Just west of campus, Shattuck Avenue offers more trendy shops, cafés, and restaurants. Café Gratitude is a popular lunch spot on Shattuck, and another decidedly Berkeley-eque dining experience. It offers delicious sustainable, organic vegetarian fare in a casual environment. In addition to entrees with names such as "I Am Graceful" (Indian Biryani bowl) and "I Am Sensational" (buckwheat pizza with hemp seed pesto), the restaurant also offers organic wine, beer, and cocktails as well as all-natural wheatgrass and algae "elixirs." In the evening, catch a concert at UC Berkeley's Greek Theatre or take a drive up to Mt. Diablo, a lookout point that offers stunning views of the Berkeley cityscape and the surrounding bay.
Berkeley natives seem to have taken to heart the advice of local beat poet and Zen Buddhist Gary Snyder when he suggested, "Find your place on the planet. Dig in, and take responsibility from there." The lure of Berkeley lies in the spirit of the 60s-the city is still as ripe with free thinking and environmental and social activism as it was in the midst of the Vietnam War. From the lush greenery of the campus to wheatgrass shots at local eco-friendly cafés, Berkeley is the place to go for a real taste of Northern California culture.
Be the first to comment on this story