In an area known for wineries and wine bars, Solano Cellars is a mecca for Bay Area oenophiles who sit at the imposing wood bar and sample a dazzling array of wines from around the world. A staff of refreshingly unpretentious wine experts can guide you through the selection and help you find just the vintage you were looking for. The shop attached is tiny, but what they do not have on display can be fetched from the seemingly bottomless wine cellar. To enhance the wine, an ever-changing appetizer and dessert menu, designed with wine in mind, is offered. There is a strict prohibition on cell phones.
On the eastern edge of Berkeley, nestled at the foothills, you will find this small shopping and restaurant area centered near the intersection of College Avenue and Ashby. Somewhat of a younger sibling to the Rockridge Shopping District a few blocks to the south, and seemingly a village to the castle of the Claremont Hotel that looms above, Elmwood features everything you need for a relaxing day of strolling and shopping. Begin your day over coffee and pastries at the famous Espresso Roma with a thriving student and artist clientele. Find several quaint shops and romantic restaurants around, like Shen Hua, which features the best in Chinese food and family dining.
Mars is repeatedly voted the best vintage clothing store in the East Bay by local newspapers and it is one of the best sources for fun and unusual retro garb. It has two stories filled with hip basics, shoes, glamorous accessories and clothing from a variety of time periods ranging from the Renaissance to the awesome 80s. Stock up on zoot suits, bell-bottoms, worn Levi's, leather coats and poodle skirts. It also specializes in a lot of theme attire for the seasons. Find costumes around Halloween, luau-worthy Hawaiian shirts for summer and fabulous faux and vintage fur coats for winter.
With its own BART station, Rockridge's main artery is College Avenue. Half in Oakland and half in Berkeley, Rockridge nevertheless feels like its own little town. Locals, as well as those in-the-know throughout the Bay Area, know this is the perfect place to wile away a sunny weekend afternoon shopping for antiques, gourmet groceries, and the best in locally made clothing and crafts, or to just enjoy a leisurely brunch at one of the many fine restaurants. Whether you are visiting for a short while or are new to the area, a day in Rockridge is not to be missed.
Oaklandish has become an Oakland institution since its inception as a renegade street art campaign in 2002. Starting with their iconic oak tree with roots logo, they eventually progressed to making apparel with this and other Oakland-centric designs and selling them from booths at street fairs and farmers markets. Booths gave way to a truck, and in 2011 they opened their own store front. The clothing has come a long way since their single logo, and now savvy shoppers can pick up shirts, sweatshirts, hats and more in a variety of clever, stylish and just plain cool colors, designs and logos.
This independent North Beach icon, founded by Beat writer-mentor Lawrence Ferlinghetti, goes beyond your average bookstore by shelving beat literature, anthologies, and fiction from Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and much more. Experience San Francisco through the words written by some of the area's most famous, and sometimes hard-to-find, writers. The store has its own publishing house, City Lights, which has enriched the San Francisco community since 1953 by promoting emerging writers with an edge.
This small neighborhood bookstore specializes in titles in Slavic languages. You will find a selective range of new and used titles in Russian and in English translation. Featuring titles in literature, mystery, politics, reference, history, and more, it also offers a number of vintage art prints. One of the only Slavic bookstores in the city, it is located in the Richmond District, where a lot of the local Russian immigrant community resides. Check website for details.
888 Brannan is a one-of-a-kind store where you can find almost anything under the sun. Whether it be fashion accessories or clothes, books or kitchen devices or just a knick-knack to adorn your home, you are sure to find it here. It also holds special sales and events for occasions like Thanksgiving and Mother's Day.
Gospel Flat Farm is located about 30 miles (48.28 kilometers) north of San Francisco. Offering a great insight into organic farming, the farm is a wonderful mix of numerous activities, educational elements, outdoor fun and of course organic produce shopping! The vast organic farm is covered with lush green vegetable fields, and if you're lucky you'll also be able to spot sunflowers in full bloom. On offer are farm-fresh veggies such as zucchini, pumpkins, carrots, pickled vegetables and lots more that are vibrant and incredible to taste. But meat-lovers needn't frown, since they also sell a fine quality of pork from their farm-raise pigs as well as dungeness crabs that they breed just a couple of miles from Gospel Flat Farm. They also have an in-house field baker who bakes a storm of awesome-smelling bread loaves on a wood-fired oven, that are a work of art in themselves. Apart from all the food fun, Gospel Flat Farm also hosts a fun range of activities, workshops and programs throughout the year. Group tours are available along with lunch options; check the website for more details.
Watch in awe as delicate, elegant and artistic pieces take shape from characterless blobs of molten glass at the Glass Hand Studio. This public access art studio often hosts open house events and glass-blowing demonstrations that are nothing short of mesmerizing. The studio itself is available on rent for use by artists who would like to work on projects of their own. Besides rental space and events, the Glass Hand Studio also offers custom glass blowing classes for individuals and groups of up to three participants, suitable for every skill level. The studio doubles up as an art gallery displaying hand made glass art for sale, and even accepts custom orders.
Eugene and Jeremy, the owners, like to call it a ‘life shop’. That is because there is not only quality clothing available for men, but also a lot of other items. You can step in to buy books, classic film CDs and DVDs, and old vinyl records of timeless music. They have created a small but charming outlet to share the things they love with every customer that would walk in. There’s sure something for everybody.
Industry of All Nations is a clothing store based all over the world, one such store is based in San Francisco. Their goal is to deliver garments which have been made in countries like Argentina, Bolivia, India, Kenya and many more all over the world. It helps artisans from all the world to sell their product on a larger scale. The store has garments for both men and women inspired by the culture in the country it was made.