Berkeley Marina

Parking is super practical with access to bathe rooms , water fountains, shower and hoses to hose down your craft. There are a couple of practical and free small craft launching docks ideal if you have a SUP or kayak.

I don't know if this place is actually called Berkeley Marina, but, it's what I known it as for years...so, that's what I'm sticking with. LOL. Plus, Google Maps says so. :)

I've been coming here ever since Summer 2020. It's my go to place to get away and out of town when the temperature gets over 100 degrees. It's free and has everything one who loves being outside can ask for!

Parking is plentiful earlier in the day, but, gets real scarce, real fast around 12 noon(But, it's free!!)

There's plenty to do here: walk, sit/walk by the water, have kids play at the playground, eat (There's a couple restaurants nearby), ride your bike or kayak here. There's a boat rental shop here.

Berkeley Marina Park is a peaceful retreat with a little something for everyone--whether you're looking for a quiet spot to relax or a place to engage in more active pursuits.

Considering that I was born and raised in the Bay Area, it took me nearly half a century to visit "Berkeley Marina". And considering just how much nature surrounds the 9 Bay Area counties, this has been one of the more popular areas that attract trails and pathways where you will see walkers, runners, cyclists, parents with strollers, and lots of dogs. Located at the very end of University Ave. and just about 1/2 mile from I-80, accessibility to this Marina is very convenient.

I came here during the evening of Saturday 7/16/2022 from 7:30-8:30pm. I wanted to get a view of a perfect sunset and I must say, this place does not disappoint. During my arrival, there were other people also taking full advantage of the picturesque views while soaking it all in. As far as parking, it is free of charge but can fill up rather quickly during peak hours. The road to get here is not paved up to standards so it can get a little bumpy if you drive a smaller passenger car. I think a serious repaving is way past due since it has probably been a few decades since this has been done.

On a brighter note, this particular marina has a ton of fun activities; one of which is the UC Aquatic Center that offers a variety of water activities including swimming, sailing, windsurfing, paddle boarding, and sea kayaking. However, since this was during the evening hours, none of these were taking place. From what I witnessed in the short time I was here was a large grassy area suitable for picnics. You will also find activities that are kid friendly including Adventure Playground and Shorebird Park Playground.

As far as some of the other offerings nearby are a hotel and a few restaurants to choose from; one of which is "Skates on the Bay" overlooking the Bay as well as "Hana Japan Steak & Seafood" that runs parallel to University Ave. There are a few trash bins (many of them were overflowing though) as well as public restrooms. One of the most prominent landmarks here is the Berkeley Pier which was closed during my visit. However, you can witness amazing views of San Francisco and on a clear day, even the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.

All in all, "Berkeley Marina" is an above average spot to visit especially if you're looking to get a view of nature and are on a budget. Keep in mind that you will see some homeless camps and vagrants around this area but they usually keep to themselves. And some of the trash piling up is a sign of the times with much of the funding being cut in these public areas. If that doesn't bother you, then this is a decent place to check out. My rating, an above average four stars.

Since I'm not a well monied yachtsman with my own crew of manly men, I consider Berkeley Marina the whole waterfront extending from University Avenue, not just the boat marina. I'm sure purists would pooh-pooh me, but I say let them pooh all they want. I usually come here by foot whether it's the pedestrian bridge from Aquatic Park (...miss those action figure statues...) or by way of the rustic dirt path from the Albany waterfront. The area makes for a relaxing stroll, and in its way, it encapsulates the highs and lows of Berkeley in one fell swoop.

When was the last time you read anyone type 'one fell swoop'? The highs are the park areas. Cesar Chavez is a model example of turning waste management landfill into something more pleasurable, especially drone operators and kite fliers. Shorebird Park is for the kiddies with its nature center and hazardous-looking playground. It even has a beach of sorts. There's also that McLaughlin Eastshore preserve space with the dirt pathways and a lot of fenced-off weeds. OK then. And we're all still waiting for the Brickyard to open their fences next to the frontage road.

