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What we’re about

"Walking with a Guide", offers walking tours to the most interesting and historic sections of Berkeley and San Francisco, to gain some insight into how our ancestors lived.  Exploring pioneer housing, to Italianate Victorians and the later trends and styles, up to modern and post-modern architecture. We’ll hear stories of the people who built and lived in these communities, and how they, the builders and architects (Julia Morgan, Bernard Maybeck, Willis Polk and many more.) influenced both local history and the Bay Area’s architectural identity. Through the architecture we'll see how our urban landscape was peopled and developed. Evidence of our ancestors expressing their hopes and dreams, their belief in themselves, their values and their view of the world around them. How they urbanized the raw land, into creating the greatest transportation networks and subsequently the most powerful economic engine the world has ever seen, California and our Bay Area. It's there from the beginning, waiting to be explored and discovered. *See the current schedule here, and on Meetup.com.*

I've taken the opportunity jot down what the "Walking with a Guide", Meetup is all about. The following is what I am passionate about and is the basis of what you will experience. Discovering how our ancestors lived in Berkeley and San Francisco, where we’ll explore for example, how early transportation—from horse-drawn trolleys, steam trains to cable cars, to the electric trolleys allowed expansion and early suburban development. Exploring pioneer housing to Italianate Victorians and the subsequent later trends and styles up to the modern and post-modern architecture around us.
For instance how early improvements in public transportation shaped the development of neighborhoods in the Victorian, Arts & Crafts,-Brown Shingle, pre-automobile era, even adding the stair path-shortcuts going directly to the trolleys, whereby giving Berkeley and SF even a more unique character. We’ll hear stories of the people who built and lived in these communities, and how they influenced both local history and
the Bay Area’s architectural identity. Whether you're drawn to history, design, or simply seeking some fresh air and an outing, these tours will offer something I feel is special:

Through the architecture we'll see from examples of the raw pioneer beginnings, to the latest, most ultra sophisticated designs of how our urban landscape was peopled and developed. Evidence of our ancestors expressing their hopes and dreams, their belief in themselves, their values and their view of the world around them. Again how they urbanized the raw land, into creating the greatest transportation networks and the most powerful economic engine the world has ever seen, California and our Bay Area. It's there to see from the beginnings, waiting to be explored and discovered. Join me walking with a
Guide
Using the research and information provided by the San Francisco Planning Dept. a variety of very on topic tour guide books and the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Assoc. we'll take two hour walks to see and learn about the following:
The Victorian houses of San Francisco and:

  • The evolution of Berkeley architecture from 1900 to 1950.
  • The work of Bernard Maybeck.
  • The work of Julia Morgan.
  • The work of John Hudson Thomas.
  • Developer John Hopkins Spring and Landscape Engineer Mark Daniels.
  • The most modern and most historic neighborhood, West Berkeley.
  • Along the fire line, we'll trace part of the path of the 1923 North Berkeley Hills firestorm.
  • A 110 year old, mostly intact central Berkeley neighborhood of arts and crafts style houses.
  • Crossing the line between Albany and Berkeley and the architectural result.
  • There are also terrific hikes in, on and around Mt. Tamalpais.