Quality/Quantity - Another city that has so much potential. Known for rent control and affordable living. Known for UC Berkeley - A higher affordable education. And a food scene. Another city that I do not visit often anymore, and I have been coming here all my younger adult life. Food Scene/Areas - Shattuck Ave., Fourth St., Solano Ave., West Berkeley, Gourmet Ghetto, and of course Telegraph Ave. Some of our favorite restaurants are: Gypsy's Trattoria Italiana, Fenton's Ice Cream (when my daughter was much younger), Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen (when we miss New Orleans), Skates on the Bay (when we entertain and host guests), Cholita Linda (but we have this in Alameda now), Marugame Udon (again, we have one in Alameda now), La Marcha Tapas Bar (when we miss Spain), etc. Also known for - Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, arts and culture, politics/protests, Elmwood, Peet's origins, Cheese board collective, COOPS in general, Chez Panisse, Berkeley Bowl (supermarket), Berkeley Marina, etc. Atmosphere - Back in the day, there were so many street vendors on Telegraph Ave. We would make a day just people watching. From the vendors, to the customers, tourists and students. Such joy. 17.7 square miles, 7.2 of which is water. Population - 124k. Nearby cities - Albany, Kensington, Orinda, Oakland, and Emeryville. Service - Depends on what you do, eat, or drink. Price - See above. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1878. 1895 - Chartered. read more

Berkeley. Tons of great food, interesting community. They might have a university here, go Cal!

The campus runs ...walk and nice neighborhood ...treat yourself ...who would u meet ...have a positive experience

This is a good city. I am not a city person to this capacity more like an open type city not really downtown congested area like here in Berkeley. Trying to find parking as hard, but other than that, it has plenty of stuff to see and do. read more

Good ole Bezerk-ely!! Hard not to like this city!! Now, it is a College Town, U.C. Berkeley is the dominant area of the city, Go Cal Bears!! But there's also plenty of other great places here! University Avenue runs from the campus all the way down to the Berkeley Marina. And they finally fixed the streets in the Marina, which has many trails, a few restaurants, windsurfing, and parks. The Berkeley Hills is also great, with Tilden Regional Park, the Rose Garden, Indian Rock Park, Inspiration Point, Grizzly Peak, The Lawrence Hall of Science, with all the narrow, winding roads up there! The downtown area is bustling, lots of good bars and restaurants to choose from, and BART can drop you off right in the middle of everything!! Telegraph Avenue is revered as the place where counterculture came to Berkeley, it still has that blast from the past feel there! The city is far from perfect, there's always been plenty of homeless people here, and I know there's no easy solution for that. Also, it's not dirty, but the whole city has that "Lived in" look!! But, it seems like there's almost always something going on in this city, plenty to do here!! read more

See all

Great city. Very intelligent people - its no surprise as its a college town. Lots of young energy here. Tons of students own the town. Its great how UC Berkeley is so integrated into the city. Intelligent people I think are more likely to be accepting and tolerant of others different than themselves. There is a home here for tree lovers and homeless and tech workers. Prius drivers and w123 drivers are very common here - and both cars are ones that are probably better for the environment than others. Peoples park is one shock recently. It was the park for the people - now big developers are greedy after the dollar. Whole Foods and Berkeley Bowl. The marina and some hippy dippy. I like how also the more affluent people here are still down to earth. I don't think that is the case in SF with what is probably more tech or crypto money. Police here seem better than in other cities too. I just don't hear the horror stories. If they are rotten I have no idea of that reputation. Parking ticket people are horrible around here. They go around at night by foot with a measuring tape to make sure your not more than 18 inches from the curb. At the marina I got one too for parking in some gravel - I guess it wasn't an official spot.... If you come from Oakland its ok to get a bit creative. read more

