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Berkeley, Oakland, and the East Bay

Across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco is the East Bay � Contra Costa County and Alameda County.

Oakland Berkeley Getting There

Oakland

Since the 1960's, Oakland has been a hub of radical culture, and is known as the birthplace of both the Black Panther Party and the Hell's Angels. Oakland's history in the arts and entertainment arena is notable as well, as Oakland has nurtured or been a second home to novelists Jack London, Gertrude Stein, Amy Tan, and Maya Angelou; actors Mark Hamill, Danny Glover, Bruce Lee, and Tom Hanks; architect Julia Morgan, classical conductor Calvin Simmons, rapper Tupac Shakur, graphic-novel author Daniel Clowes, and many more notables in the liberal arts and sciences. According to the 2000 Census, Oakland is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the United States (a title it shares with Long Beach, California) - with over 150 Languages spoken.

Things to Do in Oakland

City of Oakland Walking Tours
(510) 238-3234

90-minute tours of downtown Oakland (including Chinatown) offered Wednesdays & Saturdays, May through October. Reservations are recommended but not required. Free.

African American Museum & Library at Oakland
659 14th Street(at Martin Luther King Jr. Way)
Hours: Tues-Sat Noon-5:30p

The African American Museum and Library at Oakland is dedicated to discover, preserve, interpret and share the historical and cultural experiences of African Americans in California and the West for present and future generations.

Jack London Square
At the west end of Broadway
Open 24 hours

Oakland's principal tourist destination, Jack London Square has seen serious renovation over the years. Named after writer Jack London, the city's favorite son, the area was the original wharf district of Oakland and retains some of its maritime feel. The main attractions today are shopping and restaurants, though, and you may find yourself wondering how exactly JLS differs from a large waterfront mall.

Oakland Museum of California
1000 Oak Street (at 10th; Lake Merritt BART station)
(510) 238-2200
Hours: W-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 12PM-5PM

A startlingly good museum dedicated to the art, history, and culture of California. The building itself is an admirable piece of architecture, and the exhibits are almost uniformly excellent and engaging. Well worth a visit.

Joaquin Miller Park
Joaquin Miller Road (entrance about 1 mile from highway 13)
(510) 238-3481

A beautiful park in the Oakland hills, made up in part of "The Hights", the old estate of California poet Joaquin Miller. The park has some of the few remaining old-growth redwood groves in the East Bay. Lots of hiking and bike-riding opportunities. Free.

USS Potomac
Water Street (adjacent to Jack London Square)
(510) 627-1215
Hours: We 10:30AM-3:30PM, F&Su noon-3:30PM (for dockside tours)
Historic cruises on the bay are available Apr-Oct Th&Sa; call (866) 468-3399 for booking

Originally built as a Coast Guard Cutter, the Potomac was remodeled as Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidential yacht in 1936 and served in that role until his death in 1945. In 1941, a fishing trip on the Potomac served as a cover story for Roosevelt's secret meeting with Churchill in Newfoundland waters; this meeting led to the allied partnership during World War II and eventually to the formation of the United Nations.

Things to See in Oakland

Chabot Space and Science Center
10000 Skyline Boulevard
(510) 336-7300
Hours: Wed&Thurs 10a-5p, Fri&Sat 10a-10p, Sun 11a-5p

Opened in August 2000, the new Chabot Space and Science Center is a state-of-the-art science and technology education facility on a 13-acre site in the hills of Oakland. Visitors can watch planetarium shows and/or Megadome movies, simulate space missions in the Challenger Learning Center, explore a variety of changing hands-on exhibits, observe the sky through the center's telescopes, and much more. In addition, the Science Discovery Lab (for children 7 and under and their parent/guardian) is fantastic.

Grand Lake Theater
3200 Grand Ave (near MacArthur Blvd and 580)
(510) 452-3556

This beautiful Art Deco theater (built in 1926) shows first-run movies. It has a spectacular neon sign that is lit on weekends, and is famous for the ultra-liberal (and sometimes conspiracy-minded) weekly sign proclamations from the theater owner. At Friday and Saturday evening shows, an organist plays standards in the main theater.

