berkeley bookstores

Probably the single most attractive thing for me at age 23, when I first arrived in Berkeley, were its bookstores.  Berkeley is a great place for people who like to read. 

We didn't come here to go to school like so many who live here, although it always hovered in the background as a possibility.  Rather, it was more like: we had friends to stay with here, my husband found a great job here that he really loved and he may have felt that 'Berkeley' represented the kind of 'rebellion' against the status quo that he wanted but couldn't quite fully embrace, and as for me, I knew I could survive here because there were some of the best bookstores I'd ever seen in my life located within easy walking distance of our apartment.  I could walk beneath beautiful trees to the bookstores.

The following link  will give you some idea of the smorgasbord of bookstores that still exists to this day in Berkeley.  In addition to all these new and used bookstores, there is now also Wonderland Books in El Cerrito at the northernmost edge of Berkeley.  There used to be Gray's Books, a friendly neighborhood store in north Berkeley on Solano Avenue, and also the fabulous, fantastic Shambhala Bookstore on Telegraph Avenue.  A veritable icon among bookstores.  There are still two other metaphysical bookstores in town: Sunrise Books (my personal favorite) on Telegraph, and Lewin's on Ashby Ave.  Berkeley was and is an emporium of books, and a Shangri-La for readers...or at least for this reader.  I knew I could be happy in Berkeley because of its books.  And because Berkeley is full of readers.

Not only that, but the weather is great.  On beautiful days, everyone sits in their gardens reading (or painting or sculpting or gardening), and when it rains, we curl up with a steaming cup of tea or bowl of miso soup, and READ.

Comments

[Pica]

Which reminds me: weren't we going to get together sometime? I could have a good time wandering around bookstores with you. We have no plans for much over the Christmas/New Year break, and a trip to Berkeley would be definitely a good idea...

[kasturi]

hi pica,
yes, we talked about doing that. we were going to go for a hike in Tilden Park, but given the time of year and probably weather a nice bookstore meander sounds better. let's keep in touch about meeting. ~ k

[Carrie K]

Is Shakespeare & Co still around? I thought they sold it. I love Serendipity, and Black Swan Books over on Piedmont Ave.

[kasturi]

Hi Carrie,

Yes Shakespeare & Co is still there - it looks the same to me inside, but I don't know, there may be new owners. It looks a little cleaner - lol

I rarely get over to Piedmont to check out the bookstores there. I go to Pegasus on Solano Avenue and Black Oak Books and another one on Shattuck.

we ought to meet for tea at one of them sometime - there's always tea near the bookstores!