant and animated, and the food is high quality across the eclectic board. Oh and when you're bored you can hop on a comfortable train to San Francisco. read more

Another ticket from the Berkeley meter maid nazis Parked for a few minutes in a residential neighborhood, only to come back and find someone named Navarette giving me a ticket for "street cleaning" for $49! She refused to not write the ticket -- undoubtedly on a quota system, or just a vicious person. It only reminds me, as a resident of a neighboring town, how loathsome it is to have to visit Berkeley. read more

I'm wavering between 3 and 4 stars for Berkeley, but I'll keep the 4th for the food. I love visiting Berkeley, but I wouldn't want to live here (ok maybe I would want to live here if I was rich and had a big house in the hills, but I'm trying to be realistic.) There is an endless supply of places to eat and things to see. Also convenient stops on BART make it very easy to get to Berkeley from the airport or travel to SF for a day trip. Sadly it isn't car friendly, but when I visit I can get most places on BART or walking. read more

I myself don't live too far from Berkeley, and probably don't visit as much as i should. Yet when i do, i make sure I'm stopping by Telegraph as much as i can to check out Rasputin records, especially me being a HUGE fan of music. The people on telegraph are always really nice as well, being that you see a lot of tourists roaming the streets that come from worldwide and even people like me that only have to make the short drive. The various shops you can find are always very nice, ranging from skate and head shops, to food markets and furniture stores. You also have many local musicians that you can catch playing every so often. The University of Berkeley is also a very big and attractive, being that it pretty much lies at the end of Telegraph Ave. and is so big and entrancing. You can take a run around the school which is very forested so it sets you up for a fantastic adventure. The College is also very well kept and there are so many events that are constantly happening that it keeps that town hopping nonstop. I wouldn't necessarily say you should try to find a place to live in Berkeley being that It's mostly a big tourist attraction, and the parking there is very hard to find, but Berkeley in general is a great place to spend the day and find a lot of cool things a long the way. So i'd advise anyone looking for a nice day trip, to make a stop by Berkeley anytime. read more

berkeley of the 60's is dead. berkeley of today is made up of: apathetic cal students, pseudo-hippies, 50s/60s/70s/80s/90s revivalists, unattractive hipsters, families tucked away in the hills, artist/musician types, tawdry thugs, and mostly dirty crazy people san francisco's smaller and nerdier cousin berkeley, you are the city that i hate to love read more

if you want a strikingly accurate review of berkeley, look a couple posts down to martin b.'s review. kudos martin, i could not agree more. i had the incredible misfortune of living in berkeley for a year, and i left as soon as i possibly could. i guess there are a few good things about berkeley, but really, the bad totally outweighs the good. in conclusion, if you do not love the aroma of both fresh and dried-up piss, berkeley is not the place for you. read more

It's absolutely ridiculous that the speed limits on all roads in Berkeley (except a few irrelevant exceptions) is 25mph.

i like berkley. i think it is a pretty cool cultured city. love the greek theatre. if anything at all, it is definatley a hippy town.

I went to Cal during the early seventies, and fell in love with the town then. Now I live here with my wife in one of those houses with strangely beautiful flowers, and love Berkeley even more. This is a town where people care about people, ideas, and life. If you want to walk across the street here, traffic will stop as soon as you get your foot off the curb. Hybrids and electric cars line the streets, probably more per capita than anywhere else. Not too many lawns in town, because we actually worry about wasting water, even between droughts; gardens are often sparsely planted with natives, and irrigated by drip systems if at all. Neighbors take care of neighbors and anyone else who happens by. The cops are cool, tons of different languages are heard on the streets in every neighborhood, not just at the university, and the population is a wonderful jumble of races and ethnicities. The most delightful thing to me is to see teenagers walking around town in small groups of blended races, some preppy, some wearing grunge or hippie styles, and obviously having a great time with each other. Berkeley gives me hope for the future - what starts here expands across the country, reaching Missouri in about ten years; I look forward to seeing those teenage groups all over the country soon. read more