We had such a blast getting married at the Berkeley City Club!…read more The staff: Spencer helped with our room block. Brianne, Nicole, and Maria handled all the wedding details. Nicole was super responsive during planning. Nicole and Maria were amazing on the day of, checking in, helping with last-minute changes, and even making sure my husband and I got a plate of hors d'oeuvres. The whole team was awesome. The venue and logistics: It's an older building, so heat isn't always adjustable, but you can turn it to the lowest setting. Towels were soft, water was hot, and the honeymoon suite was quiet. There's always a coffee and tea bar near the lobby and fresh water with fruit in it. Pool sign-up is required. One person found it a bit cold, but others liked it. Shampoo, conditioner, lotion, body wash, and makeup removers were provided. Location and vibe: Stunning historic building in the heart of Berkeley. Guests could walk around the city easily. Amazing Golden Gate Bridge views. Explore the courtyards and hidden spaces--you'll find new spots everywhere! Overall, a gorgeous, unique, and super fun place to get married. We can't wait to come back for our one-year anniversary!

THE CITY CLUB BAR…read more John treated me ! Thanks Johnny boy!! I started with a Gin Martini 2 olives & a twist on ice ... Unfortunately the ice wasn't in cubes so the flavor was so watered down that I couldn't taste the gin at all...We then were served some great little warm breads with delicious butter YUM! The split mixed iceburg lettuce salad arrived which was a generous portion & well dressed with some notes of tarragon ..nice! John ordered the braised short rib & he subbed out the mashed potato/roquefort for the fried potato disks that came with the rib eye. Good spuds! My beef bourguignon had wonderful toothsome wide egg noodles but weirdly, chunks of green pepper & undercooked pearl onions? The beefy gravy was perfect on the pasta BUT the beef's texture was terrible.. mushy without a smidgen of bite! YUCK! When John had me taste his beef the resuts were much the same... too soft & textureless.. then the opposite...the pretty split carrot halves were too hard & undercooked on his plate to bring out their sweetness....I assume these 2 long cooked meats styles had been sitting for god knows how long I left most of the dinner to take home & see if I could repair the dish... (I'll probably eat the noodles and use the beef in a taco?). so my suggestion is to order the rack of lamb (if I return....which John had had & recommended) & stay away from long cooked items (except beans)

I attended a memorial service here last Saturday for my son's grandfather and my former…read morefather-in-law. Tom was always kind and generous to me, and I was honoured to be able to attend this very heartfelt and classy event for a really great guy. He was a Renaissance Man of sorts, whose 87+ years spanned a distinguished University career and a love for competitive sailing and tennis, skiing, wood working, music (oboe), gardening, language, and family. His impressive obituary also appeared in the New York Times and it's entirely possible that his path crossed with that of Gayle's Dad at around the time of 3 Mile Island. And a short while ago, Gayle and I were invited to his home for dinner, as he was curious about her and how I was doing. My favourite memory of Tom was a family conversation when he calmly and politely asked me a logical sequence of questions based on some "factual" statement that I had made. I answered then in turn and was initially quite sure of my position. By the 3rd or 4th question, I realized that I was logically trapped and by my own rope! He kindly let me off the hook, but I left that conversation impressed and humbled. I previously knew of the Town and Gown Club and had walked past it on the corner of Dana and Dwight many a time without recognizing it as such. It was founded by Emmanuel Marie Paget in 1898 as a club house for Berkeley women. It is a striking, yet simple redwood structure, of which the tall core is the work of Bernard Maybeck. The first floor features a common area with dark woods and angled ceiling beams, plus a library, kitchen, cloakroom and a small, but elegant outdoor garden. Upstairs is a meeting hall and auditorium, which is where Tom's service took place under the watchful eyes of his family, friends, and his beloved bonsai and flowering cherry plants. I was also grateful to be welcomed into the family again for this brief period by Tom's wife and my sister-in-law's family. There were kind words and hugs all around. And as each person stood up to celebrate Tom's life and accomplishments, I felt proud and grateful that I had the privilege of knowing him too.

Beautiful historic club. Wonderful events and lovely members.read more

The Sierra Club Berkeley is an international environmental group based in Oakland, California. The…read moreClub is America's oldest, largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. Inspired by nature, they work together to protect our communities and the planet. I've been a fan for as long as I can remember. If you get on their mailing list you may be sent beautiful environmental greeting cards! I became involved when I lived in Berkeley 1970. Go to their website to see how you can be involved and join in their activities.

