The Brown Shingle - Berkeley, California

Alan S.

We were traveling in the Bay Area for the week and wanted to find a place to have as a base, instead of moving around every night. The Brown Shingle is a great house located in the Berkeley Hills above the UC campus. The views from our room, and the deck, are fantastic! We had perfect weather; day or night the view alone is worth it. Our room was spacious, clean, with an enclosed sun porch; the facilities were just what we needed. Excellent high speed internet and free parking. Helen is a real pleasure; we enjoyed several conversations with her - but, as another reviewer has noted, she is very respectful of her guests privacy. This place is a keeper - we'll definitely be back!

Liz C.

The Brown Shingle B&B is a wonderful experience! We stayed for 4 nights to drop off our daughter for college. This was a comfortable and convenient place to stay. Situated on top of the hill, the vantage point is remarkable. We loved coming back to the house and meandering to the outside deck area to once again take in the treasured views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges. The owner, Helen, was a delight to chat with and she offered a myriad of suggestions and helpful tips for our travels. We will be back to stay! Thanks Helen!

Jeffrey P.

Helen is so kind and a wealth of must know knowledge about the greater San Fran area. Her view of the bay is phenomenal and her back deck catches the late morning and all day sun. I hesitate to leave a review as this is a true "find" I want to make sure I can always get a room at. Especially great fit for anyone looking for a homey, restful spot that also offers close proximity to Berkeley main streets, and to the Tilden nature center.

Sonny M.

My wife and I had a wonderful stay. Helen was wonderful. We drove in from Los Angeles for a wedding at Tilden Park. The Brown Shingle was a perfect location. The room was cozy and comfortable. There was a breathtaking view of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge from our room and from the huge deck below. We would definitely recommend it.

woodstockie

Helen is very welcoming, the view over the bay is absolutely stunning, the neighbourhood is quiet and green. However, the house and especially the bathroom had a really bad amonia stench, that almost made me move elsewhere. I asked about it and Helen said she had no idea what it was and didn't smell it herself. The shower is particularly low (I had to bend my knees to wash my hair - I am 1.73m tall), which wasn't comfortable either. Wifi was excellent, though: whole skype conversations without problem. I paid 100 USD per night.

Deborah B.

Conveniently located in the Berkeley Hills this is a classic vintage Berkeley home. Three of the 4 rooms had expansive views of the SF Bay. They were clean and comfortable. Breakfast was served on the upstairs landing where guests could mingle and exchange information or eat in the privacy of their rooms. Helen is a gracious and very knowledgeable host.

Danny M.

Funky place. Totally fit into my preconceived first visit to Berkeley and that crazy 60's and 70's stuff that can only happen in a University town.. It was close to our Jimmy Buffett concert at The Hearst Greek Theatre. 15 minutes ... walking straight down to the concert venue and the great stadium, home of the Cal Bears. Helen knows Berkeley and it's famous architecture, history and the many eateries of the downtown. Pick her brain on the big wooden porch that looks out at the Bay. (And if you can choose the middle room upstairs for sleep time that same view is 10 feet clearer ... Wow.)

I also would be remiss in mentioning we met some nice folks in B-Ville. Along with Parrotheads from near and far we met a tavern owner who invited us back for salsa and Marg's. As we always get in some kind of adventure I'll particularly single out our friend at Executive Cab who tracked down my lost wallet that fell from my pocket ( In someone elses car) That whole group of Independent drivers made phone calls to each other and long distant calls to my Canadian number to get it back to me two days later. Kudos. Now Helen can really recommend the cabs for a safe return back to the Brown Shingle after a night on the town.

Some friends of ours were staying in San Francisco at an Air B n B. Not so nice an area, not so great a price. We saw it ... and sped away across the Bay. Twice our buds Barted over to Berkeley and were not only impressed that the trip only took about 40 minutes and a few bucks but also that Berkeley has such a good vibe and seemed to them much cleaner and fresher than their particular area of the big Citt. In otherwards The Brown Shingle is a great option to get into SF for the neat things the great city has to offer then escape back to the solitude on the east side of the Bay.

So again Helen, thanks for our first ever B and B experience. The pictures posted on the site really do give indication on just how magnificent the view really is by misty morning, Golden Gate Sunset or twinkling Lights on the harbour of the City By the Bay. (Journey)

Madrona B.

The very good: Brown Shingle's porch and rooms have outstanding views of the East Bay, even more amazing at sunset. Also the location is outstanding for its close proximity to UC Berkeley and the north Berkeley "gourmet ghetto."

The ok: rooms are clean and having a private bathroom is especially nice. There is no lock on the door, however. The owner is nice and competent. She may offer you free parking permits if you need them during your stay, but you should ask her if she forgets.

The bad: The common space in the first floor of the house simply does not feel professional at all. It feels like you're in the personal home of someone with a hoarding problem-- including the piles of stuff in the off-limits dining room visible through its glass doors, the piles of things along the walls, and the garbage in the yard outside the front door. Though the private rooms are clean, the basket in the bathroom seemed to have decades-old castaways where there should have been soap and shampoo. The common spaces also smell like dog, and faintly like pee. I felt very uncomfortable spending any time in the common spaces of the house. Finally there is no "breakfast" with this bed and breakfast, though there is coffee, bread, and fruit spread set out on a little island at the top of the stairs on the second floor.

Overall, I recommend this as a place to stay after dinner for enjoying the sunset, and as a place to sleep, but not as a place to spend time during the day.