Fox Theater
1807 Telegraph Avenue (downtown, near 19th Street)
(510) 548-3010

A former movie theatre, the Fox was built in 1928. It closed its doors in 1970 and stood empty until 2009, when it reopened as a 1,500 - 2,800 seat music venue, following a two-year, $75 million renovation. One block from the 19th St BART stop, the Fox Theatre is in the heart of Oakland's Uptown neighborhood, which is also being re-branded as the Arts and Entertainment district.

Paramount Theater
2025 Broadway (downtown, near 19th Street)
(510) 465-6400

This gorgeous Depression-era theater, completed in 1931, has been completely restored and is maintained in almost mint condition. It's worth just looking at the sculpture, the paintings, even the carpets. Shows include classic movies, concerts, and other live performances.

Children's Fairyland
699 Bellevue Avenue (enter via Grand Ave near Lake Merritt)
(510) 452-2259
Hours: Mon�Fri 10a�4p, Sat and Sun 10a�5p

Amazing, dynamic playground and destination for children, right on Lake Merritt. Please note that only adults with children can enter. Make sure you get a Magic Key.

Oakland Zoo
9777 Golf Links Rd (Exit off I-580)
(510) 632-9525
Hours: 10AM-4PM daily

The mission of the Oakland Zoo is to inspire respect for and stewardship of the natural world, while providing a quality visitor experience. At the Oakland Zoo, you can explore together, learn together, and have fun together. $10.50 for adults, kids and seniors $7.

Berkeley

Berkeley has a reputation for being perhaps the most progressive city in the United States. Rooted in the Free Speech Movement of the 1960s, visitors will find an unique mix of cultures and viewpoints. Berkeley's free-thinking environment has seen the birth of quality attractions, great food from many cultures, and of course the internationally renowned University of California, Berkeley. The affluent, aging Berkeley Hills look down--literally and figuratively--on the "city of Berkeley", the small but vital urban core. For a city of just over 100,000 people--barely a medium-sized city in the California context--Berkeley is extremely complex.

Things to See in Berkeley

University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, or "Cal")
At the corner of University Avenue and Oxford Streets
Hours: Tours on M-Sa at 10AM, Su at 1PM

The Visitor Center, 101 University Hall offers 90-minute student-led walking tours seven days a week. Be prepared to climb the hilly campus terrain. For a break, take a seat in the Doe Library's reading room. The main attraction is a ride up the Campanile Tower ($2 general admission), which offers sweeping views of the Bay Area.

Lawrence Hall of Science
on Centennial Drive in the hills of the Berkeley campus
510 642-5132
Hours: Daily 10a-5p

UC Berkeley's public science center and a destination for science fun for more than 40 years. Their plaza is one of the best places to get a panoramic view of the Bay Area: San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, Oakland and the Bay Bridge. From the giant DNA sculpture on the plaza, to exploring the ultrasmall in the NanoZone, you'll have a whale of a time!

Berkeley Art Museum
2626 Bancroft Way (between Telegraph and Durant)
additional entrance at 2621 Durant Avenue
510 642-0808
Hours: W-Su 11AM-5PM, Th 11AM-7PM

Though small, BAM's art galleries and its rotating exhibitions rival any other big-city collection. The museum, run by the University of California, is in a building that is itself an impressive work of modernist architecture.

Pacific Film Archive
2575 Bancroft Way (between Telegraph and Durant)
(510) 642-1412

PFA was conceived as an American version of the Cin�math�que Fran�aise in Paris�a center committed not only to exhibiting films under the best possible conditions, but also to increasing the understanding, appreciation, and preservation of cinema. They screen several movies from their archives each week.

Indian Rock Park
950 Indian Rock Avenue

A 1.18-acre public park located in the northeast part of the city, about one block north of the Arlington/Marin Circle, and straddling Indian Rock Avenue. The central feature of the park is a large rock outcropping on the west side of Indian Rock Ave. You can climb up the rocks on the carved out stairs and watch the great vista from the top. Cool sunset place. free.

