Oceanview ( 4th St.)

This area of Berkeley right by the Marina used to be largely industrial area and you can still see the many warehouses that once dominated the area. Even then, however, Brennan’s, an Irish pub style cafeteria and Spenger’s, a fish market, book-ended the University Avenue exit. Now, the Fourth Street Mall draws yuppies and Berkeley locals to the area and many of the warehouses have been replaced with fancy stores and restaurants.

You can get everything you might want for your home on Fourth Street, from tiles and lighting fixtured to stained glass. If you prefer to spend your money on what you wear, then you might try any of the many women’s clothing stores with female monikers, like April Cornell, Bryn Walker, Erica Tanov or Lilith. If you have a flare of dramatic scarves and the like, you might try Molly b, or if you prefer more intimate drama of the Victoria’s Secret variety, you might try Isabelle. If you prefer to dress your kids, there is This Little Piggy, and if their room needs refreshing, you could drop into Good Night Room. If you prefer to pamper your pouch, George lets you do it in style, while if your creature is cold blooded, try the East Bay Vivarium. Put simply, there are a plethora of ways to spend you money here.

Unfortunately, the infusion of commerce has also driven up property prices and rents and caused some of the local flavor to be lost. Although the neighborhood west of San Pablo is sill largely industrial, some homes still remain in the area. Many, however, are now being claimed by twenty-first century gentrifiers.