Berkeley Local Customs

Good thing i dont have to ride to work with a bike with a basket like this in amsterdam, my boss would relocate me to siberia (nothing against it but being sicilian i like to have as much warmth as possible ): ehm...i actually work for an oil company :P!!

Tightwad Hill overlooks the Memorial Stadium behind the UC campus, and is one of Berkeley's most famous landmarks. Poor students and other cheapskates have been crowding onto this hill to watch Cal football games for free for over 80 years (it is tradition that Cal students must watch at least one game from Tightwad Hill during their matriculation). Getting here is easy enough - just go to the left of the main gate and walk up the dusty hill. You'll be sharing the view with others (MANY others if it's a big game), but the price sure is right, and the views of the Bay Area are incredible.

One annoyance is, of course, the cannon. It blasts off after every Cal score and at the end of the game when (not if, but when) they win. The cannon is also located on Tightwad Hill, about 20 feet from where you'll be sitting. The cannon itself has a rich history; it was given to the University by the Class of 1964 as their Senior gift, and was first fired at the 1963 Big Game. In 1972, the PAC-8 banned all cannons from University stadiums, so the stubborn Cal students just moved it to the hill right above it!

Berkeley's most famous rock band - Green Day - even has a song called "Tightwad Hill" on one of their albums!

I love the feel of certain parts of Berkeley. This yellow house is typical of those in my friend’s neighborhood. Note the bonsai tree on the porch rail and the open windows. I could easily see myself living happily in Berkeley.

If you live here, you'll know these:
Movies and Film - UC Berkeley Film Archive,
Fresh Food - Berkeley Bowl, Whole Foods

Shattuck theaters

Best World Music/Reggae/Ethnic Dance Club - Ashkanaz

Best Bars - The Mallard, Albatross, Blakes, Becketts (Irish), Vallassa (best place for pool and drinks)

If you are looking for Punk Rock/Underground bars - ACME

Best gyms - Berkeley YMCA - they have EVERYTHING

Best parks - Tilden Recreation Park

Best Road Biking rides - old Tunnel Road, Skyline boulevard and Grizzly Peak

Best Long run - Inspiration point - 8 miles

Berkeley was named after philosopher Bishop George Berkeley(1685-1753).

I think this guy was the one to ask something to the effect of "If a tree falls in the forest but no one hears it, does it make a sound?" His name also comes up in Mathematics and is associated with logic.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Spend a few hours in Berkeley and nothing will shock you anymore. Wandering along Telegraph Avenue, between Bancroft (where it borders the campus) and Dwight, you'll see middle-aged women walking around topless, bums asking for change so they can 'snag a bomb sack of weed', the rudest bumper stickers on sale from rabid populist street vendors, etc. etc. If there is one place in America where the Establishment is not welcome, it is here.

Many complain that Berkeley - and Telegraph Avenue in particular - is stuck in the sixties and needs to move on. But I admire the city and its people for hanging on to ideals of social justice and egalitarianism, and for rejecting the call of yuppiedom. Come to Berkeley with peace in your heart and you'll feel right at home.

The Civic Arts Program administers and develops projects which accomplish the mission of the Civic Arts Commission, which advises the City Council on all matters affecting the beauty and culture of the city.

Bask in the craziness and holistic atmosphere of one of the most liberal cities in the world. Warning:BERKELEY IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!!!
BEST BIKE SHOP IN BERZERKLEY: VELOSPORTS, 1650 Martin Luther King, Jr. Hwy, Berkeley,CA. SALES/SERVICE (510)849-0497. FOR ALL YOUR CYCLING NEEDS.