Berkeley Marina and Pier
At the west end of University Avenue (near Interstate 80)

From the pier, you get great views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Bay. With steady winds coming off the bay and a view to kill for, this is a kite flying Mecca. There is also a kite shop in a truck that parks here most afternoons that sells very upscale kites and parts.

Tilden Park AC Transit Bus 67 from Berkeley BART goes through the park on weekends. On weekdays #67 operates only to the Canon Drive and Shasta Road entrances.

The park offers several activities for families with children. Several hiking trails of various difficulties are available for free hiking, and include vistas of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. Home to a 5-inch scale, narrow-gauge working steam train. $8 gets five rides through the woods atop the Berkeley hills, including a tunnel and trestle bridge.

Berkeley Rose Garden
on Euclid Avenue (at Bayview Place)
510 981-5150 (City Recreation Office)

A half-hour's walk north of the UC Berkeley campus. Especially nice for watching the sunset, with a view of the bay.

Botanical Gardens
on Centennial Drive (in the hills above the UC campus)
510 643-2755
Hours: Open daily 9AM-5PM, closed first Tues of the month

Part outdoor museum, park, and biological research facility for the University of California, the 34-acre garden hosts over 12,000 different species of plant life. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and $1 for children.

Things to Do in Berkeley

Telegraph Ave
The five-block stretch of Telegraph Avenue just south of UC Berkeley's Sproul Plaza is perhaps one of the city's most well-known and most-visited landmarks, with its independent stores, sidewalk vendors and the unforgettable dynamic streetlife that is the amalgam of students and hippies. Telegraph is the site of many bookstores, music shops, smoke shops, and used clothing exchanges.

Moe's Books, a four-story bookstore with a large selection of half-price used books. They sometimes have in-store readings.
Rasputin Music, Well known independent music store with a large selection of used music and LPs.
Amoeba Music, lowest prices and a huge selection with that one rare album you have been looking for.

Downtown Berkeley
*Games of Berkeley, 2151 Shattuck Ave., Located across from the Downtown Berkeley BART station, this quirky game shop is worth checking out for its eclectic selection of board games, kites, puzzles, figurines, and trading card games. The staff is distinctively "Berkeley": approachable and enthusiastic in a somewhat funky way.

Comic Relief, 2026 Shattuck Ave. This is one of the best comics stores in the US. You can find everything from superheroes to independent comics to self-published 'zines to art books to action figures and DVD's, from European comics to Japanese manga. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and they know their way around the comics industry.
Half Price Books, 2036 Shattuck Ave.
Berkeley Farmer's Market. Derby and Milvia Tuesday afternoons, North Berkeley Thursdays, and Center and Milvia Saturday mornings. An excellent produce market also featuring certain prepared foods, cheeses, oils, and performers and booths by many local organizations.

West Berkeley
This area is the commercial hub of the local Mexican and South Asian community. There are two Mexican groceries, several halal markets, numerous Indian and Pakistani restaurants, and many others (Thai, Turkish, Jamaican, etc.).

Bombay Music, 2000 San Pablo Ave. This is one of the best Bollywood / Indian music stores in the bay area. You can find Indian classical music CDs to Bollywood latest DVDs and CDs. Prices are discounted. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and friendly.
Fourth Street is a shopping district that often hosts events such as trunk shows, fashion shows, book signings, tastings, art installations, movie nights and more.

North Berkeley
This area is often referred to as the "Gourmet Ghetto" by locals because of the gourmet food at all price rates. Home to the infamous Chez Panisse, where Alice Waters first served "California Cuisine" based on local, fresh, organic ingredients almost 40 years ago. The area around Chez Panisse has given rise to many other delicious Berkeley institutions including The Cheeseboard, Cesar, Gregoire, and Guerilla Cafe.

For information on how to get to your destination, enter the address into the Bay Area public transit trip planner, or Google Maps if you have rented a car.