** The following review reflects my experience DURING the COVID-19 pandemic. **…read more I had no idea Tilden Nature Area is considered a separate space from Tilden Regional Park, did you? You did? Well, aren't you a know-it-all? I didn't until I saw the worn lucite holder and saw there were two different maps. That's when I discovered it's actually a 740-acre preserve north of the park. Being an urban dweller, I don't know the difference between a park and a preserve, but I do know the pandemic has forced the temporary closure of the Little Farm and the Environmental Education Center. However, there are over ten miles of trail to enjoy. That's how I came upon it as I was trudging my way from Wildcat Canyon and suddenly saw a more bucolic area starting with Jewel Lake and walkable trails like a boardwalk through the woods close to the parking lot and the Lower Rat Pack Trail festooned with undulating, moss-covered tree branches. Most are pretty narrow so you have to be especially mindful of safe distancing. I take the Memory Trail to find my way out onto Grizzly Peak Blvd. This is a part of Tilden that's worth exploring if it hasn't been raining. RELATED - Up for a hike? Here's a collection of trails I've walked and reviewed in the Bay Area: https://bit.ly/2OrC8nU

Fresh sushi grade fish for a reasonable price. Quick service land knowledgeable staff. Small clean…read moreambiance. Live crab and lobster.

This place was incredible. The staff are always friendly and knowledgeable. I was helped by a very…read morefriendly lady there who explained the different oysters to us. We bought a dozen oysters, salmon, lox, and clam chowder. Everything was incredible and the counters were pristine and clean

We came here today at about 10:30 after going to our favorite bakery in Montclair. The parking was…read morealmost full on a Saturday at 10:30. However we were able to find one space. The small parking lot is across the actual park. The front gate was flung open wide. There was a nice volunteer that stood right behind the gate and offered us a map of the park. The park has lots of rare Californian specimens. It is interesting that they also sell these plants and the next sale will be in October. I don't know the cost of these plants but it would be very interesting to get a number of these rare young plants from this park. I spotted two beautiful buckwheat plants with colorful flowers at the nursery. Who knew that buckwheat has such beautiful colorful flowers? There's a lot of small winding paths and cute little bridges with streams underneath it. The smell of nature was very pleasant and unusually fragrant compared to other parks. I think this park would be much more beautiful in the spring when you can see flowers. We passed by a giant lily that had no flowers but would have been quite fantastic just a month ago There are so many little plants everywhere and they were all tagged by name. Who knew such a charming garden is available for free in the East Bay? The only garden that is even close to this one would be the Blake garden in Kensington which is open only a few days a week. This place is not great for picnics but did have a small bench that one can sit on and admire the garden views while munching on something. There was a man that was taking many photos of the plants while we were there. We did see one or two small families walking around but the park is big enough that you can get the park to yourself most of the time. The pathways are relatively narrow so would not be appropriate for someone with disabilities who need a wheelchair. Overall a very nice and safe park to walk around in but you would want to go somewhere else if you wanted to take many steps. This park is just so densely packed with plants that there is not a lot of walking around possible. I love that this park is close to some of my favorite places to shop so this is currently one of my favorite parks. Highly recommended!

The parking lot for this garden is tiny, but at least it's free just like most of the facilities at…read moreTilden Regional Park. Admission is free of cost too, with staff available inside the entrance to answer any questions guests may have. I visited this past Saturday and was captivated by the beauty of this place. And it's actually much larger than it seems from the outside. I enjoyed trekking the winding dirt trails and flagstone pathways, wooden foot bridges crossing over the creek, strolling through a forest of trees, exploring a diverse collection of beautiful plants and flowers including mackenzie's willow, bearberry, western azalea, and star lily, so many rare and endangered species, everything clearly labeled. My fave was humboldt's lily with its vibrant orange hue and intricate features that mesmerized me as I made my way through this enchanting maze. During my self-guided tour, I was enamored by this garden's storybook setting and charmed by the occasional bee and butterfly I encountered along the way. There's a visitor center and plant sale on site too. And I saw groups having picnics and gatherings in more secluded areas of the park. Needless to say, this place has a lot to offer and appreciate.

Everything is very fresh and they have quality produce. If you want to buy bulk, there are large…read morequantities available.

Monterey Market is one of my go-to spots for produce, especially if you like variety. Their…read moreselection is huge, and the mushroom section is on another level, way beyond what you see at a normal grocery store. Fun fact: this place is famous for carrying hard-to-find and foraged produce and has been a quiet favorite of Bay Area chefs for decades, which explains why half the fruits look like they belong in a cooking show challenge. That said, the quality isn't flawless. This past summer the corn on the cob was disappointing, with a few ears already rotten at one end once you peel back the husk, so definitely inspect before buying. Also, the clientele is usually fine, but this visit featured an unnecessary checkout cameo from a full-volume Karen who felt the need to explain how standing in line works. The cashier chose silence, which felt like a statement. Still a great market overall, just keep an eye on the corn and maybe bring a little extra patience to the register.

