EAST BAY INSOMNIAC

BERKELEY STEAMWORKS BATHHOUSE, SAUNA & GYM

“If it’s illegal outside of Steamworks, it’s illegal inside of Steamworks.”

2107 Fourth St, Berkeley • 845-8992

FEATURES:

• gay sex & cruising in a bathhouse on an unassuming Berkeley block
• gym equipment
• sauna
• rooms with porn and ‘optional sling’
• proximity to the Aquatic Park

OPEN: 24 HOURS!

PARKING: street

WEBSITE: For rates and policies, go to Steamworks Online.

BEN & JERRY’S

2128 Oxford, Berkeley • 845-9445

SERVING:

• ice cream (see flavors)
• frozen coolers, shakes and splashes (see drinks)
• frozen yogurt and sorbet smoothies (see the refreshment)
• ice cream cakes (try their Virtual Cake Builder)

(If links above aren’t working, try this menu.)

OPEN UNTIL: 12AM

PARKING: street

REVIEWS:

WEBSITE: Ben & Jerry’s Berkeley Scoop Shop

Photo from Justin Sailor’s Hometown Invasion blog.

Visit the Ben & Jerry’s Flavor Graveyard and ressurect your favorite flavor here.

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. (more…)

ESPRESSO ROMA

2690 College Ave, Berkeley • 644-3773

SERVING:

• coffee
• tea
• sandwiches & snacks

OPEN UNTIL: 12AM (Fri-Sat) • 11PM (Sun-Thurs)

PARKING: street

REVIEWS:

24-HOUR FITNESS

2050 Webster, Oakland • 433-1140

2072 Addison, Berkeley • 548-4653

FEATURES:

• cardio machines
• weight room
• classes
• sauna, spa & steam room (Oakland only)

OAKLAND OPEN: 24 HOURS
REVIEWS:

BERKELEY OPEN: 24 HOURS (Mon-Thurs), til 12AM (Sat), til 11PM (Sun)
REVIEWS:

PARKING: street or pay lots

WEBSITE: 24-Hour Fitness