I don’t know the whole system well, but most of the BART stations with which I’m familiar are not in areas I would consider ‘cute and walkable’. If you’re up for fun and funky, though, Oakland Chinatown is close to BART (Lake Merritt Station), and the Oakland Museum that @Lectroid previously recommended is only a stone’s throw away.
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I’d spend a day or half a day around UC Berkeley, besides botanical gardens there Berkeley Art Museum, library and campus tours and a bunch of eats from affordable student fare to gourmet ghetto (still dislike the name) and Chez Panisse ( lunch at cafe would be nice). Also Comal (elevated Mexican). The campus is quite nice, very nice actually.
If you’re into grocery tourism, Berkeley Bowl and Monterey Market as re exceptional. Also get done Acme bread.
On that note, here’s a nice read about returning to Berkeley, by Rachel Kushner. might be paywalled.
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I used to love riding the streetcars in SF to the various neighborhoods. West Portal, Church street, etc.
Did just that, yesterday.
Took a vintage F-line streetcar from the Fisherman’s Wharf terminus along the Embarcadero to Market Street. Transferred to the J to Church/10th.
Walked through GG Park. Passed the Aboretum, Academy of Sciences and down JFK Drive. Then down the Haight back to Market st. Beautiful day for a walk.
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[quote=“Sasha, post:13, topic:44138, full:true”]
We’ll have a car for the first part but I was going to return it and Bart around SF and Oakland. I’d need a compelling reason to hold onto it. Of your list what are the top 2-3 neighborhoods for cute walking, shopping, dining, iyo. That’s all we’d have time for…
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If you don’t have a car, but have access to BART, get off at Rockridge BART station in Oakland. Altho 4th St./Berkeley is fun, it’s not as easy to get to unless you are staying very close in an Air B&B - but there’s always Lyft/Uber.
Rockridge BART is centered on mid-point of College Ave., which spans Berkeley/Oakland. Lots of stores, pubs, restaurants in Rockridge; easy walking (level ground). We suggest for food:
Kitty-corner from BART station: Enjoy Market Hall - several vendors offer fabulous gourmet shopping; note the cafe/restaurant (both named Acre) are okay but average. Walk south and take your choice:
Namastey Patio has excellent Nepalese food (insist upon HOT if you are serious about chilis!). Don’t miss the one fusion dish they have, well-spiced grilled Tandoori Asparagus Mushroom portobello cap. My carnivore husband said it was as good as a steak! Momos and curries are very good, also. It’s 1 block down, and across the street from Market Hall.
Address: 5500 College Ave, Oakland
The very best Milanese Italian food in the entire SFBA is Belotti Ristorante - same side as Market Hall, 2 long blocks down. Michele Belotti is a superb cook and his pasta dishes are outstanding. Don’t miss the Tortino di Spinaci - a spinach mini-souffle with an oozing quail egg yolk baked inside it. The two best pastas are the agnolotti di lidia made with a 3-day beef glace de viande and the tortelli di polenta, ravioli stuffed with polenta. Michele makes his pasta with extra eggs and the texture is supple and toothsome. All of his salads are superb. We usually just skip the entrees; they’re good but it’s his pastas that beat everyone else’s. Only the Locanda local mini-chain and A16 come close to Michele’s pasta dough. Note it’s VERY tiny; make reservations, especially for dinner. We usually go for lunch, same menu.
Belotti Ristorante
5403 College Avenue, Oakland
Belotti full menu, all day
Walking back to BART, go 1-1/2 blocks further for Starter Bakery, one of the best bakeries with excellent kouign amann:
5804 College Ave, Oakland
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The Thai restaurant Soi 4, also in rockridge, has excellent curries. Skip the noodles – if you want pad see ew, go instead up college Ave to Yimm.
There was that one time! But yeah; very is relative.
I am enjoying myself vicariously, about 30 miles inland which is “hella” hotter. 
Not in Berkeley, but for gardens, does anyone recommend the Ruth Bancroft garden in Walnut Creek?
@Sasha , I’m curious too, but it seems like they’re almost always in bloom around here ( at least McKinley Rose Garden in Sacramento) !
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good question, you’re right the timing might be off
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September is usually pleasantly warm in Oakland. It’s near the end of our fire season (technically; altho these days fires are year-round) so you may still see roses blooming in some people’s yards. Mine bloom 3x/yr, depends on how warm the summer is.
I regret that I will disagree on Soi 4 on College Ave/Oakland. We found their food very, very sweet. A better choice (still sweet but less so) is in the Gourmet Ghetto near UC Berkeley: Farmhouse Kitchen. FYI it is always best to make reservations, even for lunch. One can always cancel (and if you can’t make it, PLEASE do call to cancel; it’s tough enough on restaurant owners these days and ghosting them is just not cool).
Re Monterey/Carmel by the Sea:
Visit Tor House, an amazing stone house hand-built by Robinson Jeffers, one of America’s greatest poets: https://www.torhouse.org/.
One of the finest French bakeries in Northern CA is in downtown Monterey: Parker Lusseau Bakery. Yann Lusseau is a master patissier and his croissants are as good as Arsicault and B. Patisserie in SF. His almond croissants are second to none, and I include Maison Benoit/Danville in that ranking. The pastries are divine, magnificent patisserie in true French style, no skimping on quality. Excellent little cafe for a light lunch, too, with sandwiches, savory pastries, and the requisite soup/quiches.
The hot new name in bakeries in Monterey is Ad Astra. Oddly, we liked the owner’s desserts (he does the desserts at Cella restaurant, across the street from his bakery) but we don’t care for the style of his bread, which unfortunately was used in almost every restaurant we visited in March. Very sour, thick hard crust, moist heavy center; it overwhelmed charcuterie plates and pates at a couple of restaurants we visited.
We visit Monterey once or twice a year, taking 3-5 weekdays trips. We were impressed/pleased with Mission Bistro/Carmel bt Sea, not so much with Chez Noir. Passionfish/Pacific Grove, with new owner/chef, has heavier, more substantial food than under previous famed chef Ted Walter. A better surprise was The Spotted Duck across the street from Passionfish, exceptional start to finish (don’t miss the lovely duck liver mousse, and any duck or seafood dish).
You didn’t mention if you’re into wine. If the coast is cold and foggy, drive 1 mile south to Carmel Valley and meander down through the wineries out there. The weather is ALWAYS better - warm and sunny, but not roasting hot unless there’s a “heat dome” weather spell.
Do note that like the PNW, many SF Bay Area and most Central Coast (Monterey/Carmel/PacGrove) restaurants/hotels lack air conditioning, especially if they’re in older buildings.
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Are you familiar with Stairway Walks in San Francisco? Great way to experience SF’s neighborhoods and epic views.
The 2 Bernal Heights walks are gorgeous this time of year and put you in proximity to Go Duck Yourself (Chinese roast meats), Bernal Bakery, El Buen Comer. Walk there from Bart avails you to Reems, Los Yaquis, plenty of Central American places too.
