I cannot recommend the Institute of Urban Homesteading's Cheese Making Intensive enough…read more This day and a half "intensive" is a combination of the cheese making 1, 2 and 3 classes, taught by IUH founder Ruby. It's fast-paced and she throws a lot of information at you, but the whole process is warm, interactive and accessible. I immediately felt like I could leave Ruby's home and make these cheeses (and other dairy products!) we had learned in my own. I especially love that she's found what seems like the perfect middle ground between science lesson and home-cook/homesteader understanding. She brings her personal experience in with just enough of the science and technical understanding to make home cheese making incredible accessible and attainable. I also love that IUH also has a sliding scale for fees because it demonstrates the value they put on what they teach in making these classes more widely accessible. I already have the summer farm tours on my calendar, and I can't wait to take my next class.

I recently took the Canning tomatoes class- and left with all of the skills I needed to do it on my…read moreown. Ruby does such a great job of detailing everything you need to know- as well as why it works. She dispels a lot of myths and fears about canning- it's really not so hard as people think! The class was really fun, part listening and part hands on. We all left with a jar of tasty marinara and the confidence to do it on our own. I would highly recommend any of the IUH classes. They are professional, informative, and give you everything you need to do it on your own without costing an arm and a leg!

I took a beginning serger class here and learned so much in only two hours! I feel a lot more…read moreconfident about choosing a serger and threading it when my project callls for finally getting one. Eli was great and it was a great intro to their lovely studio as well. Maybe I'll schedule machine time there instead of buying a serger? Still to be determined! Thanks Eli!

Eli and her team are AMAZING! They are wonderful instructors and teachers who really know their…read morestuff and yet are accessible, patient, and understand how to teach complete beginners. I know Eli is also very intentional about who she collaborates and works with, which explains the high caliber of guest instructors who lead workshops and classes. I cannot imagine Elmwood without Studio Sessions! Such a special small business. Please support your small businesses! which also means understanding why their policies are what they are--last-minute no-shows and cancellations are extremely detrimental for experience-based businesses. Anyway, I'm excited to take more classes in the future!

My 9-year-old son loves School of Rock. He looks forward to his keyboard lessons with Jo every…read moreweek, and the Rock Band experiences with Mike and Angel are always a blast. The school strikes a great balance between following each kid's interests and building real teamwork skills. Everyone belongs at SOR!

Mikee has generally enjoyed her lessons at School of Rock, which is why this experience was so…read moredisappointing. She had a scheduled lesson with her instructor, Darwin, at 5:15 PM. We arrived at 5:05 PM, and I left her there as usual. At 5:37 PM, Mikee texted me asking who was supposed to be teaching her because no one had come to get her. When I went inside to ask what was going on, I found that Darwin was teaching another student while Mikee had been sitting and waiting the entire time. What was most concerning was that no one seemed to notice that a child who had arrived on time had been waiting for over 20 minutes past her scheduled lesson. I understand that scheduling mistakes happen, but the lack of communication and oversight was frustrating. A student should not have to figure out for herself that something has gone wrong with her lesson. I hope the school takes steps to ensure this doesn't happen to other students in the future.

I am a visual artist and needed some help with the production of my own personal sketchbooks…read more Typically doing high end professional bookbinding, Anne, the director of and teacher at Capricornus put together a personalized curriculum designed to cover my needs. After three month of once a week training, I am holding several custom made sketchbooks in my hands. They are all hand crafted in different binding techniques. Sooo cool! Hands on! Individual! Affordable! I highly recommend.

Hands down best book binding training in the East bay at an astonishing value. She was originally…read moretrained in England in the 1950s at very good schools and she's been doing book binding and art restoration ever since.

I don't consider myself a natural artist, but after taking Introduction to Silkscreen with Emily…read morehere I feel like a spark of potential was finally lit. I thoroughly enjoyed the flexible after-work hours where I could relax and concentrate on just a few set tasks that go into making a screen and prints. The small class size felt both intimate and collaborative. I also loved how the teacher provided great materials to experiment with and Kala had all the necessary equipment. I'd love to come back and take more silkscreen later in the year!

Kala has some great art programs. One of them is Drink and Draw, a post-work evening activity that…read moreinvolves drinkin' an' drawin'. It's a rare opportunity for working folks who love art (but never get to do it) to be artistic and creative. We also hoped it would be an opportunity to meet people, relax, unwind, drink some wine, and hang out... but we discovered one fine weekday eve that it was lots of Draw but very little Drink. There are some serious art students in Berkeley! The art instructor was knowledgeable, talented and inspiring, and brought some great materials for us to use - handmade paper, high-quality ink, brushes. We did have to supply some of our own stuff, like scratch paper, pencils, erasers. She taught us new techniques and was very hands-on. A few completed projects even looked frame-worthy. Kala offers great programs if you want to do art in the evening. However, if you actually want to hang out with friends, catch up, and Drink with your Draw, you may want to go to a bar. Just sayin'...!

A surprising little store next to a park and a bakery and coffee shop. Teas, organic lip balm and…read morethese cute little postcards that need to be seen in person to really appreciate.

The Berkeley Herbal Center has been like a healing miracle gift for me. After suffering from a very…read morepainful cyst for over 8 months, and trying all sorts of remedies on my own that I read about on the Internet, I am finally feeling much better after following the Berkeley Herbal Center treatments for just 3 weeks. I am hopeful and confident that I will heal completely with some more time as I continue with the treatments. The 2 clinicians, Rose Birdsong-Stuart and Christine Holland have been incredibly helpful with their herbal knowledge, skills, and holistic approach to treatment.  They are true healers, taking the time to deeply understand the full picture of my system that was contributing to the imbalances causing the cyst. Rose delivers the herbs to me, including a special decoction that was made by founder Pam Fisher - how's that for outstanding service. I am deeply grateful for the care and guidance I've received (and also to a woman, Clarity, at Urban Remedy who recommended that I look into the Berkeley Herbal Center!).

Wonderful experience! Sheri is so experienced both as a woodcarver and as a teacher! Tread more

I started taking the introductory class a few weeks ago at Sheri's woodcarving studio, and I…read morecouldn't be happier. Sheri has created an enchanting space to learn about woodcarving and to feel part of a mini community. The drop-in structure of the courses is fantastic. The times I have been there, there have been about 3-5 other students of all ages and abilities working on their various projects. Sheri is great about walking around to provide individualized instruction and guidance, and it is also so fun to see what everyone else is working on. The shop is very well organized. Each student gets assigned a work area and a bag with their own set of high-quality tools to use in the shop. I am really enjoying working on the introductory project because you get to practice all sorts of techniques. I will definitely be continuing after I finish the first course!

This is my Happy Place. Every instructor and staff member I've come to know over the past 3 years…read morehas been so helpful and friendly, and the community here is wonderful. The studio is big enough to offer things like visiting artist workshops, a spray booth for glaze, raku, soda firing, and more - and the huge range of work is always inspiring!

I have taken classes there for 5 years, and the instructors are wonderful. Students can use the…read morestudio outside of class time. The value for your $$ is very high. This studio has an amazing offering of classes (6 week and 12 week) and workshops (2-3 days) , and the opportunity to learn all of pottery process, like making glazes and firing the kilns.