shattuck avenue

As a resident of a nearby city, I just parked in a residential neighborhood of this city for 5 minutes and got back from the store to find a Berkeley meter maid writing up a ticket for my parking where there is "street cleaning"! For $49! Nor would she decline to issue the ticket, when I explained I had no idea and didn't live in Berkeley.This is typical of how this city makes its money, and treats visitors. Go elsewhere if you're in a car.

Well, what can I say. It's hell on earth, but a must-see. Shattuck, along with Telegraph, College, University and San Pablo, are among the dozen or so streets which form the core of the amazingly-diverse place. There's virtually anything to eat that you can think of from just about any continent; and plenty of cheap eats along with high-end eats too. Just a few blocks on either side of Shattuck combine with it to produce years of possible experiences. If one is young, there simply is love in the air everywhere, and clubs and poetry readings and music venues of every shade. Crime, homelessness, alcoholism, panhandling and drug addiction are utterly out-of-control. I'm comfortable, (or at least as comfortable as folks could reasonably get), in ultra-high-crime areas, and so I feel easy enough around there. But it can be pretty grim at times, even so. The Bay Area is very confusing in this way, in that it is allegedly the heart of liberalism, but the poor are treated with almost scientific cruelty, and so this is the result. In the end, the money that would go to help the poor is eaten up in no-accountability civic contracting. The laws are written to make what we would call stealing quite legal. So, by the time the contractors eat up all the resources by extending projects to ten times their expense and projected duration, there's nothing left for the poor. Even with all these problems, Berkeley is just something every world tourist has to experience at least once, and Shattuck, with all it's beauty and flaws, is a part of that experience.

Great place for a stroll. Very few chain stores and many small interesting shops and restaurants. Try Acci, the artisan gallery and the Tibetan arts store at the north end of the street.

Awesome ambiance... very interesting and unique shops... bakeries and other eateries! Nice place for long walks and window shopping if you are not in the mood to shop. All types of restaurants, Indian, Thai etc

Shopping for Cal gear or looking for ANY kind of food or desserts, you're in the right place. You can find Italian, Thai, Chinese, American...whatever you are in the mood for. Lots of street vendors selling their hand-crafted wears like jewelry, tie-dyed clothing and more. Often there will be protesters of some sort passing out literature or explaining their cause but they are used to "no thanks!" so no need to cross the street to avoid them. Or, you may want to hear what they have to say, that's really up to you!

As some visitors commented, this can be a great experience or a disappointment depending on what you are expecting and how you see the world! I call this 'UCB in a Nut Shell' covering The Good, the Bad and the Ugly! You get everything here - food, shopping, entertainment, BART station.....A must in my opinion, if you want to experience UCB and are ready for it!

This avenue - in my mind - is essential Berkeley. You get a little bit of everything. Upscale shopping, boarded up stores, pricy restaurants and inexpensive dives, beautiful people walking by, street folks sitting on the ground / curb. It's got the whole continuum. It's fun to walk the Avenue to soak up the vibe.

The sidewalks are filthy; the street peddlers are not offering anything you should purchase. I stayed at the Hotel Shattuck and it was an oasis of calm. The walk down Shattuck Ave. was disappointing.

I have never seen so many great eateries in such a small area. There is every type of food you can imagine. Interesting shopping, but some strange panhandlers. Very Berkeley-like experience. A must see to get the full gist of the area. Oh and there's a BART stop conveniently located.

Catch the BART train to Shattuck Avenue...and you can shop, dine and walk to Museum's and movie theatres...dine at Thai restaurant's and see lot's of beautifulresidential home's(close by). Also near by...University of California at Berkeley. Greatplace, must see, take a walk up to campus.

Shattuck Avenue is a fun street to go to in Berkeley with restaurants, stores, movie theaters and grocery stores. It is close to the University of California at Berkeley. It is also where the Berkeley BART station is at. I once upon a time lived on Shattuck Avenue and enjoyed living in the area.We return regularly to Shattuck Avenue especially during the fall when it is Cal Football Season.

Nice place to have a leisurely afternoon walk. The streets are clean and there are good restaurants offering a variety of food items.The street is beautiful with lamp posts surrounded with flower pots with flowers often in full bloom in the month of August!

Lots of shops & cuisine from everywhere. Very pedestrian friendly. Merchants were helpful and had interesting shops. There are 2 movie theaters in case you get bored. We never did.

Having visited the area several times, I enjoy visiting Crossroads Trading and the Goodwill around the corner of University. Pegasus Books is a must, and the restaurants are all terrific.

The downtown Berkeley section is full of seedy homeless people and few stores of interest. One of the Berkeley rep theaters is located off Shattuck downtown, as well as some older movie theaters that show first-run films.The North Berkeley Shattuck Avenue, about half a mile north of University Avenue, is the place to go for Chez Panisse Cafe and restaurant (make reservations way in advance) and the Cheese Board (co-op bakery and pizza) and some other good restaurants. You can also shop in the area for comfortable and stylish shoes and clothing, etc, on Rose Street. This is the Shattuck Avenue to visit and I'd give this area four stars.You might find a farmers market on Thursday at Shattuck and Rose.