Even if you have no grand plans for your summer vacation, you can travel a world away, even travel back in time, with some tours of our wonderful EastBay!
In Berkeley:
You can take a “Berkeley Magical History Tour†on Saturday, July 28th with historian Richard Schwartz. Richard will introduce you toBerkeley’s first fire house, first jail and many other wonderful attractions inWest Berkeley as he tours around the Ocean View District. The tour begins at 11 am, and there is a $10 charge. RSVP at 510.845.6874 Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA) has been running a series of “Outings on Fridays.†The final tour will take you to the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Marin County Civic Center on Friday, August 3  at 11 am. Cost is $15. You can pay on-line through this link, or contact BAHA at 510.841.2242.
And on a preservation note: a building which has always been a central feature to life in Downtown Berkeley is under serious threat. They’re Selling the Berkeley Post Office?! On Friday, July 20th at 7:30 pm, Dr. Gray Brechin will discuss the actual reasons for the fire sale of what the National Trust for Historic Preservation has categorically named among America’s most endangered treasures and what we can do to stop it. At The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar Street in North Berkeley. Admission by donation.
In Oakland: Oakland Heritage Alliance (OHA) organizes a series of summer walking tours on both Saturdays and Sundays through August. Most tours are $15 general. The next tour is a special one, and requires reservation by 19 July: it’s a tour of Oakland’s Walkways and Streetcar Heritage, from 10 am – 12:30 pm. On Sunday you can tour a bit of Asia, and visit Oakland’s Chinatown. On subsequent weekends you can tour Montclair Village, Haddon Hill, Piedmont Avenue, or take a fascinating Art Murmur tour exploring the evolution of a downtown neighborhood. For information on these tours and others, contact OHA at info@oaklandheritage.org, or call 510.763.9218.
