Downtown Berkeley BART Station

Conveniently located in downtown Berkeley. Severed limbs are occasionally found on the tracks, and there are often panhandlers just outside the station, but overall it’s not too bad.

Downtown Berkeley BART Station is in the heart of Berkeley and conveniently located just a couple blocks from campus. It’s great when there’s a game because you get to explore campus before going to the stadium and you get a downhill run to the station when you’re trying to catch the last train. There’s also a lot of different characters you bump into when you’re there. So keep an eye out!

Underground, so the elements aren’t much of a factor. But can be a tad humid at times. In a busy area, not many pan handlers inside, so moving around the station is pretty easy. Not as terrible an odor as some subways, but I get an occasional eye opener. Never had to ask for help, so in essence that speaks to the usability of the station. I don’t believe they have bathrooms, but I’m not sure. But as the ad goes, «BART and you’re there.»

Nancy at the information desk is wonderful! Very professional and does her job well!

Every so often, you’ll hear some pleasant music and think of a Cricket in Times Square. Other times, you’ll realize that those two guys outside the station aren’t filming a sequel to Jean Claude Van Damme’s Lionheart but actually fighting. Leaving my bike here seems about as wise as asking a stranger to watch my child (assuming I had a child). Thankfully, there’s room to take it on the train. On balance, this BART gets me where I need to go and inevitably provides a story… for better or worse.

oh yes Downtown Berkeley BART! This station is all right on the weekends because it is not so crowded. On any UCB school day it can get crowded. If you come here at night it can be scary so protect yourself. From a transit worker POV it is a great connection to UC Berkeley when I want to visit my friends during the day or to take a work break. I would appreciate it if the management can clean up the joint a little. Still like the direct connection to SF and Daly City + Fremont and SJSU/​VTA 181. other than that it is an okay station.

Hmmmm, what to say? Entertainment at the bottom of the escalator only prepares you for the «circus act» above ground. Gotta love Berkeley and ALL that it represents.

The Downtown Berkeley BART station is on Shattuck Avenue in very close proximity to the UC Berkeley campus and the core of downtown, including a modest walk to Telegraph Avenue.
Downtown Berkeley BART is very accessible to pedestrians. It would be nice to see the line from Richmond to Daly City operating on weekends. And the trains also run with only three or so cars compared to ten for the Pittsburgh Bay Point line, not that there is 70% less people. The trains could run more often and you may have to plan accordingly. You will also encounter a lion’s share of homeless people.
There could be more seats at the station and it will feel packed.
The station may be good for getting a seat on the train at some points, but others not. It’s near the terminus at Richmond, but the four closer stops do pack quickly.
Downtown Berkeley BART station is just okay. It gets you from Point A to Point B.

This one has a coffee shop!

No public restrooms to be found?! *Macklemore voice* It smells like R. Kelly’s sheet’s PISSSSSSS! Too bad it ain’t 99 cents to hop on the BART.
If you’re stopping here, be aware you’re going to come across the most eccentric characters on the planet. I suggest bracing for yourselves with pocket knives and pepper spray in case anything strange happens especially around nighttime. Also, please travel in pairs of two or more unless you like live life on the edge. :P Location wise, the bart is located in the middle of Downtown Berkeley. There’s a lot of good eats near the area. However, if safety is your number one priority, I suggest getting off at a different stop.

Its a bart station so you really can’t expect too much, especially for one being so centralized with heavy foot traffic. Yeah it smells like piss on the stairwells. Yes there are homeless people sleeping in the corners (but its been a much better recently). But the station is located very conveniently in the heart of downtown berkeley with 4 exits to get you closer to where you need to be. I’ve been taking this stop for 8 years now and while it can be kind of an eyesore, I’ve seen worse stations. I love the fact that its underground so its temperature is controlled and never gets too hot or cold.
Don’t expect to get a seat if you’re going the Richmond route during commuting hours 5−6pm

What happened to Downtown Berkeley BART? Now they have solicitors inside BART handing out anti-​homosexual magazines. Why aren’t they chased out to the curb? I will call my BART representative. I do not want to subject myself to hate activists every morning. This is not ok.

