Things to Do in the Area

For Food Lovers!

Café de la Paz is located in what is called the Gourmet Ghetto of Berkeley. There are a number of excellent restaurants, bakeries, and coffee shops on North Shattuck Avenue.

Chez Panisse, Alice Waters' Restaurant
Internationally renowned restaurant founded by chef Alice Waters in 1971. She is often credited as one of the founders of the local food movement in the U.S. The restaurant serves only local, fresh ingredients and has a menu that changes nightly. Pricey, but worth the experience.
1517 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, California 94709
www.chezpanisse.com

The Cheese Board Collective
A Berkeley institution! Delicious breads, pastries and pizzas baked here on the premises. It's been around since the late 1960s and is cooperatively operated/owned. Drop by for a scone if you're around in the morning! We highly recommend purchasing their cookbook.
1512 Shattuck Avenue (near Vine)
http://cheeseboardcollective.coop

Peets Coffee the very first one! Opened in the late 1960s.
2124 Vine Street
Located at the corner of Vine & Walnut.

Masse's Pastries We ordered out wedding cake from here. Definitely dessert-is-art type of place, but equally delicious.
1469 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 649-1004

There are a number of other excellent restaurants (especially Thai) on Shattuck Avenue, so you can't go wrong.

For those with Children!

Follow these links for a number of things to do with children in the area: http://parents.berkeley.edu/recommend/places/berkeley.html
http://parents.berkeley.edu/recommend/places/oakland.html

Other ideas:

The Berkeley campus might be a fun place to check out with its redwood groves and historic buildings.

The Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology
102 Kroeber Hall
This is located righ off of Bancroft Avenue. See website for directions.
http://hearstmuseum.berkeley.edu/ Hours of Operation:
Wednesday to Saturday: 10am - 4:30pm
Sunday:12pm - 4:00pm

Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu/
Location/Entrances: 2626 Bancroft Way and 2621 Durant Avenue, Between College and Telegraph Avenues

Parks:

For book-lovers!

Black Oak Books
1491 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 486-0698
Open 11-9 every day
http://blackoakbooks.com/
One of the best bookstores in Berkeley, just up the street from Café de la Paz on Shattuck Avenue.

Cody's Books 1730 Fourth St, Berkeley
(510) 559-9500
http://www.codysbooks.com
Another one of the best and oldest independent bookstores in Berkeley. Located in the 4th Street shopping district which has a number of boutiques & outlet stores.

And, of course, there is San Francisco across the bay or Muir Woods across the Richmond bridge. Let us know if there is something specific you are looking to do, and we can offer suggestions. If you bring a bicycle, Critical Mass in San Francisco will be on the Friday before (the 25th)