The pool is great! And it's open way more hours this summer than the past. Pretty much 12-6pm…read moreeveryday for rec swim. FYI the pool is only open during the summer.

The Strawberry Canyon Recreation Area (SCRA) is a hidden gem located above the Cal Campus and on…read morethe road up the hill on the way up to the Lawrence Hall of Science. It features an outdoor swimming pool, a ropes course, locker rooms, fitness center, barbecue/picnic area, and the Haas Clubhouse. I've been here for a few private parties at the Clubhouse. But what I really enjoy is bringing the family here for a swim and a chance to hang out poolside or on the grass. It's quiet, peaceful and in lush surroundings. And it's only a short drive from the urban grittiness of my Albany home.

This review is long overdue form my time at Cal, but I went to RSF throughout my time at Berkeley…read moreand loved it. It was fairly good and clean gym, they do get super busy in the evenings and have time limits for machines (during busy times), but oh well. I did take taekwondo there too, though though I wasn't too keen on the teaching style. I did love the equipment, mostly running, used the pool, and it was fairly decent experience overall as a student

The RSF weight room is honestly the bare minimum. For a multi-billion dollar university like…read moreBerkeley, the lifting space feels like something you'd see in an underfunded high school.

From a six year old- "well I like the monkey bars and climbing pirate ship thing. And I also like…read morethe slide, creek and caterpillar!" Creek was a huge hit! Adult review, "I can get coffee near by at hidden cafe!" Win. Win.

Great little park away from the noise, cars, and hustle of the city. You want a little peace and…read morequiet to chill, read, or do nothing. Pro tip.... Bring a blanket in case the grass is wet. This is the place. Also, Hidden Cafe is right there for great coffee and snacks. (Closed Monday) This park stretches for a few blocks behind the busy streets with tennis courts, a kids playground and a clean creek flowing through it. Kids were playing in the creek and having a great time. The rope play structure is awesome. A very nice place to get away from it all in Berkeley and let's be real, there's a lot to get away from on Berkeley.

This park is just really cool. On afternoons and weekends it's usually packed full of people. It…read morecan be hard at times to find a parking spot but shouldn't be too difficult to park on a side street if needed. There are several parts to this park. One is a flat area with a play scape and a cement slide. There's actually a tunnel nearby that goes under the road and crosses over to the rose garden, which is really cool. The cement slide is a must see for anyone with kids and even if you're an adventurous adult. There are plenty of cardboard boxes around for you to try it out. When I first heard about the cement slide, I didn't think it would be very fun, (cement and sliding didn't go together in my mind) but it is great! Then just a little bit south, above that play scape area, there's a baseball field. So many different people come here to meet. Some people for picnics, some people play soccer, some people play softball, some people bring their dogs. And then inside the woods behind the park, there are a picnic benches. I have a friend who had her wedding reception there. You can reserve them with the city. And then behind the picnic area, there's a hike and if you're very adventurous, there is a waterfall hidden, but it's not easy to find if you don't know about it. I highly recommend this park. During the winter, the baseball field is blocked off with Fence to protect the grass but other parts of the park are accessible.

This park gets busy. And why shouldn't it? It's great! Nestled in the Berkeley Hills overlooking…read morethe cities and the bay below, amongst the huge trees, you'll see all walks of life enjoying this Berkeley staple. It's made of a lot of different parts - basketball courts, a baseball field, a grassy field across from some great play structures and a huge, long concrete slide. It's epic and built into the mossy hill. When your kids are old enough, they will just do the slide. FYI. Over the bridge, you walk up a hill to some bbq areas, which you can reserve online for parties. The shaded one is so beautiful with this beautiful, huge, old outdoor fireplace. Bbq area #4 has more sun, fyi to those planning. The tunnel leads you to bathrooms, tennis courts and the rose garden. What a great place for a great day. Something for everyone.

I recently discovered this place. I actually think it's part of a school…read more Every friday they hold a round robin tournament from 6:30pm - 9:00pm. Sign in before 6:45 to guarantee your spot. *First time = free. Returning = $5 I really enjoy myself and learn a lot just playing with different people. They place you in a group of 6-10 people and you get to play everyone. I think about 50 people show up every friday so you don't have to worry about playing someone that isn't near your level. You record your score at the end of each game and BTTC will calculate your new table tennis rating and post it up on their website a few days later. -1star because of one certain staff member who is quite rude. Me and my friends were there for our 3rd times and he made us feel very unwelcome. To the point where were considering not to come back. Overall: Everyone is pretty friendly. I have a great time win or lose. Definitely recommend this place for any novice or expert table tennis player!

What an awesome place for ping-pong lovers. They have about twenty tables setup at the James…read moreKenney Recreation Center with hundreds of ping pong balls flying all over the place. Times are Friday 6 - 9:45 PM: Round Robin Tournament. Don't be intimidated. They have a wide variety of skill levels. Saturday 7 - 10 PM: Free play. Bring a friend or some friends. It's lots of fun to just hit around for fun. $5 for either. They even have ping pong ball picker-uppers: long tubes that you just push onto balls on the ground. The tables ping pong balls are both quality. This is a great place to improve your skills if you are primarily a basement table tennis player like me. Bring some exercise clothes and a water bottle--you will work up a sweat!

