BERKELEY REOPENING UPDATE: OUTDOOR DINING, RETAIL, GOLDEN BEARS

The much-anticipated announcement from UC Berkeley that the Cal campus will reopen provisionally for the Fall 2020 semester is pivotal news, and the City of Berkeley Public Health Officer's declaration that outdoor dining and retail are approved amplifies the sense that Berkeley is reopening, with requisite care. Please check out our new and growing list of Outdoor Dining in Berkeley. Connect with the  Visit Berkeley team for the latest travel information via our new Chat feature, available Monday through Friday from 10 to 4. Visit Berkeley's COVID-19 Resource Page also has links to vital information and organizations. Berkeley, in it together.

GET THE MAP TO BERKELEY PATHS

When Berkeley’s planners originally carved out the city in the early 1900s, they included 136 picturesque public stairways, ramps, and footpaths that to this day make walking in the city a joyful pastime. The Berkeley and Its Pathways map is your guide to these scenic shortcuts, published by Berkeley Path Wanderers Association, the volunteer organization that maintains the network. Walk this way!

PAULSON FONTAINE PRESS, COUNTERCULTURAL BERKELEY TREASURE 

In the world of high art, black curators and women curators are underrepresented.  Fortunately, Berkeley runs counterculture in this (and every) regard. Paulson Fontaine Press is one of the city's most hidden gems. Founder and master printer Pam Paulson, and partner and gallery director Rhea Fontaine have it all going on in their West Berkeley studio on Fourth Street (currently open by appointment).   

NEW BERKELEY VISITORS GUIDE 2020/2021: FLUENT IN SEVEN LANGUAGES!

International editions of the new 2020/2021 Berkeley Visitors Guide are now online.  Full 100-page translations are available in Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. Visit Berkeley worked with local business ION Translations to create these page-turning travel guides.

REDISCOVER AMERICA TRAVELS TO BERKELEY

Rediscover America is a new initiative from the travel gurus at Tempest, spotlighting destinations coast to coast as travel becomes something humans do again.  The stories come from locals across the country including Berkeley. If you consider Berkeley as your base camp, also check posts from NorCal neighbors Rancho Cordova, Santa Rosa and Stockton. 

FOODIE TRIP: VIKS CHAAT

Vika Chaat in West Berkeley is the family-owned Indian street eats place that foodies make the trip for, from all over the Bay Area (and even beyond in California). Amod Chopra and his family are the force behind Viks. He was born in Mumbai and  moved to California in the 1980S. In 1989, Viks Chaat opened. Many of the dishes at Vik’s come from Amod’s childhood memories and return visits to India. The restaurant itself is a vibrant flourish of bright colors and angles.  But it's all about the food, a cuisine that brings the pride and pulse of India to the Bay.

Photo: BAMPFA

BERKELEY STANDS UNITED

Our hearts go out to every victim of racial injustice. Freedom of speech is in Berkeley's DNA, and the right to protest is a fundamental human right. We stand united. Please check out our recent posts on black-owned businesses in town. #blacklivesmatter