Bluma did an amazing job with the flowers for our wedding. We had a bunch of COVID-related…read morecancellations and reschedules and Joanna was super flexible through it all. We got married up in Boonville and were able to have someone pick up all of the flowers and bring them up to the site ready to go. Joanna worked closely with us to keep our flowers within our budget but be really special. They also did the flowers for our mini-backyard wedding!

Bluma did the flowers for my daughters wedding last year.There were many constraints because it was…read morein a national park and everything had to be indigenous to the area! Joanna and Hai from Bluma were a delight to work with and the flowers were absolutely exquisite. The entire experience with them was outstanding and I so highly recommend them. If you value professionalism, reliability and artistry contact them.You will not be disappointed.

This place was great. There were many different offerings to choose from. We had food to eat and…read morefresh produce for later. The atmosphere is pleasant and the people working are well informed and happy to be sharing their wares. We will go back often.

Kensington Farmer's Market is a bit out of our normal roaming range, so we haven't been here in…read moreyears. This market is on the smaller side but offers a reasonable selection of produce as well as items such as Tamales, Seafood and more. I would offer a suggestion though. If dogs are truly prohibited, place a sign at the bottom of the street as well as the top of the street. We entered from the bottom with our "Princess" and walked all the way through. A couple of people looked at me but didn't say anything. When I got to the top, I saw a sandwich board sign stating, "No Dogs; No Smoking; No Smoking Dogs" and "Service Dogs are Welcome". Conversely, if no one really cares, get rid of the sign at the top of the hill. While my wife walked down the hill to look at the other stalls, I walked around the block and returned to the bottom of the market, just to check for a sign that I may have missed. No sign. I'm not going to lie and say that our dog is a "service dog" because she's not. At the same time, I don't like the idea that I was "breaking" a "rule" that I wasn't aware of.

Spira is the best. Kind spirt and plant lover. Expert when…read moreit comes to water gardens and small garden ponds. Designer and caretaker you'll be glad you hired Spira!

Spira transformed my backyard in Oakland from a barren, allergy-inducing wasteland into an oasis of…read morebeautiful, delicious plants. Spira was always a joy to be around and taught me a ton about urban farming; exposed me to new plants that grow well in the area and helped me discover my love for summer squash, fava beans, potato digs, and organic farming in general. Spira was so knowledgeable about such a wide range of topics and did annoying work such as setting up drip irrigation. Such an awesome, inspiring person! If I didn't live 200 miles away now, I'd no doubt have Spira taking care of my garden to this day.

What a hidden gem. At least, for us. Perhaps most people already know about this botanical garden…read more For the Plant enthusiasts in our family, it was very cool to explore. It was part of my husband's Fathers Day outing and he enjoyed it, even though he initially wanted to skip because he was tired (having to pay for tickets was motivational enough to get us to go through with our planned visit). We were fortunate to go on a beautiful yet cool day which added to our experience. Worthwhile, highly recommend!

Wow- I wish I lived here to come more often! Loved especially the cool and refreshing Asian Garden…read moreand roses even though they weren't all in full bloom. I was amazed at how many staff were present, pruning, trimming and clipping. They were very friendly and helpful and cheerful to share information about the plants and what they were doing- ie, responsibly cutting back the very healthy/bordering-on-invasive Alstroemeria before any seed pods opened. Also loved the carnivorous plants house- pitcher plants, Venus flytraps and more. So fascinatingly beautiful!

Delicious, well priced!…read more This place is actually insane. BEST fish market in ALL of the Bay Area. Literally can not beat it. I would drive from ANYWHERE to get the same quality. No need for omakase when you can buy the fish and just bite into it yourself!!!! I've hosted various dinner parties and made platters with only purchasing my ingredients from this market alone.

Extremely small Japanese market that sells sashimi grade fish, and other Japanese necessities! The…read moreparking lot has maybe 6 spots so it's best to opt for street parking, but the area isn't the best so keep those two things in mind. We came specifically for the poke bowls on Saturday afternoon and boy was there a crowd. When we ordered our bowls at the counter, the guy looked a bit confused before realizing our order. They also sell some combos of nigiri, rolls, etc. We opted for a nigiri set and one of the pieces was fish was extremely fishy. I think it's fine for the area but I've been to better markets that serve food and groceries.