City of Berkeley I love Berkeley California. My Yelp friend Robert C. told me he is originally from Berkeley. I lived there 1970-1971. I drove my 1967 Camaro at the time. Telegraph Avenue business district was one of my favorite hangouts. I also spent a lot of time on campus at U. C. Berkeley. When I wasn't at work I spent my free time either alone or with friends hanging out in the bookstores, head shops, bars and restaurants. I also volunteered for the Berkeley Free Clinic that I believe is still going strong helping people in need. I've been to the famous People's Park. I was caught up in some disturbances in those days. I was never arrested. I did what I was told. We were not allowed to congregate at the time and the police would come to parks and knock heads. I took care of some wounded once! I lived on Piedmont Avenue. My Berkeley address is still in the books I purchased when I lived there. I loved the used bookstores and still have a lot of my paperbacks. It's great to walk along day or night. There were some strange high times spent here that I will remember always. One night a guy passed me saying he was going to the Magic Theater. He invited me to join him, naturally I ignored him. There were all kinds of Strangers in a Strange Land back then. If I ever get back to Berkeley I'll try to find my old hangouts. I'm sure most are gone. I'm recommending you visit..... read more

City of Berkeley - I lived in Berkeley back in 1970-1971. I saved this postcard all these years. 02/15/2023 - Municipality Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

4-25-21 I've visited a few times but have never fully grasped the scope of this very diverse and dynamic city. On this day we came to Berkeley especially for our grandpup's 4 th birthday. This may sound bizarre but canine lovers and owners may understand the joy of this- we DO! The neighborhoods are so close to each other. We awoke in San Bruno and had breakfast there. Next we were on the way to Berkeley. If you love bridges, you'll enjoy this one(especially at nite). As you enter Berkeley you'll definitely hear the train while you're here. The BART stops here too. There are really good and busy bread and coffee shops with flavors I wished we had back in Hawaii. Parking is a premium especially around the many international cuisine establishments. I've enjoyed cooking styles here that are so delicious and conjures up aromatic enjoyable meal memories - Korean, Hot Pot, Middle Eastern, Vietnamese, pizza, and more. They have chain restaurants, individual enterprises, doggy day cares, Daiso, Trader Joe's, and the infamous UC Berkeley campus. Such a contrast where monthly rent is extremely high at 2K+ for a one bedroom unit. There are some charming homes, parks, playgrounds and like most places, the homeless population. Once, such a person cornered me with her shopping cart and wanted me to buy her chicken from Panda. If you have a chance the rose garden and beautiful park above Berkeley are beautiful. A myriad of experiences are yours to encounter here. read more

See all

Beware of parking! Do not visit this city often, but had to once due to my daughter's game with Berkeley High School. Parked for a few mins, partially in a no parking zone (a space I saw a car before me leave, so I took it since parking is insane). I moved immediately when asked by parking enforcement. Didn't realize I got a parking ticket until weeks later - cannot contest parking tickets since you have to contest 21 DAY PRIOR to issue date. Now, how in the h**l do you contest a ticket 3-weeks ahead of getting it? Bureaucratic bs - just gouging citizens (ticket was over $230). read more

City of Berkeley ........ Borders City of Emeryville and Oakland. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley Home to UC Berkeley, tons of students out walking around Laid back kinda of a town, but in the same breath will quickly start protesting if that makes sense.. Tons of places to eat, sports bars, shopping ect. Lately I have noticed street parking is hard to come by, it does not matter where in Berkeley you are. read more

City of Berkeley - Tunnel - Municipality Near Me - Berkeley, California

Unless you have to visit Berkeley to visit the campus, avoid this city. The downtown is a disaster. Feels like most of the buildings are run down and empty. There are homeless people everywhere. The police are non existent and non responsive. People can play music at all hours at insane volumes and no one does anything about it. Another CA city going into the dumpster because their politicians won't take control of the situation and the police won't enforce the law. Doesn't feel safe walking around with insane people screaming at you. read more

