lovely spot, smart and friendly staff, they turned me onto a wonderful, obscure biodynamic, woman…read moremade red wine at a great price, I liked it so much. I bought three bottles, will definitely come again.

Warm, approachable staff and a wonderful (sometime eclectic) selection of wines from all over the…read moreworld. In-store tastings most Thursday afternoons for a nominal fee. Highly recommend!

We all know how important it is to reduce and recycle our plastics, and how carrying reusable cups…read moreand bottles can help the environment, right?! Well, this museum helps bring all these environmental​-saving activities to life, through its curatorial experiences. The idea for this museum​ focused on sustainability stemmed from a former UC Berkeley student whose passion for inspiring sustainable trends began when she was a student. On-campus​, she would set up interesting​, immersive and Instagrammable exhibits to create awareness around what individuals can do to make an impact. That concept has formally evolved into the Museum of Tomorrow. The museum is comprised of just a handful of exhibits that demonstrate ​the crazy amount of waste that goes on in our world. There's a display showing the excess of clothing that turns into the ​trash, and a display of metal and glass straws now made specifically for boba drinks. Did you know that we toss out an average of 80 pounds of clothing PER year PER person? I believe it! I was absolutely floored by the literal piles and piles of clothing at H&M and (the former) Forever 21, where they sell super cheap "disposable" clothing intended to be tossed out at the end of a season. Where do you think all this material eventually ends up?! The environmental conscious concepts behind these exhibits are definitely meaningful. In a perfect world,​ there would have been at least five times the number​ of exhibits to view. I'm sure this is a work in progress. In the interim, you can easily finish it up in less than ​30 minutes. It's located on the second level of the David Brower Center near the UC Berkeley campus. Congrats to the curator and former UC Berkeley alumna (Go Bears!) who was on hand to introduce visitors to​ her museum on opening n

This is my kind of theater…read more The seats are comfortable, it's pretty small, it shows independent films, the interior is pretty cool. You can get snacks, but of course they are expensive. Maybe opt for one of the restaurants within a stone's throw? There is no parking, but street parking is fine-I found a spot on the same block.

I'll give it to the Elmwood, achieving their tier of hypocrisy is no small accomplishment…read more We went to a National Theatre Live screening of Hamlet on Jan 22. Here are two of the preview videos that were run before the show: Preview #1: Rialto Cinemas promo featuring a clip of Sean Baker's Oscar speech in which he advocates for movie studios to continue producing and releasing films specifically for live cinema, because contemporary American society is heavily divided, and going to the movies in a theater alongside other people in one's community helps push back against that divide by bringing people together in a shared experience. Preview #2: Land acknowledgment showing the theater's own public affiliation to one hotly contested political extreme, making some audience members feel allied in tribal loyalty to the theater, while other audience members feel alienated and outraged before they even get to the main attraction. Which one is it, Rialto Cinemas? Are you trying to bring people together, or rip them apart? You're a private business, and you can do whichever one you like. Have the courage to pick.

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!

I have been wanting to learn to sew with a sewing machine and this was a great experience! The…read moreinstructors are helpful and knowledgeable! I felt confident that after the class I could pick up my projects at home and get started! I'll definitely come back for more classes!

We have been going to the Telegraph Avenue Holiday Street Fair for decades. Today we drove into…read moreBerkeley and there was nothing there. SO disappointing! The website and the Facebook page STILL show that it was supposed to be open today. I couldn't find any notice anywhere of a cancellation. How are you supposed to know? After posting a question to another Berkeley Facebook page I was informed that it was canceled due to a weather prediction (the weather was just fine). In past years, it has rained, but the fair still went on. In any case, why no communication? This must be awfully disappointing to the vendors and the rest of Telegraph Avenue shops that benefit from the foot traffic, as well.

This isn't the type of fair where rolling groups of Dickensian-dressed characters sing traditional…read moreChristmas carols a cappella, or where a jovial, bewhiskered old man in overalls gives away chestnuts are roasting on an open fire. No, this is Telegraph Avenue where the hippy-dippy mood is not necessarily holiday-induced. It's really the same merchandise you see at most of the street fairs around here, but that's OK because it wouldn't be Berkeley otherwise. Where else could I get a flying pig wind catcher (photo: http://bit.ly/2EoxKDN)? They close Telegraph from Bancroft to Dwight and hold the fair from 11AM to 6PM on the three weekends before Christmas. It's worth checking out. RELATED - Hungry in Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've tried and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2N4anQA

Everything was lovely and beautiful. The garden has 9 different areas, each categorized by…read morecontinent or region: Southern Africa, Deserts of the Americas, Asia, Australasia, Mediterranean, South America, Mexico/Central America, Eastern North America, and California. We spent two hours exploring the garden, but we didn't have to see Mexico/Central America and California sections. The collection was really diverse. I remembered taking a plant science course at UCD, and many of the materials and pictures we used were from UC Botanical Garden. For me, it's like I finally get to see these plants in person. Highly recommended for plant lovers!

Absolutely beautiful. There are thousands of plants, flowers & trees to see. 34acres, so wear…read morecomfortable shoes. It's nice to explore on your own but I'd suggest a tour. The redwood feature is separate and a must see. You can spend 2-4 hrs taking everything in. We're definitely returning in the spring! #GoSee

Once upon a time I attended the University of California, Berkeley for graduate school in…read moregeophysics. Some of my classmates/department peers were into dinosaur bones, so I got to explore the Museum of Paleontology (on-campus) with geochemist(s) as my guide. Since none of us were actively studying fossils/vertebrates, we all got to spitball our guesses. It was our idea of a wild time. I might have brought up the dinosaur bones as something to see when my sister visited me, however, she was not very interested. She majored in anthropology as an undergraduate at the University of Washington and did not share my zest for things existing millions of years before us. While I was unsuccessful on that occasion, I did later use space by the entrance/exit for work if my office in McCone Hall got too loud.

It's cool to see the few skeletons! it's not the typical museum you are looking for .. it's…read moreapparently apart of a class

Great intimate music venue, with a variety of different styles of music…read more Bring your own drinks and food, nothing is available.

What a lovely find! The BackRoom is an intimate performance space just outside of downtown…read moreBerkeley. The space is lovely, sound is good, and the sofas very comfortable. And the owner is welcoming, chatty. We ene back.