6 Best Sights in The Bay Area, California

A densely packed, bustling neighborhood, Oakland's Chinatown, unlike its San Francisco counterpart, makes no concessions to tourists. You won't find baskets of trinkets lining the sidewalk and souvenir displays in the shop windows, but supermarkets such as Yuen Hop Noodle Company and Asian Food Products (824 Webster St.), open since 1931, overflow with delicacies, and the line for sweets, breads, and towering cakes snakes out the door of Napoleon Super Bakery (810 Franklin St.). Don't miss an enlightening tour of The Fortune Cookie Factory (261 12th St.), bubble tea and egg puffs at Shooting Star Cafe (1022 Webster St.), or a walk through the lovely Chinese Garden Park (7th St.).

Shops and cafés pack this pleasant neighborhood centered on College Avenue, just south of the U.C. campus. You'll know you're here when you spy the historic Elmwood theater, near College and Ashby Avenues, or notice the long line snaking outside nearby Ici Ice Cream, at 2948 College. Check out the architectural details of pre–World War II storefronts and the century-old shingled houses that line the tree-shaded streets.

Tiburon's narrow Main Street is on the bay side; you can browse the shops and galleries, walk with a coffee or gelato, or relax on a restaurant deck jutting out over the harbor.

The restored Victorian storefronts that line the four historic blocks of Oakland's original downtown now contain restaurants, cafés, offices, shops, galleries, and a Friday morning farmer's market. Architectural consistency distinguishes the area from surrounding streets, giving it a distinct neighborhood feel. Old World–inspired Caffè 817 (817 Washington St.) serves poached eggs and polenta, fresh-pressed panini, and bowls of café latte in an artsy atmosphere. Stop in for a deli sandwich at Ratto's International Market (827 Washington St.), an Italian grocery that's been in business for more than a century, or head over to the renovated Swan's Market (538 9th St.), where you can choose from an array of high-caliber multicultural eateries that offer takeout. Pacific Coast Brewing Company (902 Washington St.) pours a mean microbrew, while The Trappist (460 8th St.) wins loyalty for its exhaustive selection of Belgian ales. Various pop-up boutiques and permanent shops throughout the neighborhood are reinvigorating the storefront scene.

Berkeley's diversity is front and center along this evolving north–south artery in West Berkeley, where the old and new stand side by side: sari shops and a Mexican grocery do business near a hipster dive bar, a bait-and-tackle store, a typewriter store, and a dozen cool boutiques, all cheek by jowl in a melting pot microhood.

Start at Bartavelle Coffee & Wine Bar (No. 1603) off of Cedar. Order a handcrafted cappuccino and the best avocado toast this side of town. Journey a couple of blocks south to the Albatross Pub (No. 1822), a neighborhood favorite where grad students have been playing darts and eating free popcorn for 50 years. Tuck into solid Pakistani food at Indus Village (No. 1920) and stop by the Halal Food Market (No. 1964), then cross University Avenue. Duck into Mi Tierra Foods (No. 2082) for piñatas and chorizo—notice the Mission District–like mural—and Middle East Market (No. 2054) for rose water and rockin' baklava. Café Venezuela (No. 2056) has authentic arepas, and pretty much everyone loves the loaded thin-crust pies at Lanesplitter Pizza & Pub (No. 2033). The coffee at Highwire (No. 2049) is strong and delicious, and can be enjoyed indoors or on the back patio.

Long-running Country Cheese (No. 2101) has hundreds of cheeses, of course, but it also carries great bulk foods. Nearby industrial-cute Gaumenkitzel (No. 2121) serves up schnitzel, spaetzle, and other traditional German fare. Not to be confused with the fresh-baked loaves that come from Acme Bread (No. 1601), craft cocktails and curated whiskey flights are the most popular daily offerings at Acme Bar & Company (No. 2115).

As you move south, you'll pass lots of home-decor shops. Witness the chic renovation genius on display at Mignonne Décor (No. 2447) or venture into Ohmega Salvage (Nos. 2400–2403) and browse though its claw-footed tubs and pricey Victorian window frames.

At the corner of Dwight Way, stop for more caffeine at Caffè Trieste (No. 2500), Berkeley's homey branch of the North Beach bohemian coffee bar. Arousing browsing of erotic products can be had at sex-positive Good Vibrations (No. 2504). Find wonderful gifts for crafty soap and candle makers at Juniper Tree Supplies (No. 2520), and one-of-a-kind jewelry at Kiss My Ring (No. 2522).

Cafés, bookstores, poster shops, and street vendors line Berkeley's student-oriented thoroughfare, a four-block corridor just south of campus. T-shirt sellers and tarot-card readers come and go, but Rasputin Music (No. 2401), Amoeba Music (No. 2455), and Moe's Books (No. 2476) are neighborhood landmarks worth checking out. College culture and copious caffeine have long been found at Cafe Milano (2522 Bancroft Way); meanwhile, fab food comes quickly from nearby Korean-Japanese fusion hot spot Koja Kitchen (2395) and grilled-cheese grandmasters at The Melt (2400). Polish off a visit with an indulgent cookie ice-cream sandwich from CREAM (2399).