It is impossible for me to write an honest, comprehensive, and intellectually intelligible review of the City of Berkeley. It is. There's no way around it. I won't even try. I'll just scribble down some thoughts. I hate Berkeley because I love it so much. It represents so much of how I misunderstood, came to understand, and ultimately and sadly do understand just how shady a place the San Francisco Bay Area is. I love the Bay Area; I really do, but so much about it is fake and based on all these weird coming-of-age stories that Bay Area natives tell themselves, coming-of-age stories that are either (a) untrue or (b) totally hypocritical. I grew up in L.A. County, so I know a little bit of something about blustering fake boosterism, fake origin stories, and general fakeness. L.A. attracts the shallow, conceited, self-absorbed narcissists from all over the country. But there are L.A. natives in a way that there may be Bay Area natives, but there are very few remaining San Francisco natives who are truly San Francisco natives.* But this is a review of Berkeley, so I digress. Berkeley really is beautiful. Physically. Even in some of its strange juxtapositions, there's a weird 1950s-San Francisco vibe to it. Yes, there are the aging hippies and yippies and "you had to be there, man" people who have held on, and good for them. But then there are a bunch of other hangers-on, people who pretend to be hippies and to understand the '60s and its counterculture but who are really just part of this neo-anarchist revolutionary lifestyle, and it is a lifestyle. Yes, many of Berkeley's progressive and anarchist and homegrown and anti-state politics are as native to the area as the lovely flowers you'll find growing in everyone's front yards, but like those flowers, they're supplemented and actually overrun by nonnative flowers that look the part but aren't and who are happy to blend in, to conform, in order to be authentic. I'm so tired to death of Bay Area politics. Yes, I still consider myself a progressive, but I never signed up for so much of this revolutionary-chic shtick that people either pretend to or actually do take seriously. In and after the summer of 2020, much of the country began to act and talk and virtue-signal the way Berkeley has for a long time. As we're seeing now, there's a political backlash coming, but if your view into the reality of the world were Berkeley City Council meetings, you'd think that the world still believes that we can't solve any problems until we come up with the absolute perfect policy that will exclude no oppressed people. Gradual progress? That's for fascists! No, the City of Berkeley means whatever its bumper stickers say. There's no room for nuance, common sense, or contingencies. In short, the City of Berkeley is run by going against that old adage: Don't be so open-minded that your brains fall out. I spent almost every weekday in Downtown Berkeley from the end of 2010 until March 2020. From 2005 through 2013, I also spent a great deal of time on UC Berkeley's campus and the surrounding vicinity. Now that I'm barely in Berkeley once a month, I miss so many of the people and mom-and-pop businesses, many of which have shuttered, that I no longer see. Yes, there can still be times politically when Berkeley feels like the center of the action, but mostly, it's a shell of its old self, a Bay Area city that is grappling with the same problems as other Bay Area cities grapple with, except the elected mayor and city council of Berkeley almost always have the worst, most inane, most expensive "solution" to every real problem. Berkeley is willing to try any harebrained idea, as long as it doesn't work and it doesn't oppress anyone--or make anyone feel oppressed, whether they are out of their minds or lying or just trying to make a name for themselves in dead-end Berkeley local politics. Berkeleyside is a good website, but even better is the Berkeley Scanner. Reading those two websites for a week will tell you more about Berkeley than spending even a few days there will. The city is geographically large and has varied neighborhoods, but the politics feel very small town--and not in a good way. I still love what Berkeley represents, even though I also know that ideal isn't even realistic and isn't even based on a real understanding or synthesis of Berkeley's political history. Berkeley is what a one-true-truth government looks like. *So many of the SF "natives" no longer live in San Francisco, which is fine, but they seem to be the only people in this country other than New Yorkers who believe that having been born in a city is the same as still living there. Bro, you or your family chose to move to the suburbs; if you're unhappy about that, move back into the city. Otherwise, stop trying to claim that you understand its present better than transplanted people who currently live here and have for the past decade or more. read more

The City of Berkeley is fortunate to be one of the few cities in the State of California with the distinction of having their own health jurisdiction. Most health jurisdictions are the county based. The COVID-19 vaccine distribution is city implemented. You sign up online to get on a notification list. If you qualify for the vaccine, you can make an appointment online. When approved, you get a digital scan and tracking number via email. There's a swift moving line at the parking lot on 1 Buchanan. It's the Berkeley Bulb/Golden Gate Fields lot. Here's the procedure by auto. Stay in your vehicle. 1) You are asked if and when you appointment is, your age, and location of residence. Move to a numbered lane. As the line moves forward, you will be directed where to go. Drive. 2) You are asked for your appointment information. Then the questions: Are you sick, have you been sick, and been around anyone who is sick. You are now registered and directed to move forward into a line for vaccination. You get information and a FAQ regarding Covid-19. Drive. 3) Repeat your names and DOB. They find you have registered. Stay in the car, remove the clothing from the arm you want the shot, and bam! You just received your first dose. You get a card with your name, today's date of vaccination, and the day you can receive the second dose (21 days). 4) Drive to the exit. You're asked if you feel okay and your take a picture of another digital scan. It will pop up a screen for you to make your next appointment for the second dose. All well done! read more

