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.

This place was recommended by a friend from our pickleball group, and I'm glad we checked it out!…read more The young gentleman who helped us was friendly, knowledgeable, and very patient in answering all of our questions. One of the best things they offer is their demo paddle rental program. You get 30 days to try different paddles and can check out up to three at a time. During that period, you can come back and swap them out as many times as you'd like to find the right fit for your game. The rental fee is applied back to your account as store credit once you return the paddles, which can be used toward a future purchase. Just keep in mind there is a $2 per day late fee if you return them after the rental period. They also sell demo paddles at discounted prices, so it's worth keeping an eye out if you're looking for a good deal and don't necessarily need a brand-new paddle. This is a great option for anyone getting into pickleball or looking to upgrade their equipment without making a blind purchase. I'll definitely be back!

This place is the best! Shout out to all the young guys that are usually working there - they're…read morealways happy to help answer all my tennis racket/string questions! I recently did the racket demo program. It is awesome, you get 30 days to try as many rackets as you'd like, 3 at a time, for $40. The $40 is like a down payment toward the racket you eventually end up choosing! Bryce helped me out the first time I came in - gave me all the basics in a very friendly and approachable way! I swapped rackets many times lol and it was always pretty quick and easy. Anytime I needed a recommendation, I felt like I could trust what they were telling me from their own tennis experience! I ended up getting a Head Gravity racket with pretty blue, Mach 10 strings to match lol - I couldn't be more pleased with my choice! The price match they offer can also be handy - even though they ended up having the cheapest prices in store when I went, it's good to keep in mind if you happen to see a cheaper price online, they'll honor it, according to their policy! Tennis can be expensive haha so just keep this policy in mind! They're a small shop but I feel good supporting local! Sometimes they might not have what you're looking for, but they're happy to get it from their other location/order it for you and they're always really good about calling you when your item or racket is ready! For example, they had to get my racket and some racket head protection tape from their other store, on different occasions. They called me each time when it was ready. For your fellow tennis lovers, keep this place in mind - they have gift cards! I actually got a gift card for my birthday lol that I used towards my new racket. I also bought tennis balls here as part of my tennis friend's birthday gift - recommended by Bryce - and they ended up being great balls! Dunlop Grand Prix! I will always appreciate the help, knowledge/recs, and friendly service from Courtside - come support them if you need anything for tennis!

A very nice park in South Berkeley!!…read more I haven't been here in a very long time, I can tell they remodeled this park, and they did a great job!! The basketball courts alone are great now, along with the tennis courts and baseball field. This park takes up one block, there is also a kids area here along with clean restrooms!! I remember playing basketball here at night, as the courts are lighted, and they still are!!

Grove Park is great, and I imagine even better after construction the sort of club house they are…read moreredoing. We love the tot-older kid playground area. One section has tot swings, sand box, playground and the other area has a huge slide and climbing structure. It's great for all ages, honestly. It has about 5 picnic tables (great for reserving for a bday party), and a little grassy area. Not a ton of shade, so on those sunny, hot days, be prepared. Next to the playground area, the park extends to huge grassy fields, basketball courts, bathrooms, and tennis courts. It's honestly such a great public park for South central Berkeley. Overall, five stars! Great park for all!

First time here to this park! I saw that it was down the street from Grove Park, which normally has…read morea lot of people! I found this park accessible from Google Maps and decided to check it out today Everything going on here at the park from kite flying, volleyball, soccer, basketball, tennis, pickle ball, and everyone out enjoying the lovely day The bathrooms were clean and air-conditioned, and I also like that every other court had benches in front of it to put your stuff down and relax would probably come here again soon! favorite park in the area now!

I take the kids here after school for a quick break. Sometimes we put the grill to use and have…read moredinner at the park as well. San Pablo has two playgrounds (one for tots and one for older kids), tennis courts, basketball courts, baseball field and a large grassy field. They also have a community room and bathrooms available. During the summer, they provide free lunch for the kids :) I see a bunch of after 5pm clubs utilizing the area.

