Berkeley's North Waterfront Park: What a Dump! From Richard Katz's
Skating Unrinked book, published in paperback by HarperCollinsWest in 1994. Or was it '95? If you are not reading this on a screen, stop reading and head to www.Amazon.com. Thanx. Richard Katz = katz@frogojt.com. email
If you didn't really want to read a rollerskating trails book: Back to Richard Katz's Homepage
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Chapter brkmrna
Berkeley's North Waterfront Park: What a Dump!
The City of Berkeley brought in truckload after truckload of trash and garbage and mixed it stoichiometrically with dirt and concrete, to create Berkeley Marina's North Waterfront Park. There were a few problems, of course, like the road that wouldn't stay flat (the locals used to come out and watch the cars galumphing down that road, cheering when there was an especially powerful case of constructive interference). But in general, this custom-made little land mass came out pretty much like the real thing.
What we ended up with is a bit like the Point Richmond path, which come to think of it, is also of human origin. There's a pleasant circular skating path in a park, great for kids and beginners, connected to a coffee shop by a trail that's a bit more challenging that doesn't get a lot of traffic.
How to Get There by Car from Interstate 80 (= 580):
From southbound I-80, take the Gilman Street exit. Cross the street at the bottom of the offramp, jog to the right, and continue south on the frontage road that parallels the freeway. When you get to the next stop sign at University Avenue, take a right (that's the Seabreeze Market opposite). Drive one extremely long block to Marina Boulevard, and turn right at the sign "North Waterfront Park". After another long block, the road curves to the left. Try to grab a parking space near the curve. The trail is on the other side of the trees.
From northbound I-80, exit at Powell Street in Emeryville. Stay in the second lane from the left, and turn left onto Powell Street at the bottom of the offramp. Shift to the far right lane, and turn right onto the frontage road just before the Shell station. After a few miles, you will see the Seabreeze Market on your left at the intersection with University Avenue. Take a left onto University, make a right on Marina, go right at the sign "North Waterfront Park", and park after you get past the Marriott.
How to Get Back to Interstate 80 :
If you are going home on I-80 eastbound (Albany, Sacramento or New York) or I-580 northbound (Richmond or Marin), go north on the frontage road at the Seabreeze, turn right at the racetrack, pass under the freeway, and turn left up the ramp.
If you are going home on I-80 westbound or I-580 southbound (San Jose, Oakland, San Francisco), just hop on the freeway onramp across the street from the Seabreeze.
What It's Like:
If you were able to get a parking space by the bend in the road where Marina Boulevard turns into Spinnaker Way, just look around for the three foot tall map cast in concrete. It's a nice touch, and will no doubt outlast most of the things it depicts. From that marker, start skating north along the Bay. It's excellent pavement in spots, with nicely engineered gentle curves. There are even a few gentle swales built into the land. By the time you have made it around another curve and head west, you notice that this is pretty much hassle free skating. When you make the turn onto the continuation of Breakwater Drive, you are skating right along the Bay, looking straight out the Golden Gate. They could have called the park New Oceanview, after the old Oceanview neighborhood of Berkeley, whose view is blocked by the new land mass.
When you get to the traffic circle at the end of Spinnaker Way, where all the kite flyers are working out, you might want to turn left and rink around the track, maybe do a few laps. It's a popular place among the locals.
If you are feeling adventuresome, go straight at the traffic circle along Breakwater Drive and head toward the skyscrapers of Oakland and Emeryville. When you see the boat launching ramps, veer left along the harbor. Go past the big parking lots on the left, and two Marriott buildings; then bear right to Hornblower's dock. This is a public shore, open to all.
That glass hexagonal building, just off the trail houses the Marriott's swimming pool. Just outside the pool and before you get to the jazz lounge there is a patio, where in good weather anybody who can roll in and take a seat can order a drink.