Unbelievable you know I'm handicapped and I have a broken foot and this woman won't move her car 3' back I called the city of Berkeley parking and they can't do anything about ibecause it is not in a meter parking... read more

City of Berkeley - Illegally Park.. African American woman has no compassion. She's complaining not to touch her car & can't move her car. Iam handicapped. - Municipality Near Me - Berkeley, California

the City of Berkeley, with it's neighbors, Albany & El Cerrito, is a fun and tasty place to visit. each city has it unique diverse eateries, attractions. there are major problems now, in Berkeley. such as parking and empty stores on Telegraph and downtown. . , with the financial superbubble about to burst, will the decline of stocks, communities, real estate, & energy affect any Berkeley &. neighboring busineess? this year will be a premonition the recent Covid pandemic hasn't helped. but the worst may have peaked. due to there diverse student population at UC Berkeley, there are diverse, affordable, accessab[e eatery at normal hours. there are also mid range and high end eateries available for those with $ and time to wait for a table. 3,5 stars for what was and what it cab be when the new NORMAL arrives. read more

Berkeley, I'm in love with you! People can talk as much sh*t about you as they want to, but that will never change the way that I feel about you. They can call you a hippie and they can say that you're bougie. But they don't know a damn thing about you. They don't know how you are when I'm with you. All of the fun activities that you have, all of the wonderful people that you attract. The great food, the amazing bars, the wonderful shopping, the diversity, the historic background, the beautiful nature, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. People try to compare you to other cities, but you are just incomparable. You my dear, are in a league of your own. Nobody has what you have and you know it. I'm so attracted to you, I just can't stay away. From your beautiful hiking trails to your prestigious college campus, YOU are a one of a kind. You say what you want and you feel how YOU want to feel. Go ahead... let the people represent you proud. You're unaffordable, you have some wacko cray cray people walking down the streets all of the time. But that's why I love you. You're UNIQUE! You bring an essence that no other city has. There may never be a day where you will truly be recognized for all that you have to offer. But I recognize your significance and that's truly all that matters to me. I love you, now and forever. read more

See all

Berkeley, CA is a city measuring about 3 miles from west to east, and about 3 miles from north to south. The City of Albany is just to the north, and the City of Oakland is just to the South. Berkeley has two BART stations, one in downtown Berkeley on Shattuck, and the other on Adeline Street a half block south of Ashby Ave. This makes it easy for people in Berkeley to travel to places such as San Francisco, Richmond, Hayward, Milpitas, Orinda, and Concord. My first-hand knowledge of Berkeley is derived from living in Berkeley or doing business in Berkeley for over 40 years (1969-1980, 1985-1987, and 1994-2021 and beyond). For the past ten years, my most frequent trips in Berkeley have been to do buy things at PhotoLab on Fifth Street, Zachary's on Solano Ave., and Artist & Craftsman Supply on Shattuck Ave. Also, I recently bought an automobile at Toyota of Berkeley on Shattuck Ave. I recommend all of these fine businesses. MY PHOTOS. Two photos of Seaview Trail in Tilden Park, one showing a distant grove of eucalyptus trees, the other showing San Pablo Reservoir to the east. Two photos from Selby Trail in Tilden Park, one showing the tree-filled valley to the east, the other showing a boulder covered by lichens. Strawberry Shortcake is in this photo. Three photos from the U.C. campus: (1) Bridge crossing north branch of Strawberry Creek, (2) Bridge crossing south branch of Strawberry Creek, (3) Morgan Hall, showing the windows of the top-floor laboratory where I worked for six years, performing experiments on vitamins. EMPLOYERS. The main employer in town is U.C. Berkeley. The total enrollment is about 44,000 students, with half being undergrad and half being grad students. This population of students ensures that nearby businesses will have plenty of customers. These businesses include restaurants, coffee shops, groceries, pharmacies, and book stores, most being on Telegraph Ave., Euclid Ave., Shattuck Ave., and College Ave. Movie houses are on Shattuck Ave. and on College Ave. A charming shopping area is on Fourth Street, three blocks east of Route 80. Businesses that are beloved and legendary include, Moe's Books, Zachary's Chicago Pizza, Bette's Oceanview Diner, the Cheese Board, and Peet's Coffee. CONCERT HALLS IN BERKELEY. Zellerbach Hall and Morrison Hall (both on the U.C. campus) are the best places in Berkeley to hear classical music and jazz. At these places, I saw performances by, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Oakland Symphony, David del Tredici (Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, originally from Marin County), Anthony Braxton (jazz sax), Juilliard Quartet, and Richard Stoltzman with Richard Goode. Freight and Salvage is the best venue for hearing American folk music, bluegrass music, rhythm and blues, and ethnic folk music from around the world. At Freight and Salvage, I saw Richard Greene's bluegrass group. Richard Greene was also leader of a rock'n'roll band, Seatrain. PARKS. Berkeley's parks include Tilden Park, Live Oak Park (small but charming), Berkeley Rose Garden, Indian Rock Park, and Ohlone Park. If you are a parent and want your kid to have memories that are magical and wonderful, I recommend taking your kid to the Merry-Go-Round and to the Little Farm in Tilden Park. Further regarding Tilden Park, I have hiked the entire length of Wildcat Creek Trail, Seaview Trail, Nimitz Way, Vollmer Peak Trail, and Selby Trail. ROSE GARDEN. Berkeley Rose Garden is a great place to learn about different varieties of roses. Over 200 varieties of roses are planted here. The Rose Garden is a great place for introverted boys to take a goil for a first date. The reason is that, if the boy is not good at making conversation, the boy and girl can easily make observations about the appearance and fragrance of the roses. ORIGINS OF NAMES FOR STREETS. The origins of the names for various streets in Berkeley, are disclosed in, "Berkeley a City in History" by Charles Wollenberg (2008). For example, Ashby Ave. is named after Mark Ashby, Berryman St. is named after Henry Berryman, Durant Ave. is named after Henry Durant, and Kittredge St. and Shattuck Ave. are each named after, Francis Kittredge Shattuck. read more

