EAST BAY INSOMNIAC

THE AQUATIC PARK

80 Bolivar Drive @ the foot of Bancroft Way in Southwest Berkeley

Click here for a virtual tour of The Aquatic Park (by day).

THINGS TO DO (in the evening):

• walk the trails
• watch for animals: egrets, feral cats, fish
• stand above the freeway on the Peoples’ Bridge
• play frisbee golf
• canoe or canoodle (in a parked car or secluded grove)
• flat out cruise for sex

OPEN UNTIL: “10pm, unless otherwise posted”

PARKING: lots

THE EBI REVIEW: I’ve always enjoyed this park. It has its share of unsavory behavior (like any public park, really), but I find frisbee golfers more irritating than men cruising for sex. While it’s quite easy to get beaned in the face by a hard plastic frisbee disc, it’s even easier to avoid eye contact if you don’t want anything else hard in your face. This is a good public park for this neighborhood: It’s got creative activities for kids in the form of two architecturally interesting playgrounds, bike lanes that cross the Peoples’ Bridge to the Berkeley Marina, picnic areas, walking trails, a boathouse, elements of the President’s Physical Fitness Test, and little groves you can disappear into to read a book, write, or watch the kayakers. I guess also, ostensibly, and possibly more oftenly, the secluded spots are used for clandestine sex.

The “tradition of sex cruising at the Aquatic Park” was “set to end” as far back as 2001, but it’s still present in the sense that you can see parked cars in the roundabout at the end of Bolivar, single men walking along the trail that runs parallel with the freeway and an occasional condom in the bushes. Consensual sex is fine with me: straight, gay, public or otherwise. If you’re a single guy walking the trails in the evening, and you’re not looking for action, just don’t make eye contact with the guy with the shaved head and leather pants. It’s as easy as that.

But unfortunately, we’re living in a complex and stupid world. HIV is a big issue among those who engage in anonymous public sex. And if you believe the reports, a large contingent of gay cruisers are closeted married men, who are putting their unknowing wives at risk. Sadly, single women also have to be on greater alert at the Aquatic Park.

I still find The Aquatic Park quite tranquil. I might suggest that those cruising for sex just head a few blocks east to the Berkeley Steamworks where A) there are no children around, B) condoms are available and C) you won’t get busted by the cops for having consensual sex. That’s my soapbox. Now check out the photos, links, reviews and visit the park.

WEBSITE: Berkeley Parks, Recreation and Waterfront

REVIEWS and PHOTOS:

This photo comes from Waterside Workshops, a non-profit organization located in West Berkeley that provides a place for youth and adults to work together on creative projects. They run a Bike Mechanic’s Program,  a Sewing Studio and a Boat Building Program. Visit them at: Waterside Workshops.

Berkeley is a great place for walking, as any resident will tell you. Just because The Aquatic Park is closer to the freeway and further from the hills doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a lush walk by the water. For info about walking at The Aquatic Park (and elsewhere in Berkeley), check out Jen English’s great Walking Berkeley blog.

The Aquatic Park Disc Golf Course is an 18-hole course full of water hazards. The course is open year round and offers a view of the San Francisco cityscape. The East Bay Disc Golf Club has its own website, photo gallery and weekly tournaments. Membership includes a t-shirt. If you’re heading here for a game, you might as well bring along this handy PDF map and scorecard courtesy of EBDGC.

(Berkeley Peace Lantern Ceremony, photo by Joe Reifer)

In remembrance of the 62nd anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the annual Bay Area Peace Lantern Ceremony was held August 5, 2007 at The Aquatic Park. Volunteers and participants are needed for the next event. Get involved with the Progressive Portal’s ”easy online activism” here. Learn to make lanterns here.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, October 28th, 2007 at 7:19 pm and is filed under Berkeley, Cruising, Fresh Air. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.