I honestly don’t even know where to start, there is SO much to do in Berkeley and the Bay Area! Besides getting an amazing education, one of the things I like most about attending UC Berkeley is the fact that there is never a boring day here because there’s so much to do. The outdoors, the city and great food is just the tip of the iceberg.

I love the outdoors and pretty much anything to do with the outdoors. I never really appreciated northern California for its beauty until I spent more time down south. Berkeley is a gorgeous place to live, especially in the spring time when everything is green and blooming. I really enjoy taking hikes and have been to several national parks in the Bay Area. But what is nice about Berkeley is that there are two really great places to hike right here – the fire trials and Tilden Park! I have spent a lot of time hiking/running the fire trails while enjoying the view, but just recently I went to Tilden to go on a hike. It was such a great way to spend my Sunday.

Not only is there so much going on in Berkeley itself, but there’s so much to do right outside of Berkeley. San Francisco is under 15 miles away and has a great deal to offer. Even if you don’t have a car you should check it out because the city is easy to get to using Bart. I really enjoy spending the day in the city to do some shopping, eat at new restaurants or just walk around and explore what it has to offer. There’s the botanical gardens and Golden Gate Park for a relaxing day, Fisherman’s Warf for some fun and good chowder, Hate street for trendy shopping, the theater district for the ballet and musicals and North beach/the Marina for nightlife. Basically anything you’re looking for you can find in the city.

Even though San Francisco has a lot of great food, you don’t have to leave Berkeley to stimulate your taste buds. Coming from a smaller town, I didn’t realize what I was missing out on. The variety of food that Berkeley has to offer is amazing. I have been exposed to a variety of ethnic food and love it. Also, Berkeley is a health conscious city so there’s a plethora of healthy places to choose from when eating out. I don’t think I could ever find as many great places to get a good hardy salad from ever again. Some of my favorite places to eat are, Christopher’s Nothing Fancy (Mexican food, located on San Pablo), the Thai House (Thai food, located on Durant), Intermezzos and Smart Alec’s (Deliciously healthy food/salads, located on Telegraph) and La Note (French food, located on Shattuck). I also love the Sushi House, but this restaurant is actually located in Alameda. I will definitely miss the food here at Berkeley!

If you want to share what you like to do around Berkeley and the Bay Area, feel free to come chat with me at office hours.