West Berkeley, originally called Ocean View, sits along the bay near Highway 80. A mixed-zone neighborhood it contains many single-family Victorians, cottages and bungalows along with a variety of commercial and industrial warehouses. Home to many artists, there are numerous galleries which provide open studio events throughout the year.

An upscale shopping district along Fourth Street offers trendy choices in food, clothing and housewares. Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto has been a west Berkeley tradition for 117 years. The Freight & Salvage Coffee House and Ashkenaz Music and Dance Café provide regular live entertainment.

Paralleling Highway 80 is Aquatic Park, Berkeley’s largest city park, with lagoons, bike paths, picnic tables, and “Dream Land for Kids” a fantasy playground designed by and for Berkeley school children. A pedestrian/bicycle bridge crosses Highway 80 to the bay, where a 3000-foot fishing pier extends deep into the bay for fishing and sightseeing and a marina offers berths for 975 boats.

Learn more in local newspapers: Berkeley Voice, Berkeley Daily Planet, East Bay Express.