As a Berkeley student, I take the BART fairly regularly to get around to interesting places to eat (Oakland, San Francisco, El Cerrito, etc) or to get to and from airports (SFO and Oakland International). For what you pay, it’s actually extremely convenient. During the the mornings and evenings, the trains are pretty good about being on schedule but typically only come every 20 min or so. During the day, the trains come about every 7 minutes so you never really have to wait that long. However, the trains get delayed all the time so sometimes, you’ll see the next trains coming sequentially at like 11 and 13 minutes, which isn’t particularly helpful.
Overall:
Pros: Easily accessible and gets you where you need
Cons: The place is kind of sketch so be careful, especially at night

This place is awesome if you wanna pick up a CD that shows you exactly why hip hop is dead. I should have known the CD was whack when I bought it off a scalper who had like 3 big ass dread locks on his face and his clothes looked like they’d been shit on by demon bats. I’ve heard better music out of my moms car and all she listens to is Kenny G. How you going to have some dude who puts out a Christmas album EVERY year have more swag then you?
Look man, if you wanna see what it’s like outside of Americas got talent in like Ohio or some shit come to this train station and listen to some chick with a top hat play the fiddle.
The only upside is that you can exit hella cutty status without a ticket via the lift (that’s elevator in British English) HaaaaZaaaahhh players!

Wow, this place is a dump! Looks like it hasn’t been remodeled in 20 years and hasn’t been cleaned in a decade!

Zero stars! (Except they won’t actually let you do that)
One of the worst public transport stations I’ve seen in my life. Who on earth decides there will be only a 3 car train after one of their most most popular football games (where they were actually giving away tickets) to get people and visitors home? Someone who needs a bit more logic.
Anyway, this is not a jab against the downtown Berkeley BART agents, whom have only done me wrong once, but once again against the people who plan BART routes. [I would gladly give some constructive criticism if I had more info].

It’s a BART station. By default it will be a bit shady, kind of smelly, and with some, uh… interesting people. I have been here far, far too many times as I commuted back and forth to my internship in Pleasanton daily and made multiple trips to San Francisco, and I will continue to do so. The BART strike last month nearly killed me, so I’m hoping with every fiber of my being that it doesn’t happen again.
A few weeks ago, I get off the station and see six cop cars lined up on Shattuck & Cedar. A hobo had been handcuffed. Why, you may ask? Because the hobo stole a freaking baby. And its stroller. The baby appeared to still be sleeping?
It’s a bit whack, yeah, but at least it’s located in a few blocks radius of a lot of gems in Berkeley — restaurants, boutiques, ice cream/​gelato shops, movie theaters. No, there isn’t a bathroom in the station. But why on earth would you ever go to a bathroom in a BART station, I don’t even know…

I commuted from San Jose everyday during my last semester at Cal and boy was it a daily adventure. Because of my major, I had super early classes as well as late classes (I’m talking 7−9pm late) so mornings were rushed and evenings were slow.
I’m glad I had the chance see all the different kinds of people who take BART at Berkeley at different times of the day but it’s pretty scary at night. Even though it’s semi-​conveniently close to campus (after a 51B or 1R bus ride), night time’s when all the students run home to study and the creepers come out to play. Shady characters run amok but thankfully, nothing’s ever happen to this short little Asian girl. Be safe! It’s generally safe after you’ve gone past the turnstiles.
I’m smelled my fair share of pee-​ridden Berkeley BART entrances and enough to possibly earn some kind of badge. I’ve always thought the architecture of the downstairs platform was classic and elegant despite its continual age. It just really FEELS like a subway station compared to the other stations.

This is my home station these past few years.
Cleanliness: It’s not bad, but could be better.
Ambiance: You get the real sense of the craziness of Berkeley!
Location: CONVENIENT. I love that all the bus stops are less than a block away. Are you in a rush? There’s also a LONG LINE of TAXIS at your service! Also, it’s not a far walk to campus either!
Service: Helpful. I once stuck my credit card into the BART ticket slot by mistake. Lovely, I was already running late, and in my haste, I didn’t think where I was inserting my card! I was freaking out that my card was shredding in the machine! The lady at the counter assured me that my card would be okay, and she was able to quickly retrieve it (Yes, it was still in perfect condition). On a separate occasion, the guy at the counter helped me file a refund form when my pack of BART tickets got de-​magnetized. Although the refund took ages to receive, I do appreciate the guy helping me.

This was my BART station during my college years… being a native NYer and having lived in the People’s Republic, you tend to take mass transit for granted. BART is pretty darned good at moving people around and I’ve chosen my «home» station for my homage.
Sure it is not the cleanest station and yes, there are panhandlers and smelly folks: it’s BERKELEY. Quit your whining and appreciate that there’s a Peet’s, great food, shopping, theatre, sports and discovery a few blocks away. And, some pretty amusing free entertainment at entryway at times.
After moving to a place that has limited Public Transportation at best, I’ve come to appreciate BART even more. Yes, the hours are limited, but you can get to SFO pretty hassle free for cheap! Sundays you will have to transfer to get to San Francisco, but wayyyy cheaper than a taxi.
Some have said the BART workers are surly: found a super helpful one here on a day when system had been mostly down from a flash flood. So, while it is not as vast as NY, cool as London’s Tube or fancy as the Metro in Paris; I love BART and always will for sentimental and practical purposes.
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