Fantastic for toddlers and adults! The botanical gardens are free! And so heavenly- the Sequoia…read moregrove is my favorite part. I visited twice this trip and felt I saw new plants and trees each time. The labeling of each plot was meticulous and I only wish I could have stayed in town long enough for the plant sale! -(Not that I could've taken any home, lol!) The train rides for the kids pass through beautiful woods and are very enjoyable even for adults.

Very nice park with lots of things to do with your little ones…read more We recently went on the Train ride, that was super cute and fun The carousel ride is so much fun also Feeding the animals and was a great experience for the boys Parking is free, you can bring your own snacks and drinks Lots of hiking trails to enjoy

TL;DR beautiful pool, beautiful gym…read more PLUSES: + outdoor pool = great view (campanile) + design is old, rustic, and beautiful + huge locker rooms + halls are perfect for a photoshoot

This 33-meter (108+ feet!) rooftop pool of Roman proportions and elegance is a treasure of the UC…read moreBerkeley campus. The locker room is approached by a walk through a sunlit hallway of old, multi-paned windows. The locker room is spotless, and fabulously equipped. Then, the pool itself...holy crap...first of all, it's on a ROOF, and it's made of MARBLE and mosaic tiles. And there are huge concrete terraces on which to sun and rest oneself, as well as to view eye candy from the waterpolo team doing leisurely laps as if just for show. The lanes are huuuuge so collisions are rare. In fact, it sometimes feels like the place is a secret even from the lucky students who can enjoy it, because I don't remember it ever being crowded. In fact, as the sound of the Campanile heard between breaths of the fresh Berkeley breeze blowing over the verdant quad can charm anyone into thinking that they are having a dream of liquid solitude. Here, I was able to break through my 2-lap ceiling and seal my love of swimming forever. Okay, one pain in the ass is that you have to pay a fee to rent out a locker...but at least you CAN rent out a locker! Another pain in the ass is that you have to wear a damn swim tag on your person to show that you are allowed to be in or around the pool in the first place...but the crispy, sun-yellow, and oh-so-filchable towels provided by the gym make up for all this... Yeah, so basically, there's nothing negative that can be said about this pool. It is a drop of Heaven on Earth.

Great view and easy to climb. There are steps too that make it easier to get down. It's never too…read morecrowded the times I've come. People also respect the rock and it's usually clean in the surrounding area. Parking can be challenging because it's in a residential area, but sometimes people make their own parking if they're not staying too long. It's a great place that is close enough to get to without long windy roads and still have an amazing, clear view.

Indian Rock Park offers a serene escape, perfect for quiet reflection or quality time with family…read more The views are nothing short of breathtaking.

Such a beautiful lake and park, with a grassy field ideal for picnicking, and a few ducks on the…read moreday I visited. There are several benches set up along the border of the lake for visitors to relax and admire the views. A rough trail on the far side of the lake made for a somewhat challenging hike, climbing over giant rocks and weaving through trees and debris. It wasn't too bad though. The sandy beach area of the park is fenced off and only open seasonally, with a small fee to enter ($5 for adults, $3 for kids and the disabled, free for babies). But the beach cafe can be accessed from outside the gates and offers various menu items like coffee, tea, hot cocoa, smoothies, lemonade, pretzels, hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, and ice cream. Lake Anza is free to visit, and offers free parking in a sizable lot. Restrooms are seemingly well kept too. I enjoyed my time here this past weekend.

This is an idyllic place to hike and picnic in Tilden. There is a lake (pond?) that has a swimming…read morearea, but I personally don't think it is especially clean for that. But there are lots of turtles and birds to watch. For picnics, there are tables and a large grassy expanse for laying down a spread and also playing frisbee. For a hike, the loop around the lake (pond?) is perfect for kids and adults who are able to climb rocks and scramble comfortably along a few narrow strips of the trail. There is a bridge and an area where kids like to explore the creek. There are other paths off the lake, but those do tend to have more mountain bikes. This is an especially nice park when we have our late summer weather in September and October. Plenty of parking.

I love love love this park. There are several parts to it. There's a very nice grassy hill,…read moresurrounded by trees that you can lay a blanket down on and read a book or hang out by yourself or with your friends or family. And then there are tennis and basketball courts and then there's a kids play scape for younger kids and we spent so much time at this park. The community center is also very nice and they have plays or other events there. I've seen quite a few events there and have also taken Zumba classes. There's also an area between the two parts of the park that has a stream and picnic tables and we often met groups down there and had celebrations. I've also seen work groups meet there for lunch. My kids loved to go hang out there because there were so many things you can do there. The Parks in Berkeley, in general I find just amazing.

This is a lovely park with plenty of lush green grass for picnicking and trees providing ample…read moreshade, as well as concrete stairways connecting to the creek and a bridge leading to the Live Oak Theater. I attended the showing of SF Mime Troupe's "Disruption" this past Saturday, an entertaining and comedic musical production reminding the crowd that everything is politics. In addition, I laid out my mat in the grass to enjoy a meal and read a book, appreciating the relaxing and carefree atmosphere.