The lows really relate to the economic and pandemic-driven malaise of the area. On the southern tip, HS Lordships has been closed and apparently abandoned since 2018. Now there's just a lot of homeless guys camped there and me with my faded memories of a high school dinner date that went awry. Perhaps the most tragic casualty is the Berkeley Pier which has been closed since 2015. Restoration efforts have been as slow as passing the voting rights legislation and similarly made me wonder if it will ever reopen. Once upon a time, it extended out to the bay for 3-1/2 miles. Who knows how much of it will be rebuilt?

RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u

The Berkeley Marina I visited today was not the same Berkeley Marina from years past ~

The pier itself looks the same -- maybe even a little more renovated but there is no access to the end of the pier. In fact - the entire pier is blocked off by a metal fence.

The ambiance around the pier, however, is pleasant. The air there is breezy, but the birds that usually nest in the waters were not there.

Wondering what happened ~

Stopped in for fuel. Everybody was helpful and courteous. I would definitely recommend this Marina.

Took the dogs here great place beautiful veiws. Gorgeous day with the family. It was a clear day and we could see the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco. The views were gorgeous. There were many people walking their dogs and flying kites but it didn't feel crowded.

I don't know how many times during the pandemic I'll be saying "this is one of my favorite places."

During 2020, we had little choice in where to go in order to try to stop or at least reduce the spread of covid. With that, many of us headed outdoors, and I'm thankful that I was able to find so many hidden beauties this year.

Berkeley Marina was one of those sights that I would pass by when taking the highway. I would always wonder what that "beautiful body of water" was.

Finally, as this year is coming to an end, I had a chance to enjoy some solitude at Berkeley Marina.

Quiet, wide, and pristine. These are words I would use to describe this place.

Berkeley Marina is great place to come to, to just sit and meditate, chat with a loved one, or take a stroll around.


Note: There is a parking lot that fits approximately 30 cars, and I believe parking is free (at least I didn't see any signs). Also, the road to Berkeley Marina is extremely bumpy, so beware lol.

Of all the years living in the Bay Area, I've never been to Berkeley Marina until this year.

One day, after walking Jaime at the Pt. Isabel Dog Park, decided to finally drive here to check out the area. I was surprised that it was actually pretty spacious. We walked around and discovered there are picnic areas, boat launch, UC Aquatic Center, Adventure Playground (for kids), fishing areas, bait & tackle shop, pier (currently closed), water sports clubs, a hotel, restaurants, chandlery, boat yard/dock and walking trails.

It's definitely a spot if you're into water activities like kayaking, windsurfing, paddle boarding, sailing, swimming, kiteboarding and swimming. If you're not into water activities, you can bring the family and kids and have 'em run around the grassy area, have a picnic or let 'em play at Adventure Playground (currently closed) to burn off their excess energy.

Good luck to some of you trying to force your kids to play outside as you might have to pry their electronic devices from their hands. Back in the day, our parents got mad if we played outside too much. Nowadays, parents get mad that kids don't play outside anymore. How times have changed. Sorry for going off on a tangent there.

It's a nice area for all types of outdoor and water activities if you're into these hobbies. We do enjoy walking around here, and the views of the bay (especially on clear, cool days) are very scenic.

Those are the pros, now I have to mention the cons.

There's trash everywhere and that says more about us as human beings than anything else. There's plenty of face masks on the ground and broken glasses on the parking area of the pier side. There's garbage cans, but they are always overflowing. Don't know how often they get picked-up and cleaned. Plenty of cars parked along the pier also live in their cars, which adds to the filth and garbage. I have empathy for these people, but can't they at least clean-up their mess and trash?

The roads on both side (entering and exiting the marina) needs some serious repaving. To say the roads are bad (especially when exiting) is an understatement. Its got more bumps than a teenager's face full of acne. I'm sure they can afford to repave the road from the monthly fee that they are charging these boat/yacht owners. Then the homeless encampment outside the marina is just a sad, sad sight to see. But that's just a miserable reality nowadays made worse by the pandemic.

If you can overlook these things, you can still have a pretty good time here at Berkeley Marina. Just gotta learn how to navigate the good and the bad.

#YelpChallenge2020 review No. 6