A friend of mine suggested visiting a university town to get a taste of a more laid back pace and maybe even some shopping bargains.
Since we are in San Francisco, I was thinking of visiting Berkeley for a day. What are some sights to catch and places for shopping we can go to?
Obviously the campus. You can ride BART from SF to the downtown Berkeley station and walk to campus. You can join a tour of the campus:
There are little shops on the streets close to the campus and many eateries.
Take the elevator up in the Campanile and see a great view of San Francisco and Berkeley as well. If you are lucky, the bell ringer will be doing his thing.
Edited: 12:37 am, September 24, 2012The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life has a wonderful museum and excellent exhibits.
Located really close to the UC campus, it's at 2121 Allston Way
Dr. Z
Lawrence hall of science if you have children. Or just go to the entrance plaza for great views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the bay.
Berkeley and Oakland combined make for a great day trip from San Francisco. Alameda and Walnut Creek are other towns worth considering if you aren't seeking the university ambiance per se.
In Berkeley, you can check out the campus and see the remnants of counter-culture along Telegraph Avenue. You can also visit downtown and the Gourmet Ghetto to get a feel for what town is like.
In Oakland, I recommend taking a look around Rockridge and Piedmont Avenue. Both are pleasant neighborhoods with an assortment of restaurants and higher-end shops. Uptown is nice for bars and nightlife. Oakland's Lake Merritt is a beautiful place to walk or jog, and the nearby Oakland Museum of California is an interesting place to visit.
Both Oakland and Berkeley are a little more relaxed than San Francisco. I'm not sure what kind of shopping you want, though. Most people buy stuff from shopping malls if they are interested in bargains. In this case, Bay Street in nearby Emeryville would be the best spot to go.
Alternatively, both Alameda and Walnut Creek may be better choices if shopping is the most important factor for you. It seems visitors from Singapore really like to shop...
My sister lives in Singapore. And when she visits, we take her to Gilroy Outlets for shopping (on the way to Monterey from SF). She seemed very happy and wasn't too interested in any shops in Alameda. Though unlimited pinball was interesting to her.
We were in Berkeley yesterday and enjoyed a great lunch at Chez Panisse Cafe. Excellent food, service and ambiance. We booked an advance reservation the day before on opentable. :)
Shamus has come, and gone back to Singapore.
