2705 Mathews Street, A Charming Condo Alternative in Berkeley’s Culturally Rich Left Bank

Vintage clothing stores abound

Left Bank/West Berkeley Neighborhood

What makes this one of my favorite neighborhoods in all of Berkeley?  Culturally Rich, West Berkeley has one of the most diverse mixes of people from all over the world of anywhere I know.  There is a wonderful mix of straights, gays and lesbians, single people and families, and young, old and everything in between.  With that said, you can get almost any kind of food, every nationality, you want without getting in your car. They even have a yearly ethnic food festival. Every foodie will love that. In fact, this is one of the best Eco Friendly areas I know with a relatively flat terrain.  If you have a hybrid vehicle, it’s one of the few places you can drive around and get those miles per gallon that the dealer says is possible.  What’s more West Berkeley is a center for commerce generating over 44 percent of the cities sales tax revenue.  There are over 1,500 companies that employ over $15,000 workers.  You can work, grocery shop, go out to eat, go to specialty stores, take care of all of your business and pleasure, do everything without having to own a car.  No wonder it is growing in popularity each year.

 

Cafe

The part of this neighborhood near Dwight Way and San Pablo has recently been coined the Left Bank by Real Estate professionals and is beginning to catch on in the community.  There you will find Café’ Trieste, a coffee house that I was told has the best cappuccino this side of Italy.

Singer at the Cafe

I checked it out myself this week and they were so right. You can also get breakfast items, soup, salad, and many taste deserts.  They often have singers providing entertainment and you will always find it busy at whatever time of day. 

Good Vibrations Store

Next door to Café’ Trieste is a specialty shop that started out in the San Francisco Mission District and then opened with a new store in Berkeley, Good Vibrations, www.goodvibes.com.  You can find all kinds of special sexually enhancing devises in this shop, and reading material as well.  Women run, this is not your local porn shop. In fact it has nothing to do with that. This is a store dedicated to helping people learn how to pleasure themselves and each other and has been in business for over 30 years. 

Sea Salt

As you continue down the block you come to Sea Salt, an exceptionally good restaurant to go out for any special occasion. This is a sea food only restaurant where the chief, who is obviously of very high caliber, prepares a mouth watering combination of American, California Cuisine, Mediterranean, and Greek sea food dishes. 

www.seasaltrestaurant.com

There are a variety of vintage clothing shops,

Hand Made Jewelry

a hand- made jewelry store owned by Melissa called Kiss My Ring with beautiful things, all original art from local artists.  Perhaps this would be a good place for some holiday shopping, www.kissmyring.com. There is a candle and scent store with many cards and gift items, and many other shops.  I had a small feeling of being in Greenwich Village in New York only on a much smaller scale.  There are many artists living in the neighborhood running shops that sell their art works and crafts. 

Down San Pablo a bit further is my favorite nursery, East Bay Nursery. They have one of the most beautiful selections of plants, shrubs, trees, and flowers to satisfy any gardener’s needs.  There is another popular nursery within a few blocks of this one whose name I can’t remember right now. The new addition soon coming to the Left Bank is the West Berkeley Bowl.  They are scheduled to open next spring and are located just a few blocks from 2705 Mathews street.  This will for sure increase the areas desirability.  Close to the Berkeley bowl is the Orchard Supply Hardware Store as well as a store for people with back problems needing special chairs or cushions. 

West Berkeley Bowl Opening in the Spring

Childs play area in San Pablo Park

San Pablo Park

and Berkeley’s Aquatic Park is also within walking distance.  Major bike paths funnel into the area.  Indoor and outdoor activities abound in West Berkeley.  If you are disabled, the sidewalks are mostly user friendly with wheel chair ramps on almost every corner. There is clearly something for everyone here. 

aquatic park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Should you get tired of the local fair, in 20 to 25 minutes you can walk to the West Berkeley BART and go wherever your heart desires.   About the same time takes you to Downtown Berkeley and a little longer and you can be at the UC Berkeley Campus.

West Berkeley has always had a history of being on the forefront of change from the Norwegian settlers who first started their outdoor saunas in the area to the civil rights movements. 

Omega Too

Today you can see that once again the West Berkeley Left Bank is on the cusp of the new age with many Eco Friendly Building stores such as Omega 2, a store with lots of recycled doors and home fixtures and

EcoHome

EcoHome, http://www.ecohomeimprovement.com/, where I’m going tomorrow to get some environmentally friendly stain for my new fence and arbor that the plants growing on it won’t mind.  The owner ladies, Nina and Taja, moved to the neighborhood from San Francisco several years ago and have been quite successful with their new operation that supplies home building and remodeling products that leave a lower carbon footprint on the environment.  They are located on San Pablo Avenue at Carleton and you can get everything from zero VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints that are environmentally friendly to kitchen counter-tops, carpets,flooring, and cabinets. Everywhere you go in the neighborhood there are people thinking about global warming and changing things to make a difference. I came across a really cool place near Café’ Trieste called the Ecology Center.  They are located in the same building as the Sierra Club Headquarters. This organization is a non-profit anyone can join that offers classes on different things having to do with lowering our footprint on the Earth. They have a library of tapes and books. They put out a monthly magazine called Terrain. I am going to become a member myself as I feel it will enrich my knowledge of going Green.  They have a website at www.ecologycenter.org.

 

Sweet Craftsman Bungalow

The House – 2705 Mathews

 

 

 

 

 

 

So now that I’ve made you want to move to this neighborhood yesterday, let me tell you that you actually can.  2705 Mathews Street, www.2705Mathews.com,  is located a short walk from all that I have been talking about. A great condo alternative, this 800 square foot 1910 craftsman bungalow is full of charm and character.  It is located on a quiet tree lined street and has a lovely front porch where you can take in the late afternoon sun.

 

Dining Room

The home has a beautiful dining room big enough to have small dinner parties with a window seat, built-ins, wainscoting, hardwood floors, and a decorative fireplace; a living room with a pillared entrance, window seat, picture molding, and hardwood floors; a tastefully remodeled kitchen with eco friendly butcher block countertops, smartly tiled back splash, farm house style sink, and energy star appliances. The old finished cedar floors also bring character to the kitchen. 

Remodeled Kitchen

 All the rooms are nicely apportioned.  There is a laundry room with newer front loading machines. The bath has wainscoting, a large pedestal sink, and a claw foot bathtub to soak in.  There are several other houses on the street that have similar floor plans where the owners have expanded into the garage area and the attic to create extra living space.  The back yard is extremely private with a large redwood tree. There is even an old chicken coop on the side of the house. 

There is plenty of natural light all day long in every room. This is the perfect home for a single person or young couple. It is a great place for a person downsizing.  The current owners took care of most of the pest report excluding some windows that had some rot in them.  The home has been painted with eco friendly paints from the EcoHome store a few blocks away. The only other immediate need is for the floor furnace to be replaced with a new heating source. 

Back Yard

Priced at just $439,000, if you are sitting on the fence, now is the time to get off.  You can live in this very charming home for a very affordable price in Berkeley in this hip and happening neighborhood.  Come on out and see it this weekend.  It won’t last long, even in today’s market. 

Written and Edited by Dan Joy