See all

I love this city, I went to Cal for grad school and grew up in the Bay Area. Berkeley lives up to its expectations of good food, kind people, diversity and progression. read more

Berkeley at one point was my nirvana hangout back in the day. I was a wide eyed liberal musician that appreciated its vibe. Book stores ,record stores ,electronics stores, funky gourmet ghetto . Played many a gig at the nightclubs in the area(of which many are gone). Used to jazz jam at a doctors office off of Shattuck ,while the doc and his friends toked a few spliffs. Then, the group think ideologues which had been part of it's quaint atmosphere began to eat away at its freedom of thought of being diverse. You can be diverse ,but it's our diverse,which makes it not diverse. A major catch 22. Berkeley's business acumen of boarded up storefronts shows you just how well the city is managed. Add the horrid infrastructure of potholed streets ,speed bumps stop signs,etc in favor of getting rid of cars in the city lend to the what the fuck reasoning they insist on in terms of conformity. A pretty sizable chunk of the cities budget comes from parking tickets and without cars ,nobody will come to shop. And now the plague mandates that are more for show than scientifically grounded. They want Communism ,but the ultimate goal of pure Communism is for the state to wither and go away. In Berkeley,it'll never happen. read more

Be weary and or cautious of the most petty meter maids you will ever come across. No sense of kindness/ empathy. We understand this is your job but that doesn't give you the right to be blatant jack asses. They will fine you two tickets on the same day even if there is one already present. They also dont care if its within the last 10 minutes before 6pm when the meters stop charging. Officer 810 Pinson is the main culprit who likes to be trifiling. He cited me 8 MINUTES before 6pm. They are the epitome of petty. Look them up in the dictionary and there they will be. read more

I love the City of Berkeley! Lots to offer from parks to restaurants to bars to hospitals to the University to Berkeley (GO BEARS!)where my dad graduated and I also graduated. Its the first city I lived in when I moved to the US! It's an all round great place for students young people and for raising families and also hanging out . Different areas for different reasons are great! From Telegraph ave, to Shattuck to North Berkeley to 4th street there are a whole lot of lovely places to shop and dine. Highly recommend this eclectic but authentic city in the East Bay! read more

I have lived in B Berkeley CA for almost twenty three years and have traveled to many other places. I am very fortunate to be a part of the city of Berkeley. It is diverse and the services here are very supportive. read more

