Buying, renting bikes during the [In]City program

Bike racks get cold too... in downtown Berkeley

One of the participants asked me where to get a bike for purchase or lease in the local area. If you have more info than me, please add it in comments!

1. Mike's Bikes, University at Oxford St (across from the West Gate of the campus)

2. Missing Link Bicycle Cooperative, Shattuck just north of University.

3. Tip Top Bike Shop, Telegraph at 48th. This is in the Temescal neighborhood of North Oakland, which is considered the new cool hipster hotspot.

4. Manifesto Bicycles, 40th at Webster, Oakland. Tres cool.

5. Berkeley BART bike station. This storefront space is actually sponsored by BART, but they also give good advice. Haven't been, myself. Comments?

You should also consult the East Bay Bicycle Coalition website. You may also try Craigslist, the only problem is that the seller's location may only be accessible by car.

Cafes with free WiFi

Image showing the spread of Starbuck coffee stores throughout NYC

First, the practical info:

1. Sack's Coffee, College and Derby; 7 blocks south of campus.
2. Cafe Mediterraneum, Telegraph at Dwight; 5 blocks south of campus.
3. Mudrakers, Telegraph at Stuart; 8 blocks south.
4. People's Cafe, Shattuck (east) at University, 1 block west of campus.
5. Berkeley Espresso, University at Hearst; 2 blocks west of campus.
6. Tully's Coffee, Shattuck at Center (just outside of the BART station)
7. IHouse Cafe, at the head of Bancroft (AirBears only)
8. Boalt Law School cafe (haven't been there; I assume it has AirBears)

Other coffee shops provide Wifi access with a purchase (Peet's), or Wifi access that is unreliable (Strada and Cafe Milano, both on Bancroft way). These are all good potential places to meet as working groups as well.

Now for the critique:

How do coffee shops indicate class and gentrification?
How do they operate as neighborhood nodes?
Planners have been criticized for proposing cafes as the universal urban design solution for promoting a sense of public space, community, and place. Is that a fair criticism? How would you qualify it?

Image from www.citykin.com

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