I would like to add that when I visit my freshman dd I usually park in the garage on the corner of Durant and Telegraph adjacent to Unit 3 dorm, literally one block south of the campus. Just go north on Telegraph when you exit the garage and you will walk right pass the Sather Gate and Sproul Plaza in no time. The 1st hour is FREE! Then $1 for the 2nd hour, then $2 for the 3rd hour. Stay pass 4 hours though you will pay the daily max of $16, so if you hang around longer than that you may want to move your car (and re-park perhaps). For more info on the garage see https://berkeleyca.gov/city-services/parking/parking-garages-and-lots, the one Iām referring to is called Telegraph Channing Parking Garage.
This garage is smack-dab in the middle of student activities where all the dorms and eateries are located, a perfect place to experience the college vibe at night. To be young again!
My daughter and I stayed this week at the new Residence Inn. Rooms were large and very clean. They have a rooftop bar and restaurant that had beautiful views and surprisingly very good food too!
@worriedmomucb@scrambro@lkg4answers For family of 4 - our consideration for lodging will be parking availability, walking distance to campus and walking distance to restaurants for dinnerā¦ With that said, would Residence Inn be better fit than the Graduate?
Theyād probably both be fine. Both are within walking distance to campus as well as dining. I canāt speak to parking availability, so I would call them and double check. My personal preference would probably be Residence Inn because itās close to BART which is how I get around - so that might be a consideration if you plan to site see around the Bay. BART would give you easy access for a day trip to San Francisco.
Iād opt for the Residence Inn for the big rooms, breakfast etc. Iām sure youāre on top of this, but check the rates. Iāve seen the residence inn rates above $750 per night for certain football game dates, which is pretty obscene.
@pathandpurpose Iāve stayed at both of these. The Graduate years ago when I went to a concert at The Greek Theater and The Residence Inn with our student the night before Cal Day when he was making his final college decision.
Personally I would pick The Graduate for its old Berkeley charm and proximity to South Side and closer to more student action, assuming you are coming with prospective students. Both are easy for walking (but know you will walk a lot in Berkeley!) and are close to tons of good food options. Residence Inn has valet parking thatās easy. I forget where we parked at The Graduate, but if you can inquire with the hotel about parking, it would have my vote. Residence Inn was nice too and had a small kitchenette, but is more like a high rise hotel in many big cities. Enjoy your time in Berkeley!
Here is my āanti-recommendation.ā We went to the Faculty Club for dinner before a show at Zellerbach. Apparently you can dine at the Fac Club without being a member. It was inexpensive as far as dinners out in Berkeley go. Unexciting, uninspired, and I felt like a real elder. The Bartender may have been working there since the Coolidge Administration, and pours with a generous hand, but the bar closes at ā¦ 5:30 pm (yes really!). Which is a misstep because you really need the booze to lubricate the food down the craw. I would describe it as a āfine for a Rotary Club in Cleveland, circa 1982.ā My daughter, however, said it was the best Berkeley meal sheād had in any campus dining hall, a sad commentary on the state of dining on a campus that sits adjacent to the Gourmet Ghetto.
Hi. Just wanted to know what would u prefer whether to live on or off campus during your time as a student, and how would you weigh the trade-offs in terms of cost, privacy, and food amenities between these two options?
My daughter had considered living at home and commuting since we are so close, but at just about the last minute she decided to dorm and she is SO GLAD she did. She has really liked living on campus - she has met people through the dorm, and is so close to everything, can do late night taco bell runs with friends, go visit friends down the hall any hour of the day and night, and if she has to stay late for a meeting, sheās just a few steps from her bed. So my daughter would DEFINITELY say on campus, at least as a freshman. Itās really helps to feel part of the community and to get to know and bond with new friends.
@mitchlife, I think you will be hard pressed to find a college where it is not preferable for freshmen to live in the dorms. Dorms may sound like a big change from what students are used to at home. However, the dorms are conveniently located and help students meet others and feel part of a community. While the food may get tiresome, not having to worry about grocery shopping, meal prepping or cooking, allows students to focus on transitioning to college.
My son is a second year at Berkeley, and I agree with this 100%. Some of guys he met his first year are now his off campus roommates and that is working out great too.
Sorry for belated write up. We ended up staying at The Graduate, which had its charm, but our room had a connecting door to another room and we ā unfortunately ā could hear our neighbor chatting on the phone and playing music late into the night.
If you can get a room that doesnāt have this issue, then I would recommend the hotel for its proximity to restaurants and campus. They had parking onsite in the back at $37 per night.
During our stay, we ate breakfast at La Note, dinner at Fish & Bird Sousaku Izakaya, lunch at Dumpling Kitchen, coffee at Caffe Strada, and breakfast at Bagel Street Cafe.
We walked around campus and did the self guided audio tour on Sunday in between the rains.
We were really impressed with the Physics Dept building, and what surprised me was the amount of time on the audio tour devoted to safety (#18). (Our visit was prior to me reading about the SafeBears Inc. post on College Confidential.)