Nostalgia & History > Downtown Berkeley

The espeeboys of an earlier generation would visit the train department of [old] Berkeley hardware on University Ave. But right outside were Key System streetcars, in the heart of Berkeley, Calif. The streetcars and those Twin Coach buses are history, but Berkeley Hardware is still there, albiet a half block away now. Still running a busy model railroad department, too.

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Thank you for posting this photo. I visit ACE at least once a week and it is nice to see how it was back then. There is only one building that is still there and that would be the one that ace sits in I think. I think it is that big brick one, but ace might be down a little more.

Thanks for sharing,
Alex

All right, that is one sweet photo! Alex, looks like we gotta go back and get a "now" photo of this location too. Yeah Stash, we went out Sunday and took a bunch of photos of "now" places from your first post last week of John Harder East Bay Key System shots. We'll try to make a post sometime soon.

Wow, look at UCB campus in the background - the Eucalyptus trees haven't grown up to their monstrous size today. FYI, the UC Berkeley Eucalyptus grove trees are the tallest ones in the world since they were planted right at the fork of two natural streams running down from the Berkeley hills. Lotta strength in those roots...

Stash really enjoyed this picture as I used to ride the
67 bus from there to Stockton stin El Cerrito.
lived in the 800 block fo Norvell st. Attended
ECHS graduatimg in 1954.

Keep the Key, Est Bay, SF oictures coming. That goes for
KRK too.

alex14ramos Wrote:

> Thank you for posting this photo. I visit ACE at
> least once a week and it is nice to see how it was
> back then. There is only one building that is
> still there and that would be the one that ace
> sits in I think. I think it is that big brick one,
> but ace might be down a little more.

The Acheson Physician's Building is still there, but present-day ACE is in a 1-story structure attached to its east side, hidden by the streetcar. Some other buildings in that scene survive too. The one on the right is still there, but the ground floor facade has changed. I want to say the building at the far left is still there too. It has a couple of restaurants in it now.