Beautiful new courts!…read more Really recently renovated (as of 2015) and have lots of new seats, and a wall of concrete "bleachers" to house as many people as want to come watch Cal dominate at tennis! 2 bathrooms and a drinking fountain on premises. Some shade, but bring a hat and sunscreen if you want to not be limited to one corner. :)

JP is a great coach and I am so lucky I found him. He has offered me great tips that have really…read morechanged and improved my forehand. He is good and thorough at spotting areas for improvement and has a great way of explaining what needs to change to make it better. He sees it and immediately knows what is wrong. He'll video it, show you and help you fix it. I really like that in a coach. Rather than just settle with the bad patterns I bring on the court, he is relentless and patient in changing my habits and making me a stronger player. He is super encouraging too. I highly recommend JP!

JP is the best tennis instructor I've worked with - he clearly understands the game as an expert…read more He quickly identified my level and knew how to take me to the next one (which is what I was looking for). Good variety in drills and playing, learned some new techniques, and overall just a ton of fun to play and work on my game with!

I like Cedar Rose Park…read more - Plenty of street parking. - There are bathrooms - I wouldn't say super clean, but they exist. - 2 playgrounds - 1 older structure and 1 pretty big and nice tot/older kid structure with sand pit and swings. Not epic, by any means but suffices. Why you love Cedar Rose Park is for the huge field. On most weekdays, kids are having soccer practice (and it can host multiple teams) and there will be a gaggle of dogs playing - it is most definitely a dog meetup at least at that 6/7pm hour. Weekends are filled with families and birthday parties. Part of the bike route connecting downtown Berkeley and the Ohlone Greenway, so a nice bike route with benches sprinkled amongst it with tennis/pickleball courts across the street. Overall a great, green open space in our little city.

Nice small park in a residential area in Berkeley!!…read more The Ohlone Greenway trail, goes through this park. The large grassy area was filled with people the day I was here. There's also a small community center and playground here, and it seems very popular with the local residents. Nice park!!

From a six year old- "well I like the monkey bars and climbing pirate ship thing. And I also like…read morethe slide, creek and caterpillar!" Creek was a huge hit! Adult review, "I can get coffee near by at hidden cafe!" Win. Win.

Great little park away from the noise, cars, and hustle of the city. You want a little peace and…read morequiet to chill, read, or do nothing. Pro tip.... Bring a blanket in case the grass is wet. This is the place. Also, Hidden Cafe is right there for great coffee and snacks. (Closed Monday) This park stretches for a few blocks behind the busy streets with tennis courts, a kids playground and a clean creek flowing through it. Kids were playing in the creek and having a great time. The rope play structure is awesome. A very nice place to get away from it all in Berkeley and let's be real, there's a lot to get away from on Berkeley.

I cannot recommend the East Bay Tennis League highly enough -- it was pretty much the saving grace…read moreof 2020 for me. It's a freakishly affordable, easy way to get matches with players matched to your level, and while the competition's good, people are nice and chill. I'm a big fan. Before I found it, I was trying (and failing) to use NextDoor and Craigslist to find matches with local people -- not one of those panned out. I joined figuring that the cost was so low, I had nothing to lose -- and was then amazed at how well-run it was, and how populated it was by cool people to play with. Upon joining the EBTL, I had almost as many matches as I wanted (some people play one every so often, while others are managing to get in 3 a week or more!). How it works: matches are self-scheduled. The algorithms the league uses to sort people into groups of equal levels work very well, esp. after you've played a few matches. The app for phones is very easy to use and well-designed, but if you want to just use your computer, that's fine (and well-designed too.) Matches are "competitive" in the sense that people play scored matches and try to win... but 99% of the participants are easy-going and understand that no one's going to Wimbledon anytime soon. (And while only "matches" count for the purposes of the league, it's been a great way to meet people that I just want to hit with, as well!)

Great app to meet new local players in your area and similar skill level. Best part is its flexible…read moreand even a tournament style playoffs at the end of n each season. App is simple and easy to use.