Recommended Hotel: Rodeway Inn
Why: Best Rates, Reviews, Free WiFi
None of the four hotels near the North Berkeley BART station are very exciting, so we recommend the Rodeway Inn because it has the best rates and least complaints across hundreds of online reviews. All four hotels have free internet in guest rooms, free parking, and free breakfast. Even though smoking rooms are available at the Rodeway Inn, there are very few complaints about a smoking smell and most guests think it is very clean. Guests also like that the rooms have microwaves and mini fridges.
Neighborhood Vibe: The North Berkeley BART station is in the northwest corner of Berkeley. It tends to be a mixed bag of student housing and an all-around less affluent area. The area is generally safe to be in, it’s just a bit of bland part of Berkeley. However, Berkeley does have a large homeless population, so use caution in this area, and common sense.
Getting Around: It’s easy to reach downtown and the UC Berkeley campus by foot and only takes about 20 minutes. A ride on the BART from North Berkeley to downtown San Francisco will run $3.75 for adults, $1.40 for kids and take about 20 minutes using the red line. Getting to the Oakland airport using the BART will take about 20 minutes and will include a shuttle bus to get to the terminal, which is $3 for adults. San Francisco International airport will take an hour to reach using the BART from Berkeley and costs adults $8.85, children $3.30. This requires a transfer from the orange line to the yellow line.
What to Eat: There are some restaurants near the motels and near the BART like Birdland Jazz and BBQ. If you follow University Avenue toward the bay, 4th Street has a wide variety of shops in a main street setting, some of which are familiar chains while others are unique and local. Bette’s Oceanview Diner serves awesome pancakes. You can’t go wrong stopping in any of the places in the Gourmet Ghetto on North Shattuck.
Things to Do: One of the great activities in North Berkeley is walking, there are numerous paths and the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association even offers themed walking tours. There are also numerous free activities in the area such as the Berkeley Rose Garden and Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive.
