How Quirky is Berkeley? Fairyland on Amador Avenue
A charming "small village" in a front yard turns out to be the tip of the iceberg of a creative wonderland, created with the help of children, in North Berkeley.
Tom Dalzell has lived in Berkeley since 1984. After working for Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers for 10 years as a legal worker and then lawyer, he went to work for another labor union in 1981 and has been there since, first as an attorney, and, since 2006, as its elected leader. In his free time he walks the streets of Berkeley, street by street and block by block, recording and photographing the quirky material culture that he finds. Dalzell, who is an expert on slang, writes the Quirky Berkeley blog and contributes to Berkeleyside about his finds, both in the present tense and with an occasional foray into Berkeley’s non-conformist past.
May 30, 1969: The final scene in the powerful first act of Berkeley’s People’s Park
On the 49th anniversary of the largest protest marches Berkeley has likely ever seen, Tom Dalzell recalls a day when Berkeley demonstrated "moral outrage" in abundance.
How Quirky is Berkeley? The Federation Trading Post reunion
On Saturday, the owners of a long-closed 'Star Trek' oriented store on Telegraph Avenue hosted a reunion. This is a story with many layers of quirk that shows Berkeley at its best.
How Quirky is Berkeley? A time capsule bulletin board
The careful unpicking of a Berkeley bulletin board plastered with years and years worth of flyers from the early 1980s through the 1990s proves to be a fascinating time capsule.
Flashback: Allen Ginsberg’s ‘Strange New Cottage in Berkeley’
The Beat writer lived in Berkeley from September 1955 until August 1956 and was so impressed with his Milvia Street back cottage he wrote a poem about it.
In Berkeley: The People’s Park (1968) before People’s Park (1969)
Everybody knows about the People's Park created in 1969, when thousands of students, activists, and neighbors worked to establish the place. Few know about an earlier park.
How Quirky is Berkeley? Kitsch abounds
After years of shunning kitsch, Tom Dalzell recently pivoted and embraced kitsch fully and without qualification as an acceptable manifestation of Quirky Berkeley.
How Quirky is Berkeley? The safety pin on Page Street
Doug Heine made the safety pin sculpture at 812 Page St. as a symbol of resistance to #45. His own home across the street has an airplane crashing into it.
Judy Gumbo — Our Yippie Girl at home in Berkeley
The FBI once described hell raiser Judy Gumbo as vicious, anti-American, anti-establishment and dangerous to the internal security of the country.
How Quirky is Berkeley? Tyler Hoare’s sculpture and collage
For 40 years, Tyler Hoare has been using the Bay as his gallery, gifting us with planes, pirate and Viking ships.
Quirky Berkeley: Vintage toys and ‘Christmasiana’ sale
A person who wants a little more quirk in their home couldn't do better this weekend than visiting the sale. Same for a person who wants a lot more quirk in their home.
Dick and Beany’s last hurrah: Extensive collection of ethnic arts for sale
It's an understatement to say Dick and Beany Wezelman have a passionate love for Africa. After years of traveling there, their numerous collectibles bought there are up for grabs.
