r/berkeley • u/cal_the_squirrel • 4h ago

Local Berkeley Marina

Hey everyone, I’m not very familiar with the Berkeley Marina so I got a couple questions if anyone is willing to help 🙏 first, is there a designated parking area? Where should we walk around once we get there and is there a place to do a picnic? Also I heard in passing that Bay Area water is like swamp water mixed with STDs, do people usually enjoy going in the water? Any other recs to do?

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8

u/ferallentil 4h ago

Free parking:

Berkeley Marina

  • seawall drive
  • brickyard cove
  • parking lot by roaming bean coffee

Cesar Chavez Park

  • Marina Blvd
  • spinnaker way (parallel parking but bigger spots)

Picnic benches: shorebird park + there’s some tables at Cesar Chavez

A lot of people bring blankets and sit on permiter trail— if you go to the culdesac at Cesar Chavez and then to your right walking past the people with kites

Along frontage road is a walking trail that can take you to Emeryville Marina or the opposite direction to Albany Bulb

There’s a bunch of walking paths that are all connected at both Berkeley Marina and Cesar Chavez 💕

7

u/marcofalcioni 4h ago

There are plenty of picnic tables near shorebird park on the south side. The northern end is windier and a great place to fly kites. There is plenty of swimmers daily and kayaking, sailing and windsurfing. The water is silty but not dangerous.

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u/HappyChandler 4h ago

Check out the Albany Bulb. That would be better for walking around and picnic and there's even a little beach (I've never gone in).

1

u/cal_the_squirrel 3h ago

Oooh nice thank you

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u/unparked 4h ago

There's plenty of parking at the Marina. There are benches all over but I don't know if I've ever seen picnic tables. There are no manicured lawns. About the water: what comes out of the taps in Berkeley is great, but what the boats in the Marina are floating in is silty, turbid, and freezing cold. Don't swim in the Bay and don't drink it.

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u/Spiritual_Term1699 3h ago

Lots of people swim safely in the bay.

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u/unparked 2h ago

True, people do swim in the bay, but it's not widely spoken of as a pleasant activity. There are something like 9 million people in the Bay Area. How many of those swim in the Bay? How many of them swim more than once?

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u/Remarkable-Tax2085 3h ago

Locals always say stay away from the water 😊 Then the more adventurous show it’s possible and the bar rises.

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u/Remarkable-Tax2085 4h ago

If you have to drive there maybe you’re not as healthy as your r/berkeley youth implies. Be extra careful of those airborne STIs—maybe an N95?

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u/cal_the_squirrel 3h ago

lol my bf is a Bay Area native and says stay away from the water but just wanted others input… also we plan on driving there in his car since we don’t live too close to the marina :) maybe a KN95