Regional overview
East Bay: city centers, waterfronts and hillside neighborhoods
Albany, El Cerrito, Kensington and North Berkeley are the focus of Westin’s East Bay practice. Their individual guides explore distinct streets, histories and gathering places. The wider library includes Berkeley, Richmond and Oakland; it is not an exhaustive map of the East Bay.
By Westin Means · Reviewed October 5, 2026
Albany, El Cerrito and Kensington
These neighboring communities share nearby destinations without sharing a city government or one identity. Cerrito Village is Westin’s editorial name for this connected area—not an official district. The overview introduces the relationship, and each community guide develops its own history and local places.
North Berkeley
North Shattuck's food and café stops, Live Oak Park and Indian Rock give North Berkeley its own guide. It is a Berkeley neighborhood, not part of the three-community Cerrito Village name.
Oakland
Start with the city overview for Oakland’s history and wider setting, then explore Grand Lake’s theater-and-restaurant streets or Piedmont Avenue’s shops and food stops. Piedmont Avenue is an Oakland neighborhood, distinct from the separate city of Piedmont.
Berkeley
Berkeley’s city guide connects the larger picture; its neighborhood articles separate campus-side Telegraph and Southside from Willard, North Berkeley, Elmwood and Downtown. That distinction leaves room for each place’s parks, cafés, cultural venues and ordinary routines.
Richmond
Richmond’s wartime shipbuilding history helps explain the city and its shoreline today. Marina Bay and Point Richmond have separate guides: one follows the marina and waterfront paths; the other explores the village-scale commercial center and nearby coast.
Alameda
Alameda is a separate East Bay city. Its waterfront setting and local commercial districts warrant a full city guide of their own. Until that guide is available, the city’s official visitor resources are a starting point for exploring local destinations.
City of Alameda: visitor information (external resource)
Hercules
Hercules is another East Bay city to explore. Its city resources provide current information on parks, recreation and community activities while a dedicated local guide is still to come.
City of Hercules (external resource)
A farmers’ market to explore
A starting point for a Saturday visit is the Downtown Berkeley Farmers’ Market, 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m., at Center Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. The city and neighborhood guides include other local markets; this is a selected regional stop, not a complete East Bay market directory.
Ecology Center: Berkeley farmers’ markets
Market details checked October 5, 2026. Times are local. Check the organizer for holiday closures and schedule changes.