It’s beginning to look a lot like summer in Berkeley. We’re finally settling into our homes for the season, and if you’re staying in Berkeley, take heart — it’s bound to blow you away. Both the campus and the city of Berkeley have so much to offer to those along for the ride. Let us at the Clog give you several reasons why Berkeley is simply better in the summertime.
1. It’s quieter
You might be surprised at how much you needed this. The campus during the summer is a whole different creature. The paths and sidewalks are warmer, the buildings smile down at you with golden light, and the trees wave in the gentle breeze at passersby. And there are far fewer people on campus, as most have gone home for the summer. The summer months will leave a lingering low-key vibe on campus, making it much easier to admire.
2. Public transportation bums you out a little less
Again, with much fewer students bustling about Berkeley, the buses and BART are far less crowded. The sidewalks are not as irritatingly packed on your meager walk to the store or to pick up some boba. Fewer bicyclists pedal past you in a blur of absolutely no signals, causing your short adult life to flash before your eyes — on campus, that is. Sadly, we can’t promise you a reduction in the volume of bicyclists on Berkeley’s streets; it is summer, after all.
3. The weather is not too cold, not too hot, but just right
One of the many joys about living in the Bay Area is that the weather is hardly overly dramatic. No matter the season, Berkeley rarely suffers elemental extremes. The summer months are faithfully sunny, but the trusty Bay fog takes its time to burn off in the mornings, keeping it cool. It’s shorts weather with less of the uncomfortable sweating in places we’d be ashamed to mention here. This is good news for those of us without air conditioning.
4. There are opportunities for adventure time
Summer in Berkeley gives you time to explore, and it gives you plenty to explore. Now that you aren’t studying in the library or stuck in the cycle of feeling enormously guilty for not studying, you can go out and get that film for your camera you’ve been needing. Go thrifting for some new shorts, ones that don’t have a hole in the pocket. Check out that alluring little yarn and knitting shop. Flip your fingers through dusty old records and bargain CDs at record and music stores. In the summer, you’ll blend right in with the locals.
5. The days are longer — and you’re happy about it
Aside from the geographic phenomenon that actually does take place in the summer, giving you a little extra light, now, you can hang onto daylight. Ride it out on coffee dates with your friends that never really have to end. Fall asleep in the late orange afternoon and wake up to the soft purple sunrise, why don’t you? You can stay out on the beach yelling against the waves until you forget what time it is because you don’t have that 8 a.m. you used to dread.
Summer is here to stay for a while in Berkeley. Go ahead and revel in it. Take advantage of all the reasons Berkeley is better in the summer; we’re sure we’ve missed some. Even if you’re working this summer or taking a class or two, there’s no reason not to smile back at summer — and don’t you dare feel guilty for a second.
