The pool is great! And it's open way more hours this summer than the past. Pretty much 12-6pm…read moreeveryday for rec swim. FYI the pool is only open during the summer.

The Strawberry Canyon Recreation Area (SCRA) is a hidden gem located above the Cal Campus and on…read morethe road up the hill on the way up to the Lawrence Hall of Science. It features an outdoor swimming pool, a ropes course, locker rooms, fitness center, barbecue/picnic area, and the Haas Clubhouse. I've been here for a few private parties at the Clubhouse. But what I really enjoy is bringing the family here for a swim and a chance to hang out poolside or on the grass. It's quiet, peaceful and in lush surroundings. And it's only a short drive from the urban grittiness of my Albany home.

TL;DR beautiful pool, beautiful gym…read more PLUSES: + outdoor pool = great view (campanile) + design is old, rustic, and beautiful + huge locker rooms + halls are perfect for a photoshoot

Designed by Julia Morgan and located on the UC Berkeley campus the Hearst Memorial Gymnasium houses…read moreHearst Pool. It looks and feels exactly the way you would imagine the ancient bathhouses of the Romans. Adorned in ornate marble tile decks, colonnaded walls, and spectacular statuary, you'll swear you were in Greece. The bottom of the pool is lined in marble, a beautiful site to take in while submerged in your lap routine. As you turn your head to the side for an inhale either see the iconic Campanile, or one of the many classical goddesses or 'putti' sculptures. You have to have a membership to access. Definitely worth the cost! Paid parking only so ride a bike or walk for an extra workout.

I had an unfortunate encounter with the front desk staff today when I went into Berkeley Tennis…read moreClub. I went to the front desk with the wrong information, and rather than being offered support, I was immediately treated like a child and my personal space was invaded. I was previously interested in becoming a patron, but am not interested in being condescended to at any establishment.

I visited the club in July and the admin upfront was very disorganized. There was no manager…read moreavailable to speak with? I came here to see if could sign up for tennis lessons and also because I heard great things about the swim lessons but it was a total waste of time and no one was able to help me. Left a bad taste so I left and choose to go some where else.

OLYMPIAN GOLD MEDALIST MISSY FRANKLIN…read more I came last Saturday to watch a swim meet between Arizona Wildcats vs. California Golden Bears. The main attraction for me was a chance to see Olympic Gold Medalist Missy Franklin swim in competition. The layout of the facility is different from what I normally see a swim meet on television. First the lanes are only 25 meters long - half of the standard 50 meters lane. Second the facility is outdoor. The facility overall is small than the standard world class swimming facility. However the smaller facility means that you have a great view to see events from the diving competition to the swim races. Another cool feature about the facility is that on the wall facing the spectators you can see years of NCAA championships that Cal Golden Bears team have won relating to water sports - Men's Swimming and Diving Team, Women's Swimming and Diving Team, and Men's Water Polo. Not only did I have a chance to see Missy Franklin swim to win three events - 200M Freestyle, 100M Freestyle, and 500M Freestyle - but also the swim meet was free admission to the public. Where do you have a chance to see an Olympic Gold Medalist compete for free? It appears this is the place to see.

Their website says their open Sat at 11am. I arrived at 1 pm and they were closed…read more Went to Hearst pool, mentioned it the folks at the desk and they couldn't give a damn. Their respond was oh well. Your a college with bright young kids the least you can do is have an accurate website!

Positives: They…read morehave like 17 squat racks in a room. It's amazing to see. The chemicals in the spray bottles are blue, so I know the workout equipment I'm spraying it with will be clean. The cardio area looked nice but I didn't get a chance to use it when I went two weeks ago. Negatives: Their upper body free weight area is kind of stuffy.

The Berkeley YMCA continues to be my least favorite branch, which is unfortunate because it is my…read morehome branch. A month ago or so, I was there on a Saturday afternoon, and a staff member comes into the locker room to announce they are about to close. I hop in the shower and quickly get dressed. The staff tell each member on their way out that next time, they need to leave earlier. I can certainly understand wanting people to exit by closing time so that you can clock out as soon as your shift is over, but how about setting yourself up for success by starting with some sort of announcement about closing time? Do they really think all members know the exact gym hours -- which vary by the day of the week? I don't think they have public address system, but it would solve the problem of members not being aware that the gym is closing soon. The public library gets everyone out on time by announcing 30, 15, and five minutes remaining. The YMCA should do the same. One more thing: the men's locker room is has an unpleasant air -- and it isn't just from the men. The vents push warm air in for some reason, making it uncomfortable. I guess it's another way they try to get people to leave.

We could not recommend Malrie and Carlos enough. They took a blank slate and turned it into the…read morebackyard resort of our dreams. Malrie is a phenomenal designer (and person) --she guided us through every aesthetic and functional choice from layout to landscaping, and became a true friend throughout the process. She gave us peace of mind with transparent pricing and a clear payment schedule, taking all the financial stress out of the equation.Carlos and his crew showed up every single day and delivered flawless execution throughout. Arreola handled everything seamlessly, even coordinating with Anderson Arbors for our pavilion. Now, we are out in our yard every single day swimming in our new salt water pool, relaxing in the in-ground spa, or cooking in our outdoor pavilion (complete with a built-in kitchen and fireplace too). This was a massive project that turned out beautifully. We could not be happier. If you want a team that will guide you through an overwhelming process, make you feel 100% confident, and deliver exceptional craftsmanship, you want Malrie and Carlos. They are amazing people who go above and beyond. We are absolutely in love with our new yard! Happy to be a resource to anyone considering.