Lets hang out!!! We came to dump our tree trash and it was quick and easy- this is my third visit to this place and I like it- I wonder if Anaheim has one of these that is as convenient??? read more

I feel like writing a review on Nixon's birthday and it can't be for a listing I'd be very fond of. Enter Berkeley, California. The phenomenon called "the Berkeley mystique" exists. It's a function of its being a counterculture hotbed, a city across the bay from "the City," a compendium of stereotypes, and California's public flagship university that fetches attention for its research, published faculty, alumni roster, and quirkiness. Some may like this curious mix of ingredients, but I don't. There is the stereotype is that Berkeley is very liberal. Communities with leading universities tend to be liberal. This is even the case in the country's interior where state flagship college towns are oases of blue in seas of red. However, Berkeley can take it a little too far, with its "groupthink," its penchant for rebelliousness, and even the tie dyed crap they sell at the weekend market on Shattuck Avenue's sidewalks. However, for being so liberal, it doesn't seem to do a very good job of helping those in need. There seems to be a huge have-have not chasm in Bay Area communities and it's very noticeable here. I'm thinking some of the liberals might be "limousine liberals," living in its northern part or in the hills, checking the Democrat box, recycling, and thinking everything is hunky dory as long as it's NIMBY. I once worked with a Berkeley graduate and said to him, 'Wow, you went to Berkeley? I hear it's really liberal.' He said, 'When there's a checklist of "shoulds" you have to abide by, that's not liberal.' When you think about it, that's just brilliant. Since I've discussed the university, I want to discuss it some more. I considered U.C. Berkeley for undergrad, I have been on its campus many times, I have taken a seminar there, and I've used their libraries - Moffitt and those at two academic units - to get articles for a research project for a graduate program elsewhere. For undergrad, I would have been on the cusp of being admissible at that point of time whereas, now, that application would be tantamount to a cyberspace form of toilet paper. Today's Berkeley admits barely over 20% of its freshman applicants and I'm sure there's self selection that tells some not to waste their time. The demographics have also skewed toward students who come from ethnicities, races, and religious groups that typically get into better schools. Deal with it, understanding that, in certain societal strata, academic prowess is valued whereas, in others, being "too cool for school" is more tolerated. When I visited U.C. Berkeley on a trip to the Bay Area and the Central Coast between junior and senior year of high school, a force field built up around me as we approached the Sather Gate. Blame it on those kiosks loaded with flyers for every funky and bohemian possibility under the sun! I told my friend that we should just move on with our road trip and I never applied. Vietnam War era protests and pot smoking students of the 60s color U.C. Berkeley's history. In the 90s, it was the alma mater of the nefarious Catherine Tramell in "Basic Instinct," played by Sharon Stone, for whom Michael Douglas was falling, and for which his buddy warned him to stay away from her "magna cum laude *****." Ouch. However, in "Body Heat," William Hurt's buddy Oscar warned him to stay away from Kathleen Turner's Mattie Walker, but he just left it at saying "she's poison." That movie earned its R rating in other ways. Because Berkeley is on San Francisco Bay doesn't mean it's beautiful. Parts of it near I-80 are vapid, especially if you blotted out the view to the west and the hills to the east. In that regard, it's similar to Santa Monica, where its southern parts near Pico Blvd. with the higher numbered streets can be sort of banal, yet now overpriced. The same is true of Berkeley's flat areas with numbered streets west of Shattuck. Then, there's the general feel of the place. Does anyone there eat grubby old fashioned hamburgers, pizza, and Mexican food? It seems that a disproportionate number of places serve up trendy vegan, vegetarian, Thai, pho, and chai stuff and, furthermore, these eateries have signs with hippie dippy fonts while the sidewalk market needs no hippie dippy fonts anywhere because it's got patchouli oil written all over it. On the flip side, I even got into an argument with a priest there when I wanted a confession, told him what it was about, which he misinterpreted, and he looked me up and down smirking, "So you think you're Berkeley cool." What a hoot! I was wearing jeans, a movie t-shirt, and flip flops, and was just visiting. We cleared things up, but I'll never forget that and it makes for a bad memory. Whenever I've shown San Francisco to out of towners, I also tell them, "You've got to see this." So we hop onto BART at the Embarcadero and get off at Shattuck. Their impressions are always interesting. If it makes you feel better, I don't like SoCal's Santa Monica either. read more