The trail around the Marriott going toward Marina Way is under attack by subsidence of the landfill and eruption of the treeroots. Exercise caution. Go right on the sidewalk that parallels Marina for a short distance, then head right on University Avenue; take the lower sidewalk, the one through the grove of redwoods. The concrete pad in front of you is a ferry dock which last saw action after the '89 quake. The surface is only worth two stars; skip it. Just continue along the marina, and shortly you come to a little plaza with some good pavement and a very professional piece of monumental abstract minimalist art to figureskate around (by Joe Slusky). For all you amateur semioticians out there, take note that this is the only sculpture I have ever seen that has a sign announcing that it is a sculpture.
Just around the corner from Mr Slusky's sculpture there is a store, a telephone, and a bus stop.
Follow the asphalt trail that leads out toward the ocean, curving to the right past hundreds of expensive sailboats and over to the Yacht Club. The pavement is showing its age here. When you get all the way out to the Yacht Club, turn around and skate south along the breakwater that leads to the restaurant. You probably think I'm making this up, but that restaurant is named Skates. Skates by the Bay, to be exact. But if you try to skate in from the bay and order a drink at Skates, you will be told (in another semiotic singularity) that "the name doesn't really mean anything," and they don't serve skaters. It doesn't really matter, though. Just remember this spot and go back to Skates later. During the winter the Berkeley weather whips up the chloride ion from the sea outside Skates and provides a truly bone chilling experience. That is when Skates' window seats are magical, just floating above the water with lights twinkling out on the Bay like stars in the firmament. The food's not bad either.
Just past Skates bar, the trail gets a bit rough. On the right is the Berkeley fishing pier. It has numerous bad joints and is off limits to skaters .
Take a left here and head back toward town on the path to the left of University Avenue. Stop to admire "The Guardian,"Fred Fierstein's archery sculpture in the middle of the intersection. The arrow is aimed at Asia. This fifteen foot enlargement of a seventh century Chinese key chain ornament wasn't authorized by the city government; the city wanted to remove it, in fact. Fred put it on the ballot in 1986, and the voters kept it.
After you get back to the store and the Slusky sculpture (which was duly authorized by the city), retrace your path by the ferry dock, the Marriott, the boat ramp, and back to the traffic circle at Spinnaker Way and Breakwater Drive. Go right at the kite flyers station, and back to the concrete mile marker.
For lunch you can skate to the Seabreeze Market on a path that runs south along Marina Way. Take a left at University, stay on the north side of the street for one long block and you're there. Next time, you could park your car at the Seabreeze and skate over to North Waterfront Park for a few laps, or a picnic.
Places to Rent Skates:
You can rent skates on San Pablo Avenue, just south of Gilman Street, at Berkeley Windsurfing, 510 527 9283.
If you don't mind going a little out of your way, try Karim's at 2801 Telegraph Avenue. This is the premiere place to rent or buy your skates, especially if you're after in-lines. 510 841 2181. If you go in and say "I just want to go down to the Marina and try it out,"Adlai Karim will hand you a pair of skates and administer his Zen-like blessing "Keep it simple." They will work just right.
Places to Eat:
The Seabreeze Market has outdoor tables, a full line of fruits and vegetables, a coffee bar, and tasty prepared food. Check out the clam chowder in a hollowed out sourdough roll.
For years, there has been a hot dog vendor across from Fred's archery sculpture. The hot dogs are surprisingly good.
Public Transportation:
The Berkeley Marina is at the end of the line for the AC Transit's 51M line from Berkeley BART. No other 51 will do. It's got to be a 51M.
The ferry doesn't stop here anymore.
AMTRAK's Berkeley station is right across the overpass from the Seabreeze market.
Ratings:
Path Surface = **; Waterfront Loop ****)
Public Transit Access = ****
Surroundings = **; Waterfront Loop *****
Level of Difficulty = EASY
Overall Rating = **
Length = 1 mile for the waterfront loop only
Other trails to check out in the neighborhood:
Berkeley BART
Inspiration Point in Tilden Park
10/10/96
Note from the Author: Haven't put in links to the other chapters yet.
From Richard Katz's Skating Unrinked book, published in paperback by HarperCollinsWest in 1994. Or was it '95? If you are not reading this on a screen, stop reading and head to www.Amazon.com. Thanx. Richard Katz = katz@frogojt.com. email
Back to Richard Katz's Homepage
If you want to go back to the Table of Contents of Skating Unrinked, Back to TOC