Hi guys. well, first off I already know this is going to be quite a stretch. I'm going to be attending Berkeley this fall semester (first year) and so far have not planned on bringing my g35 up. I'm required to dorm the first year and have not gotten a campus parking permit. I understand that this place is not very car-friendly and there is no way in hell i am going to simply get a pass and park on the side of any street.

Any recommendations on what to do? Parking structures are out of the question as well, I've had one too many friends whose cars were broken into multiple times. I think I'd only be comfortable private apartment parking or an actual house garage. I actually don't even mind not being able to drive that much, I just want my car closeby. maybe head over and detail once a week, and be able to have a nice long drive back down to socal during the breaks. you all know the feeling

im starting to feel pretty desperate here. i got less than a month left. i think i'm going be more "car-sick" than homesick.

anyone wanna take her in?

 

Yeah, I highly suggest you not bring your car up unless like you said have secure garage parking from a house or apartment complex. I'd keep it down south for year 1 since you will be in the dorms and then possibly bring it up after that depending on where you find housing. Good luck, UCB is a great school.

 

I agree. Unless you have a secure place to park your baby, you may just want to keep your car in Socal for the first year. Options:
Friends or family in the area with an open garage space
Renting someones garage (that could get expensive)
Get some friends and rent a house with a garage after the first semester.

Good Luck at Cal. Go BEARS.

 

i live in berkeley, i know streets where its safe to park your car... in fact, theres already a black g35 on one of my friend streets. PM me

 

I would highly recommend NOT taking your G up here if you are going to school at UCB. buy a beater accord up here, the kids and crowds will ding up your car unless you get secure parking somewhere, which you can more easily find once you are on campus.

UCB is a fun school! Good luck!

 

When I went to Cal, waaaaay back in the mid 70's, I rode my 10 speed. It afforded me a quick way to get around the campus. Just leave your G at home. The area around the campus is simply too crowded with people and cars. Street parking is next to nil and the parking slots are tight.

I trust you will enjoy your studies at Cal and benefit from the same.

 

I was in the same situation as you last year. I'm attending Santa Clara University right now (a lot nicer neighborhoods than Berkeley) and I didn't get a permit in my freshman year either. I decided to leave it at home and have my dad drive the car around every week so as to keep the engine running well. This year however, I got a permit that allows me underground on campus parking. One thing I did like about leaving my car at home was that every time I did come home, the G looked even more sexy than when I left it.

 

Having lived in Berkeley for three years I can tell you it's better to not bring such a nice car. You won't get a parking pass that's of any use this first year; what I mean is that your car will be quite far from where you actually are. The following years if you cannot find an apartment with private spaces (or if you're really lucky, covered spaces), you will be forced to pay the city of Berkeley an annual fee to put an ugly looking sticker on your rear bumper. This ugly looking sticker will allow you to park your car in your residential area for more than the two-hour limit.

Am I the only one that thinks paying to park in front of your apartment is stupid?

If you must have your car, it is possible, but probably not worth the trouble. Also expect to pick up dings, scratches, and dents. You have an auto, so parallel parking on the nice hills will be much less of a chore.

 

First thign first, SHRINK YOUR GOD DAMN SIG! I have 1600 resolution and even I feel bothered by it!
2nd - detail 1nce a week... a white car? LOL!
3rd - i know how you feel about parking on campus or near by. I go walking to Uni MANY times. As to what to do, get someone who can keep her safe.

 

If your still looking for a place to park your car, my sister has a house in the berkley hills by Tilden park and is willing to rent out her garage. It's a two car garage which she never uses. She already rented one side of the garage to some guy with an older Maserati. Just PM me if your interested. Otherwise just check Craigslist.org for places that rent out their garages.

Rob

 

Agree with the others.... (Cal alumni here) You don't really need a car first year, although it is nice to have.

If you have to bring the G up, look for working, gated parking or a private garage. Remember that nothing is 100% safe. My old roommate's gf's Porsche was stolen out of her gated garage in the middle of the night. You'll sleep a lot better at night if you leave the G at home, at least for the first year...

Oh, and congrats on getting into UCB... go Bears!

 

It will be better to not have your car the first year. You will learn a lot more about the city by walking/bussing around and if you want to go to SF you can take BART. Plus, everyone, I mean everyone, will be asking you for a ride. Are you living in the dorms?

Another option is to find a garage spot somewhere in the city. You may have a hike to get there but then you won't be tempted to use it too often - only when you need to take a long trip. Go Bears!