They came recommended from a trusted friend, but we knew we were ready to book Arreola when they…read moresuggested some instrumental design updates that would make our yard SO much more functional and it was nothing we could have come up with on our own. Once we started working with them, they were everything you'd want in an engagement and more. Extremely reliable, responsible, dependable, and definitely went above and beyond in so many ways. They walk you through every step of the process but also let you be involved with as little or as much as possible. So attentive and available whenever we had questions about anything. All of their crew onsite were friendly and respectful. We added on things along the way but they still met the original timeline discussed. We could not be happier with the turnout and spend so much more time in our yard now! Would recommend and happily be a resource for anyone considering.

We wanted a Japanese garden with a waterfall cascading down a…read more 17-foot drop in front of our home and to have two Japanese bridges cross the stream at different heights. We thought this idea would be difficult to execute because it would need engineering, electrical work, plumbing, lighting, plants, boulders, and a beautiful design. We contacted Jorge and explained what we wanted and after a consultation of about an hour at our home, he said he would think about it and give us a proposal. We were amazed at the conceptual design that he had and that he had diagrammed, overwhelmed by his attention to detail in the bid, and incredulous that he and his crew brought it flawlessly to fruition. The job took about 4 week and the transformation is incredible. We have had neighbors tell us that it is not only a thing of beauty but is a calming influence with the sound of the rushing water. One neighbor puts his chair at the bottom of the waterfall and meditates for long periods of time. We love the sound of the rushing water and keep our front door and windows open to hear it through the day and evening. Jorge and his crew are highly skilled, extremely knowledgeable, neat considering the tons of material they needed to do this job, highly professional, and priced very fairly for the stunning beauty they create. Jorge managed the entire job and communicated with us every step of the way. You can trust your project will be done perfectly if you engage their services.

I don't even want to put 1 star. I should have known not to hire the company based off not helping…read moreus find a solution to our sprinkler leak problem. Atzin didn't seem like he knew or could help and just came to do the job that his father sent him out to do- replace our irrigation valve on 5/28/2024. Less than two years later it is leaking due to not putting the right glue on the PVC parts and components. When I spoke with him on the phone today 8/1/26 all he could say was bad news and that they no longer do that kind of job. Now I know why! I would NOT recommend them for any of your landscaping needs. Lack of quality, value and customer service.

I'll miss this place. Honestly, going off quality alone, the RSF is a very high quality gym with…read moremultiple rooms for anything you want to do, including combat sports like boxing or martial arts, basketball, squash, stretching rooms, group fitness rooms, and an Olympic-style pool. To be honest, I don't use all of those very much, but I use the weights a lot, and the weight rooms are also amazing. There are about 3 weight rooms, with most of the machines you'd ever want as well as 10 full power racks, so about 10 people can bench at a time and 20 people can do other barbell movements, not to mention the abundance of additional floor space for deadlifts. Where the RSF shines above commercial gyms is the availability of equipment. There are an insane abundance of plates, including 2.5 and 1.25 lb plates for micro loading and plenty of clips. There are also yoga mats, stretching equipment, barbell pads, and lifting belts that can be borrowed from the staff. The gym is also always very clean. The only negatives about the gym is that the staff are a little stricter than commercial gyms, such as that people always have to use clips, though this is fairly sensible. The bigger downside is that they don't allow any Olympic style movement (snatch, clean and jerk, etc.) so if you're interested in training these at all, this might not be the gym for you. Also, it often gets a little crowded during the school year peaking at around 5-7pm on weekdays (after classes get out), but that's expected, considering that there are like 30,000 people who have a membership to the gym at a given time (students of the university receive free access). Overall, if you are a student or otherwise have free access to the RSF, it really is a 5 star gym for most purposes, but as an outside person purchasing a membership, it'd probably be closer to 3 stars just because the membership is quite expensive and it often gets crowded.

This review is long overdue form my time at Cal, but I went to RSF throughout my time at Berkeley…read moreand loved it. It was fairly good and clean gym, they do get super busy in the evenings and have time limits for machines (during busy times), but oh well. I did take taekwondo there too, though though I wasn't too keen on the teaching style. I did love the equipment, mostly running, used the pool, and it was fairly decent experience overall as a student

Honestly, I was so impressed with how much my kids (Almost 5 and almost 3) progressed during their…read more12 lessons. Before they started, I warned their instructor that we did not expect much because both of them were very hesitant about getting in the water and often refused to even try things like putting their face in the water or doing assisted floating. Jianna did an AMAZING job with my kids, because by the end of the 4 weeks, my 5 year old was swimming unassisted in backstroke and freestyle across the pool, and practicing skills to keep herself afloat and able to safely get to the wall. My 3 year old who wanted nothing to do with the water was getting in on his own, kicking when instructed, and even attempting to blow bubbles. Jianna was so patient and positive with my kids, and they looked forward to seeing her every day. She was attentive and so knowledgeable, and was able to work with very different development and skill levels extremely effectively. She has taken away so much stress from this mom and I am extremely grateful to her and Sunsational for these lessons. Definitely will be using again and highly recommend!

Linda was a caring and excellent teacher. She really understood how to help me overcome the fear…read moreand make sure I learn the important safety skills. I look forward to every session with her and it has made my summer so fun. The whole enrollment process is smooth and easy too. Highly recommend !