FollowI am a loyal SoCal resident. I refuse to use certain portmanteaus in place of “really” and miss my beach. A lot. The jarring transition to Berkeley has had me thinking about how the Bay Area differs from SoCal culture. We all know about the hills, the Instagram obsession, the (nonexistent) parking, and the dangers of walking alone at night, so I won’t elaborate on those. Instead, as someone who has spent every vacation since 2nd grade in Northern California, I’ll try to provide some less-common advice.
1. Talk to the locals. In LA, Orange County, Ventura, San Diego, and pretty much every other SoCal hub, locals hide behind the beetle-black shells of their SUVs. No one in Santa Monica strikes up a conversation with the barista or tells that adorable couple how sweet they look together. SoCal residents confine themselves to the roadways and generally avoid interpersonal contact. Any direct address by a stranger – beyond the cursory “hello” or “excuse me” – comes across as “I’m going to follow you home, break in, and kidnap you.” But Berkeley folks like chatting, they are extremely friendly, and will say exactly what they think about your hair, the weather, local news, global politics. So open up. Hippies, geniuses, and artists share the sidewalk in this pedestrian town, and they have fascinating opinions.
2. Don’t eat on Telegraph. LA people hail from a notoriously gourmet city. With spots like Barney’s, Enzo’s, Phillipe’s, Bay Cities, Volcano Tea – I could do this all day-we really come away spoiled. Hundreds of cultures populate LA County and all of them celebrate the art of good food through delicious hole-in-the-wall joints. Berkeley, while it lacks SoCal’s sheer size, still has some great eateries; they just make themselves hard to find in these labyrinthine streets. Telegraph Avenue, while temptingly close to campus, doesn’t compare to Westwood Village or Ventura Boulevard. The restaurants in Downtown Berkeley (understandably) cater to a college wallet, so the best places to eat are actually in North Berkeley or Elmwood, both about ten minutes away by bus. Elmwood lies south, at its best where College meets Ashby. North Berkeley is on Shattuck, but several blocks north (what a surprise) of Hearst. Look for great ice cream, coffee, pizza, burgers, Italian, and sushi, as well as some truly delightful boutiques. The 10 PM blues don’t affect these boroughs as brutally as they do Telegraph and Bancroft.
3. Return your Hurachis and vinyl records. I went on an Indie binge when I decided to come to Cal. In my mind, the Bay Area still gives off that ‘60s vibe. I didn’t want to seem uncultured or, god forbid, “mainstream,” so I tried to adjust my taste. It didn’t work. And I discovered that Berkeley people have no inhibitions about expressing themselves. This means, yes, some Indie and Hipster subcultures, but also a plurality that listens to country and wears jean shorts. Anything goes means anything goes, even pop culture. If you showed up expecting Liberal protests on every street corner, well, there is that Marxist in front of Sproul, but tolerance reigns supreme here, and Berkeley students run the political gamut. Don’t recreate yourself to conform to some inaccurate stereotypes. Just know where you stand and own it.
4. Traffic rules no longer apply. Obviously, the legal obligations of drivers do not change, but in SoCal, no one who wants to see the morning steps out of the crosswalk. Here, people leap off the sidewalk right in front of cars and trot along to class. I am not advising that you do this, by the way, just pointing out a potential hazard. Also, note the one-way street signs that jump out at you like a cosmic snicker as you’re furiously pedaling up Bancroft. And as an aside, freeways are called “highways” up here. Given the way some folks drive, though, “high-way” sounds about right.
5. Get out of Berkeley. San Francisco remains the obvious choice for cultural education, but the surrounding Californian wilderness has a lot to offer. Hop on the BART sometime and see where you end up. Napa Valley offers some obvious attractions for those 21 and over, but don’t underestimate the equally spectacular scenery, restaurants, and bed-and-breakfasts. Muir Woods, a National Forest to the north, provides a redwood backdrop for hiking, biking, camping, picnicking, etc. and remains close enough to be a day trip. Point Reyes National Seashore, also within a few hours by car, boasts a beautiful coastline and lighthouse. Lastly, the boutique-and-bar town of Tiburon lies close to Angel Island. Tiburon caters mainly to yachters, but the food and shopping set it apart as a worthwhile destination. And take Highway 1 sometime. This thread of California culture wends its way past Monterey, Big Sur, and Santa Barbara. Watch for seals, Hearst Castle, great seafood restaurants, and cliffs that plunge right down to the ocean.
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