Anne-Charlotte PasseraTravel to San Francisco and stay in Berkeley.
We opted to stay in the area called Northwest Berkeley and rented a little place through Airbnb not too far of a walk from North Berkeley train station. It was our very first time using the Airbnb platform.
Sleeping in San Francisco is extremely expensive. When you travel to San Francisco, especially for a couple of days, you could consider sleeping outside of the city. Although you will lose time commuting, you’ll save money for your lodging. Also, if traveling with kids, sleeping outside San Francisco might not be a bad thing. It will be quieter, and you’ll discover a new area.
We realized from a for rent sign in Berkeley and confirmed by one of our Uber drivers how expensive and ridiculous the housing market is there. A 1 bedroom, 1 bath in Berkeley, near a Bart station with nothing else interesting around cost 2 650$/month, you can double that price in San Francisco. Space is tight in San Francisco California. Just to give you an idea, you can fit the entire population of Canada in the state. Yes, San Francisco is overcrowded. Even at 6 a.m., there is already a lot of traffic on the roads. It’s no wonder we saw so many homeless people on the street and it is extremely terrifying to see. Hence, this is one of the reason you should travel to Berkeley to sleep there while you visit San Francisco.
Berkeley
Despite being a quiet and lovely neighborhood, everyone drives. It will be hard to come across someone while walking around. North Berkeley is located about 30 minutes away from San Francisco by public transit with BART.
It’s funny how California and especially San Francisco are “supposedly” green, yet everyone travels by car. Some of the sidewalks, when they do exist, can barely fit one person. The stores and restaurants are so scattered that it gives you no choice but to use the car. Obviously, around Berkeley University, it must be a different story but that is not where we were.
The main stores and cafes in that neighborhood are either located along San Pablo Avenue or at the corner of Fourth Street and Hearst Street. At the corner of Gilman Street and San Pablo Avenue, you’ll find a big supermarket if you are in the mood to cook yourself some dinner or prepare breakfast.
Where to eat
When we got to our Airbnb rental, our place wasn’t ready. So, we dropped off our bags and went to Picante, a Mexican restaurant that our host had recommended nearby. We were able to grab a late lunch on their outdoor terrace. It was quite good even though it was a little pricy (welcome to California!). Personally, I really enjoyed our nachos and their margarita!
For breakfast, we went to Whole Foods, an organic supermarket. This is where we finally realized, aside from breakfast, that this would be the less expensive but healthy way to eat. We ended up having three dinners there and had free access to their Wifi, SWEET!
What to do in Berkeley with kids
Our main planned activity in Berkeley was to take Blondie Bear to a playground but not just any kind: Adventure Playground. I came across it while doing research on the Internet.
For all the overprotective parents out there, this place wouldn’t be for you. For all the others, know that this playground is in the top 10 playgrounds according to National Geographic. It is however for older kids, 6 and up, I think. Although it seems that you can still go with a younger child, you’ll need to keep an extra eye on him/her.
Admittedly, it can be scary to a parent when you first arrive there. You’ll see kids holding real hammers and saws, nailing boards, painting anything and everything. They and/or you can build anything you want there and it is FREE. It’s pretty awesome if you ask me. There is such a different interaction between you and your child in this place. Bring a hat though as it is pretty sunny there and sunscreen as it is close to the water and Berkeley Marina. Blondie Bear loved the playground and we had no injuries to declare.
Need more ideas as to what to in San Francisco with kids? Discover Blondie Bear’s top 10 things to do in San Francisco based on our travel there.
How to get to Adventure Playground and the Marina
We took a Uber to get to the Marina as it was somewhat far. Actually, we had no clue as to how to get there and we were already tired. We had to ‘steal’ a cafe’s Wifi to order it. Yep Guilty!
We didn’t get an international plan, as usual, which would have cost a small fortune. Therefore, we made do without and found free Wifi spots. Besides, we had Wifi in our Airbnb. Aside from organizing our travel itinerary to and around San Francisco, we didn’t have much use for it. We could survive without Facebook access for a while.
Once we were done exploring the playground, we walked around the marina to check out some views and also on a quest for free Wifi. Since that didn’t work out, we walked all the way back. We stopped on 4th street where there were some cafes and stores. Luckily, we were able to make a pit stop at the Apple store to recharge my phone and use their Wifi. Blondie Bear and Big Boss spent that time chasing Pokemons in the store …OMG…Blondie Bear almost went under a table to catch one…oh come on!!
So there you have it. Our little side travel to Berkeley while visiting San Francisco was really worth it. So what’s next? Are you ready to explore San Francisco? Here is our Once Upon a Time Travel to San Francisco.
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[…] in Berkeley’s marina, just across a bridge, you’ll find Adventure Playground. It’s FREE to get in and it’s the […]