See all

Berkeley is the (in)famous hippie city, so much so there are permanent bronzed protesters flanking I-80. On http://kpfa.org they keep up with the Standing Rock protests in North Dakota along with the various anti-Trump marches going on (complete with the Imperial March theme from Star Wars?) Berkeley has its charms, like the UC campus and the Graduate Theological Union, with its modernist New Spirit Church overlooking the Bay. UC has the Campanile, one of the tallest in the world. Back in 1908, Berkeley was nearly the capital of California. Ponder that one. The Hayward Fault creeps through Berkeley, slowly tearing Memorial Stadium. Shattuck Avenue is the "Gourmet Ghetto" where Alice Waters still runs Chez Panisse. Shattuck Avenue has color, character, it's worth it for a little jaunt. For the more artistic-minded, there's the Pacific Film Archive&Berkeley Art Museum. There are several botanical gardens, such as the University of California one and the Regional Parks. The Greek Theater is a famous performance venue. For all its problems, and Berkeley has many, it does have its virtues. Freight&Salvage, La Pena Cultural Center, the buildings of Julia Morgan (who also designed Hearst Castle) Going to Berkeley can be a challenge in terms of traffic... and yes, parking. It played an important historic role. One could say that PDX has supplanted it (even the San Francisco Chronicle noted that Oregon was the epicenter of anti-Trump protests, Berkeley was back to being a backwater) Hipsters have replaced hippies. An interesting place, historically and culturally. read more

Do yourself a favor and visit The Dump if you're in North Oakland or Berkeley. It smells, it's dusty and loud, and probably hazardous to your health if you don't wear a mask. But go, to see where your stuff ends up. If you've already used up your free once a year takeaway by the City of Oakland, take the rest here. I have transported: 1. An entire tree, inside and strapped to the top of my Scion xB, in trips 2. Scrap plywood 3. Wood scraps from construction 4. Random junk left by previous tenants 5. Crappy ikea furniture that fell apart 6. The detritus of life 7. Another tree. (don't worry, I planted 4 for every 1 I took down) as Rusty said, take the recyclables, batteries, etc., down the street and the computer stuff down to ACCRC on the frontage rd. at these three places you will truly understand what it means to reduce, reuse, and recycle, by seeing these processes in action. And you won't want to come back, so you will probably produce less junk. :-) read more

Somehow an employee always knows when you are throwing out porn. "I'll take that," he'll say, in an extremely professional, matter-of-fact tone that makes you GLAD that your depraved, disgusting, discarded porn will find a new home. Maybe it was porn. It could have been a file cabinet. The Dump is a little like hell: huge piles of steaming garbage, lots of noise, smells terrible. My soul feels at peace here. I would like to award a sixth star for all it has done for me. It has taken letters and assorted items from ex-girlfriends, crappy furniture that even the Salvation Army didn't want, and random crap that lived in our basement and housed mutated spiders. I don't think I've moved to a new apartment without making a trip here. It is my Welcome Wagon. read more

I have been to this dump more times in the last ten years than I have been to the doctor. I liquidated both my grandmother's and late uncle's estates and they had so much stuff Good Will wouldn't take I had to dump it. Bring gloves, a mask and tools to get the stuff out of your vehicle and work with a friend. This dump is expensive and don't take computer stuff there, go to http://www.accrc.org/ down the road. This dump is in Berkeley so it is mired in rules and regulations but it is relatively quick and easy. read more

It's mostly for professional dumpers, but for the casual dumper, it's a good experience. I accidentally went on prime weekend dumpage hours, and there was a car line to drive up to the scales. The big concrete plug that we pulled out of the ground, that waste management wouldn't take, since they classified it as construction material, it sat in the passenger chair next to me. The dude poked his head in my window when my turn came, he said, "minimum price, yo, $29." I said, "Jiyeah," since the dump is relatively pungent, and that always makes me think of Ryan Lochte. He said, skip the line on the way back, put that over by the construction stuff, and ask anyone if you have any questions. It was actually a fun, if slightly stanky experience. read more

