Like the 200+ cities we cover at Secret Media Network, we always scour all corners of the web and the city to uncover the local things you need to know about Berkeley, San Francisco, and the rest of the Bay Area.
Here’s some insider scoop on what makes both the UC Berkeley campus and the surrounding city such a memorable place to spend your college years, and why it’s such a perfect base camp for exploring the wider Bay Area.
Whether you’re a future student or you simply live nearby, this Bay Area community is worth getting to know. Go Bears!
Must-see campus buildings
UC Berkeley was founded in 1868 as California’s first land-grant university and first campus in the UC system, and the city of Berkeley grew out from there, which means the campus still feels like the beating heart of town. The grounds remain open for the public to enjoy and are a point of pride for many Berkeley residents, whether or not they were students. Here’s a painfully brief tour of the most iconic campus buildings worth taking a peek inside:
- Doe Library: The main library positioned in front of the grassy Memorial Glade, featuring two high-ceilinged reading rooms flooded with natural light plus the smaller Morrison Reading Room.
- Campanile: A.K.A. Sather Tower, this is the third-tallest clock-and-bell tower in the world at 307 feet tall. Students can take the elevator to the top for free, but everyone else must pay the $5 fee.
- East Asian Library: This stunning library built in 2008 holds over 900,000 volumes in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
- Valley Life Sciences Building (VLSB): This building is mostly worth a visit for Osborn the T. rex, which is one of the most complete such skeletons in the world.
Coffee spots, restaurants, and bars
It’s an ambitious task to round up Berkeley’s unparalleled food scene, but here are just a few of the most popular student haunts.
Coffee and campus classics
- Free Speech Movement Cafe for a mix of history and great coffee in the library
- Yali’s for quick cafe bites
- Cafe Ohlone for Indigenous-inspired teas, coffee, and seasonal foods
Shattuck Avenue
- Jupiter for pizza and craft beer
- Cornerstone for concerts and comfort food
- Ippuku for high-end izakaya
- Cinnaholic for gourmet cinnamon rolls
- Farmhouse Kitchen for fantastic Thai food
- La Note for exquisite French breakfast/brunch food
- Triple Rock for Monkey Head Thursdays
- Chez Panisse for Alice Waters–led gourmet cuisine
- Cheese Board for the best veggie pizza ever
Telegraph Ave
- Abe’s, Blondie’s, or Sliver for pizza
- Mezzo or IB’s for massive sandwiches
- Raleigh’s or Tap Haus for craft beer
- TP Tea for boba
- Durant Food Court for courtyard-style seating and more restaurants
Summer treats
Lean into summer in Berkeley with nostalgic sweets, over-the-top ice cream, and a surprisingly robust local wine scene.
- Yogurt Park, a decades-long frozen yogurt staple for Cal students
- CREAM, an iconic ice cream sandwich spot mixing warm cookies with scoops
- Milkbomb Ice Cream for over-the-top sundaes
- Humphry Slocombe for creative flavors
- Sweet Adeline Bakeshop, serving old-school pies, tarts, and sweets
- Endless Summer Sweets for funnel cakes, churros, and classic fair snacks
- Wineries in the Gilman District, such as Donkey & Goat and Hammerling Wines
Entertainment, art, and experiences
From outdoor amphitheaters to rooftop stargazing and NCAA matchups, Berkeley offers a stacked lineup of entertainment, art, and experiences that easily fill your evenings.
- Greek Theatre: A historic one-of-a-kind 8,500-seat amphitheater hosting world-famous performances and concerts. It’s hosted the likes of the Dalai Lama and Theodore Roosevelt.
- Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA): See rotating contemporary art exhibitions and films at this pioneering museum, which Berkeley students can visit for free.
- Cal Performances: Berkeley’s best minds in music, dance, and theater perform at this large auditorium on campus. Cal students get 50% off all performances.
- Astro Night: Students and members of the public can get free access to the astronomy department’s telescopes and rooftop observatory at Campbell Hall on Thursday nights.
- Athletics: Cal sends talented athletes to the Olympics and world competitions every year. Students and Bay Area residents alike turn out in droves to watch them compete on Bear Territory during lively football games, soccer matches, swimming competitions, and countless other riveting competitions.
Hikes and nature
These close-to-campus hikes, sprawling parks, and sunset-ready viewpoints are easy to sneak into your daily or weekly routine.
- Big C: There’s a giant concrete letter “C” in the hills by Lawrence Lab, which is a fairly quick, steep hike with great views as payoff.
- Fire trails: Check out spectacular views right near campus on the 1.5-mile Claremont Fire Trail or the 6.8-mile Strawberry Canyon Trail.
- Tilden Park: At over 2,000 acres, this lovely green park near the Berkeley Hills has a lake you can swim in, hiking trails, a golf course, and more.
- Berkeley Rose Garden: A historic rose garden with over 1,500 rose bushes and 250 varieties.
- Indian Rock: A rock park ideal for amateur rock-climbing and Bay views.
A few more hidden gems
Berkeley’s everyday magic lives in its quieter institutions, from a Thai temple serving Sunday brunch, to a library-run tool program.
- Berkeley Bowl: An independent supermarket with the most extensive produce selection in town, and possibly the nation.
- Wat Mongkolratanaram: A Thai Buddhist temple near Berkeley Bowl serving a delicious Sunday brunch.
- Berkeley Lab Guest House: The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has a little-known guest house with 57 rooms overlooking the city of Berkeley and the Bay.
- Tool Lending Library: Berkeley Public Library runs a tool-lending program that’s perfect for when you don’t want to spend the big bucks on a new tool for one-time use.
Berkeley makes for a good starting-off point for memorable day trips around the Bay Area. Here are a few to put on your radar:
- San Francisco makes for an easy day trip via BART. Check our weekend guide for everything that’s happening on a given weekend, and follow our site and socials for more recommendations.
- Santa Cruz and Capitola for the ultimate retro seaside escape.
- Muir Woods, especially for the seasonal night tours.
- Mount Tamalpais for views over the rolling fog each summer.
- Point Reyes for whale watching, elephant seals, and bioluminescent kayak tours.