Stop 1: Downtown Oakland

DeLauer’s (451-6157) ****
1310 Broadway
This fabulous "news-stand" has newspapers and magazines from all over the world, as well as an assortment of new books better than many small bookstores. Great browsing territory.

To get there from the Jack London Inn:

a) Walk up Broadway 12 blocks away from Jack London Square (beware when crossing under the freeway; it’s not pedestrian friendly right there)

b) Take the 72 or 73 bus to 12th and Broadway

The store is on the east (right-hand as you walk) side of Broadway just past 13th Street. Don’t drive; if you want to drive the rest of the tour, leave your car at the JLI and come back for it.

Stop 2: Downtown Berkeley

Other Change of Hobbit (848-0413) **** (even if we do say so ourselves)
2020 Shattuck
A fine specialty store, almost entirely books. Ask the proprietors if you’re looking for something weird; it could be in the basement.

Mod Lang (486-1850) ****
2136 University
An eclectic CD store with a taste for what’s hip and new, and they do collectibles

Comic Relief (843-5002) ****
Just one door up from Mod Lang
Called by many "the best comic store in the country." It could even be true.

Turtle Island Booksellers (540-5422) ***
2041 Center
A semi-expensive and rather individual store for collectors. Worth checking out.

To get to Stop 2 from Stop 1 (DeLauer’s):

a) Take the BART (right outside DeLauer’s) to the Berkeley station. You want the Richmond train; fare should be $1.10.

b) Go back to the JLI for your car and drive north (away from Jack London Square). The easiest but slow way is to go all the way north on Broadway to 51st Street, turn left on 51st, turn right on Shattuck (about 1-1.5 miles) and go straight up Shattuck to University. Street parking is hard to find and the meter maids are voracious; there’s public parking on Addison (one block south of University) and Milvia (one block west of Shattuck).

Other Change of Hobbit is one or two blocks north of the BART station (depending on which exit) on the far west (left as you are walking) side of a divided block. Mod Lang and Comic Relief are one block east on University (go from Other Change to the north corner, turn right, cross the half block, cross the street, and they’ll be on your right). Turtle Island is on Center (the street that has the round BART structure), one-half block to the west, on the north side of the street.

Stop 3: Telegraph Avenue

Rasputin’s Records (848-9004) ***
2401 Telegraph Avenue
Used and new, not terribly well sorted or maintained and the clerks aren’t always friendly. But you can find great things.

Tower Records (841-0101) **
2518 Durant
One of the better chains; enough said.

Amoeba Music (549-1125) ****
2455 Telegraph
A truly fine CD store, mostly used, but with a reasonable selection of new stuff as well.

Cody’s Books (845-7852) ****
2460 Telegraph
One of the great independent bookstores, with a huge main floor and a smaller upstairs. If it’s in print and interesting, Cody’s probably has it. Besides, founder Fred Cody was a terrific man.

Moe’s Books (849-2087) ****
2476 Telegraph
The companion used store to Cody’s for new books, Moe’s has four floors of mostly used books (plus some records and sheet music, and some new books) for the browser, the serious shopper, and the collector. Probably the single most important bookstore stop on the tour.

Shambhala Books (848-8443) ***
2482 Telegraph
If your interests lie in the occult and mystical arenas, Shambhala has things you want!

Shakespeare & Company (841-8916) ***
2499 Telegraph
Not as good a used bookstore as Moe’s, and less well-organized, but worth a run-through.

Half Price Books (843-6412) *
2825 Telegraph
Since you’re right there anyway, you might as well check them out, but the pickings are slim.

To get to Stop 3 (Telegraph area) from Stop 2 (downtown Berkeley):

a) Walk across the campus (a nice walk). If you walk up University from Mod Lang to Comic Relief and keep walking, you’ll find yourself on the University of California campus. Maps on waist-high stands abound throughout the campus; get yourself to the corner of Bancroft and Telegraph. Walk down Telegraph away from the campus and you’ll find every store listed above (except Tower Records, which is half a block to the east [your right] when you cross Durant).

b) Take the 51 bus from anywhere along Shattuck going south. It turns on Durant and three blocks later it stops at Telegraph. Get off at Telegraph: if you want to check out Rasputin’s, go left; if you want to check out Tower, go straight less than half a block. Otherwise just turn right, and everything listed above will be on your immediate route.

c) If you absoulutely must drive, go south on Shattuck (back towards the JLI) to Durant (roughly 6 blocks) and turn left. Just before you get to Telegraph there’s a very funky municipal parking garage, at which you must mystically determine how long you plan to stay before you park your car. But street parking is an unbelievable hassle. Once you’ve left your car, find Telegraph Avenue and proceed as above.

Stop for an espresso at Cafe Med, across from Moe’s, or some fine home-style Mexican food at La Fiesta, across from Cody’s. If you happen to like hats, drop in at Berkeley Hat, across the street from Half-Price Books; everything from church-going lady hats with flowers and veils to policemen’s hats with brims, plus things you’d even wear.

Bonus: At the corner of Durant and Telegraph, you’ll find ** Pegasus Books, 649-1320 a used bookstore with a small space and a lot of remainders, across from the big Barnes & Noble. But of course there’s a big Barnes & Noble just across from the hotel, too, so what did you come all the way up to Berkeley for?

On your own:

Other bookstoring possibilities include:

Black Oak (486-0698) **
1491 Shattuck (about ten blocks north on Shattuck from the corner of University)
Expensive and yuppified but a good selection of both new and used books

Mama Bear’s Women’s Bookstore (428-9684) ***
6536 Telegraph
New and used women’s books, as well as tapes and CDs, cards, jewelry & crafts, etc. And a pleasant coffee bar for browsers

Serendipity Books (841-7455) ***
1201 University (about two miles west on University from the corner of Shattuck)
A collector’s haven if you don’t care how much you spend

Dark Carnival (654-7323 for SF or 595-7637 for mysteries) (unrated)
3086 Claremont
A specialty store which Debbie would give two or three stars to, despite how crowded it is, but Guy simply hates and won’t agree to any stars at all.

Builders Booksource (845-6874) ****
1817 Fourth Street
This may be the only architectural specialty bookstore in the world; we’ve never seen another.

Hear Music (204-9595) ***
On the same block as Builders Booksource as well as another branch of Cody’s
An over-priced CD store with a great selection that lets you listen to whatever you want to hear.

Down Home Music (525-2129) ****
10341 San Pablo, El Cerrito
A good deal out of the way and quite overpriced, especially for CDs, Down Home is nonetheless legendary for its unparalleled selection of folk, blues, R&B, and similar music.

To get to these: Talk to Guy and Debbie at the convention or call the stores for directions.

No, that’s not everything. But it just might be enough; if it isn’t, come pick our brains for more. Or pick Tom Whitmore’s brains, that will let us off the hook. And if you disagree with our opinions, we reserve the right to have a good conversation about why.