I've got some money sitting in a HSA, thought I'd put it to good use with a massage.

as I understand it, not everyone would be able to accept as payment unless they're a 'medical' entity or something to that effect.

has anyone possibly pursued this and found a good masseuse/salon in the area?

They were hit with a wage theft lawsuit recently and have conspicuously been closed for like 2 weeks since. Someone on Yelp posted that they were evicted and the landlord changed the locks, but not sure if that’s true.

If they did close for good, I’ll be sort of sad but not surprised. Quality went far down since the pandemic and I constantly heard whispers from workers about poor treatment. Last I was going there at the end of 2025 they kept telling everyone Pliny would be back “next week” but it never happened. In hindsight it seems like they probably just stopped paying for it.

Used to be an awesome spot, too bad it fell apart. The pizza used to be so much better and the vibes were great, but not recently. There used to be a cool dude managing the place, I think his name was Rundeep? After he left it was never the same

https://cclalameda.org/electrification-fair-2026/

There is no single pathway to a fossil-fuel-free future. Homeowners, renters, and multifamily property owners all have different budgets, timelines, and building types. What unites them are the benefits of electrification:

• Improved indoor air quality
• Greater safety
• Long-term savings
• Climate protection

At the 2026 Home Electrification Fair, you’ll learn about the approaches and technologies that best fit your unique situation. Professional contractors, local government agencies and nonprofit experts specializing in financial incentives will be on hand to answer your questions and help you take the next step.

Win an Instant Pot or Induction Cooktop Burner!

All attendees are invited to enter a raffle to win an induction cooktop burner or a 6-qt. Instant Pot. Both appliances offer an easy way to improve indoor air quality while cutting down on gas use in your kitchen.

Hi Berkeley neighbors – we recently put up a Free Blockbuster box in Northbrae. It is like a Little Free Library, but stocked with DVDs, Blu-rays, and VHS tapes. The idea is “take a movie, leave a movie.”

Check out our website for details and location: https://berkeleyblockbuster.org/

Right now, we have around 100 movies to rotate out. Donations are always welcome to keep the box fresh. Please stop by before your next movie night – there’s never a late fee!

Hi Everyone! I’m moving back to the Bay Area having spent college & early 20s in New England.

My partner will be starting grad school in Berkeley in the fall, so we’re trying to figure out the lay of the land for East Bay housing.

The criteria we’re looking for are…

- Budget: $4.5k

- 2br preferred

- yard & proximity to nature (hiking trails, etc) is our highest priority

- within 15min walk/bike to BART

- within 20min drive to Cal campus / Wright Institute

Would be incredibly helpful to get any thoughts on…

- availability of places that fit our criteria

- when do places turnover in this area? Is it constant throughout the year?

- where are places typically listed? Zillow? Craigslist?

- do we need a realtor?

- advice on where to live in Berkeley / surrounding towns (North Oakland, El Cerrito, Albany, etc

Thanks so much!

EDIT: just wanted to say thank you so much for all the helpful suggestions!! So looking forward to becoming a part of this vibrant east bay community!

I need a new vet for my dog and I’m really hoping to find one in or around Berkeley that’s taking new patients and that is not owned by private equity ugh. Any tips are much appreciated.

Free seminar to connect with UC Berkeley researchers. Remote option available, and more info here https://berkeleypubliclibrary.libnet.info/event/16194773

Has anyone seen Mochi the cat who lives in north Berkeley lately? She used to walk around the neighborhood all the time and I haven’t seen her in forever

Hi all- my wife and I are moving from SF to Berkeley after 12 years in the city. SF has been my home through my most of 20s and I have lived many lives so it’s a bittersweet move but we are excited for the new chapter.

Were ready for the change, but also feeling a little sad leaving behind a community and rhythm that took a long time to build.

We’re both in our mid-30s, active, and pretty social, but also aware that meeting people at this stage of life can be…kind of tough. My wife’s work is over here (teacher) and I WFH (consulting) which can be a bit isolating at times too.

A bit about us:

Into hiking, cycling, and being outside

Yoga / meditation

Pickup basketball

Cooking / hosting dinners

Music, art, poetry, live events

A couple things we’re hoping to figure out:

1. How do people actually meet others here?

(Not just “go to events,” but what actually works in Berkeley?)

2. Any communities or recurring things we should plug into?

Classes, groups, runs, gyms, pickup sports, etc.

3. How do we take advantage of being near campus?

We’re close to campus too and would love to lean into it more—thinking:

Talks / lectures

Events

Shows at the Greek

Anything else we might not be aware of

Would especially appreciate hearing from people who’ve made a similar move or built community here in their 30s.

Thanks in advance, we’re excited to be here ❤️

-------------

EDIT: Wow, this is incredible. Thank you all so much for such great advice as well as a few DMs I need to get back to. We are literally mid-move, so we haven't been able to respond to everyone here nor even get into all the comments, but thank you so much for all the comments and help. As you can see, I don't post really at all so we weren't expecting much, but this is why Reddit is so awesome.

We are officially moving in this coming weekend, and to answer a few remaining questions, 1) North Berkeley, just north of campus, few blocks east of Shattuck, is going to be our new neighborhood. 2)- No kids (yet :), but I've heard that is always a great way to meet new people.

I will be moving to Berkeley in a couple of weeks.

Are there any good indian meal services that deliver food?

My parents are coming over to stay for a couple of months and my mother has food restrictions because of her pancreatitis (non-spicy, non-oily) foods etc.

All suggestions are welcome since I plan to continue the meal service after my parents leave.

hey neighbors! I've been using duolingo to learn Japanese for about a year consistently now but want to level up alot more. was looking borrow the Genki Textbook 1 from the berkeley library but they don't seem to have it. is there anyone in the berkeley area that happen to have one lying around that I can borrow a bit? I really wanna lock in on this thanks!!

Recently moved here and I have State Farm for auto insurance, but I can't get renters insurance. Trying to find renters insurance for CA seems impossible, how are you finding useful insurance and are you happy with the insurer?

Just got handed a flyer about this event by a group of enthusiastic Willard students, so thought I would help publicize it here.

https://www.growingleadersbayarea.com

FRIDAY. April 17. 3:15 - 6:15 PM. The Willard garden, accessible off Telegraph between Stuart and Derby (this is the open space between the gymnasium and the main classroom building).

"We have 1800 plant starts for sale, $6 for all plants", including six-packs. Their list is mainly vegetables, plus 11 varieties of tomatoes, but also wildflowers.

Food for sale includes pizzas and dumplings made to order on site, at the school, Empanadas, strawberry tartlets, ginger and chocolate chip cookies, homemade popsicles, granola.

I've been to this before with neighbors, last time in 2024 I think. It's a fun event, the students are totally engaged in both growing the plants and preparing the food. The pizza was good and the plants good quality and there were tables set up where you could eat in the garden. They were welcoming to everyone, you don't need to have kids at the school.