Berkeley is alright I guess. I don't really know how to review an entire city, so here it goes! I moved here in August to start at Cal. I've loved my time at UC Berkeley so far, but I definitely can notice problems with Berkeley. To be blunt, there is a lot of gross in the city where I live. There are a lot of street people who come up to you and beg. I've been told many times that I'm an a*****e because I don't have any spare change on me. North Berkeley and the Berkeley hills though are VERY nice. I have family in north Berkeley and I love visiting that side of town. There's certainly a lot of flavor to Berkeley, especially downtown. TONS of good eats and drinks. And it's just an overall fun vibe because it's a college town. I'm not sure what else to say, but Berkeley is a cool place to be, especially during college. I'm so glad I transferred here! read more

What's with the Lynn guy? This is the best place to go in west Contra Costa and Alameda counties. You get in and out faster compared to what truly is a rip off in Waste management on Davis street. Worse still, is the San Carlos transfer station where you get charged $35 to dump a couch on top of the minimum. Berkeley has great people who are friendly, knowledgeable, plus they have a partnership with Urban Ore to salvage things people dump there everyday. Lynn, you're ignorant or plain CHEAP!! read more

if you have 8 pieces of plywood, take it to Urban Ore, they'll sell it for cheap. You drop off for free. Will review after my visit there later today. read more

No comprehensive review needed. The City of Berkeley is mostly nice and has a lot of restaurants and such in their central area. They also have much of the same accessibility near their college. However parking is either expensive or unavailable for the most part and the areas that attract the most are not very bicycle friendly. This coupled with the average driver in the area having sub-par driving skills, this leaves BART as the best means for visiting Berkeley. The only issue with that is most public transportation in the area does not run during the late hours. Overall it is an area with a lot of personality and should be visited if you get the chance, but I do not see any major attraction to this twon other than the college. read more

Legalized thievery ... I paid $30.00 to dump off 8 pieces of plywood ... a grand total of 160 lbs..... for plywood ... for f*ing plywood. The guy working the kiosk was embarrassed when he told me the charge. I have always considered people that dump refuse in public spaces to be the lowest of the low ... but with these charges I'm staring to re-consider. Wish I could give it a zero... an awful experience. read more

This place is awesome. Duane Anderson and crew are especially nice and accommodating. Who would known that visiting the city dump would have been such a pleasant experience. read more

Spent 5 minutes in a line. Each vehicle went up to a weigh scale before entering the dumping area. Staff: Where do you live? Me: Berkeley Staff: What are you dumping? Me: Motor Oil Staff: How many gallons? Me: 1 quart Staff: Go ahead to the used motor oil station. Apparently they pay for your used motor oil. Something like 16 cents per gallon. I just drove the hell out of there. read more

Review a city? Hmmmmm never done it but I figure Berkeley would be a great city to start with. Why you ask? Because for a good decade, I used to say Berkeley was my fav city in the bay. Because I used to say Berkeley was my Mecca... Because as a vegan, Berkeley USED TO BE a Mecca. I say 'used to be' because all the progressive movement that Berkeley may have started, has been picked up by other cities and they have done it better. What happened Berkeley?? I LOVED your hippie dippie, tree protecting (and living), vegan friendly environment. I mean this is the home of Cinnaholic and Cha Ya Sushi. It was the sh*t back in the day. I wanted to move here soooo badly. Anyone remember Fellini (the restaurant and not the coffee shop)?!?! It was by far the best vegan breakfast I've EVER had. Berkeley had soooo much potential. But wtf happened? It stopped progressing. The tree people left and Berkeley became less, well it became less Berkeley. Yes, it now has Butcher's Son and it has Vegan Republican which both are ground breaking (that mozzarella cheese at Butcher's Son tho). But the city as a whole is just so stagnate. As someone from San Jose, when I want good vegan food, I will make the trip to SF or to Oakland but I haven't been motivated to make the trip to Berkeley for about 5 years. Hopefully the Butcher's Son will spark something and motivate people to pack their bags and go live in trees again and business people to start opening vegan places again and restore the Mecca status back to Berkeley read more

City of Berkeley makes disposal and recycling very easy and interesting to see. The City employees are very helpful and friendly when using the disposal facility and the pricing is lower than other places. I was in and out fast. Great place, good job City of Berkeley. read more