Great club for family . Lots of different options. Wonderful to place to socialize with friendsread more

The Colombo Club holds a significant and bittersweet place in my heart, woven with memories of my…read moregrandfather, Raymond Fratangelo, who served as past president and spent years on the board, dedicated to preserving the club's family-oriented spirit. As his granddaughter, I grew up there as his shadow, learning the values he championed, sharing in his commitment, and even pitching in myself. I was down there almost every day doing homework in the board room on men's nights to eventually becoming a server. For our family, the club was more than a building; it was a sanctuary for connection and tradition. After my grandfather passed, the atmosphere at the club grew noticeably colder, almost unrecognizable. One evening, I visited on a family night, feeling the need to be near his presence. I went to his board room, where I used to help organize his files as he spoke to vendors. I remember opening up his drawer and looking lovingly at his business card and his rulers I used to use for geometry. I was suddenly interrupted and informed that no one was allowed in there anymore and then I was accused of stealing - (what was I going to steal invoices? For Christ sake) this was a blunt reminder of how much the club had changed. I expected to be embraced during this time and people were extremely tone deaf. Adding to the heartbreak, I learned that my uncle, Vince Fratangelo, who had become vice president, played a role in widening the rift within our family. Like my grandfather, he is been in a leadership position at the club, yet when my grandparents both passed away, he cut off all contact with all family members. Later, it became clear that he had intentionally created a wedge between me, other family members, and even club members. It's a sad irony that someone so active in a club that once upheld family values would choose to outcast his own and undermine the very relationships my grandfather had treasured. For me, the Colombo Club will always be tied to warm memories of my grandfather's legacy and the values he cherished. But with his passing, those values seem to have been replaced by a colder, more divisive atmosphere. The club, once a symbol of connection and tradition, has lost the warmth that once made it a true home for families like ours.

I had the honor of being asked to present a FEMTalk and had a great experience. Jessica's staff was…read moreorganized and supportive, the audience was receptive and responsive and we all enjoyed our experience a lot. I have also had a great time and learned tons as an audience participant at FEMTalks. Highly recommended! Note: I just found this old review that I meant to post in 2012 and somehow never pushed the button. It's still true, so I'm putting it out now, 4 years later.

As a FEM Talks audience member, I've had the pleasure of attending and watching this amazing event…read moregrow from the very beginning. If you are an open-hearted woman in the Bay Area, there is something here for you! Jessica books speakers on relevant topics, the events themselves are engaging, thought-provoking and fun (where else are you going to find an evening of awesome that starts with a "WARM-UP DIVA"?), and you'll leave with new ideas and new connections. Tickets are very reasonably priced for the value & experience (and compared to other similar events), and if you're low on cash, you can volunteer in exchange for your ticket or take advantage of the Bring A Friend or Maiden/Matron discounts. As a FEM Talks speaker (August 2013), I found Jessica an absolute delight to work with. She's organized, knowledgeable, warm and effortlessly connects the speakers to each other and the audience. As a feminist, I am a fan of cooperation and sisterhood, not the "women have to be in competition with each other for scarce resources" b.s. that we've all been fed in this culture. If you want a taste of feminine cooperation, come to FEM Talks. You'll be glad you did!

What a hidden gem of a place. Looks like a great facility with solid trainers. Not sure there's…read moreanything like it in the area. Lena is a stud athlete and can help train runners as well as multiple sports. PLUS, this is a great place to hold private gatherings with friends - there's fun activities including ping pong and just bring your own (BYOB) refreshments. Lastly, they have many adult teams that members can join so get involved and PLAY!

Lena and Brian have created a really great community space for working out. They accommodate…read moredifferent ages, athleticism, and sizes. They push me to work harder without judgment.

Thanks for responding to my request but your services are no longer needed at this timeread more

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 :)

Please visit the club's website for location information, as location is occasionally subject to…read morechange: http://downtownberkeley.toastmastersclubs.org/ I joined Downtown Berkeley Toastmasters in January and have found it to be a highly valuable experience. I joined to strengthen my confidence and communication in the workplace, and have experienced three recent situations, where I realized I had accomplished just that. I was impressed to see such impact so quickly--not only from having the experience of getting comfortable being up in front other others to give speeches, but in learning how to think faster on my feet during Table Topics (Impromptu speaking), and in assuming other roles that require evaluation, feedback, and presentation skills. Additionally, Downtown Berkeley Toastmasters is an hour I look forward to each week. It is a very warm welcoming group that manages to balance structure and efficiency with a down-to-earth tone. And, I have heard about fascinating topics I would otherwise know nothing about through hearing the speeches of others. All in all a great way to learn, grow, and spend one lunch hour a week!

Starting my third year with this club means I like it! We are so grateful to Berkeley Repertory…read moreTheater for providing us meeting space at 2071 Addison St., the Bakery Room. It's a perfect spot for us: in an historic building in the heart of downtown Berkeley. So much better than the old spot at Berkeley City College where we were at the mercy of confusing schedule changes and surrounded by the chaos of student life. Our Toastmasters club continues to attract new members and many visitors. I so enjoy acting as the club's VP of Education and scheduling program. And,after a long summer of itinerant meetings - during which we stayed on track to meet our membership and speaking goals- our club has a new home! Current membership ranges in age from 30s to 70s and includes students, professionals and retirees as well as members from France, China, Israel and Iran.

Never miss this, I love the diversity of nerdy talks and learning about the most random things…read more The event consists of three twenty-minute (ish) talks with breaks in between. Club 21 has a good vibe to it. Bar tenders are friendly and make excellent drinks, and there are rotating food venders.

This is a great event, dynamic once-a-month lectures with alcohol! Very friendly audience,…read moreinquisitive and - in my estimation - woke. Close to 19th Street BART. I go to as often as possible and always get inspired by the speakers.