Running from downtown Oakland to the southern border of the UC Berkeley campus, Telegraph Avenue bears the collective weight of Berkeley and Oakland communities both; their histories and the people who have walked the street make for an impressive vessel of time and identity. Telegraph Avenue holds such an importance in Berkeley’s history in part because of its proximity to such revolutionary events like the Free Speech Movement of the 60s, which from Sproul Plaza spilled out onto Telegraph, to the demonstrations at People’s Park in 1969.

Presently, Telegraph continues to stand as a hub and integral artery for student life, and the vendors and community who depend on them. From new restaurants to classics like Mezzo, literary institutions like Moe’s Books, or music emporiums like Amoeba Records, there is a vibrant culture that reveals its position on the cusp between present-day, the ever-changing student culture, and its strong connection to the past. 

Even now, at the intersection of Telegraph and Haste there can be found a mural commemorating the monumental history of the area: from the rise of the Black Panther Party to Mario Savio and his fight for everyone’s right to free speech. And while there is no doubt that much of the UC Berkeley student population acknowledges the history of the area and even knows it well, the disparity between the old and new is put on display for anyone to see on Telegraph Avenue. 

Loaded with history and plenty of great food to eat, it is worth taking the time to walk down this East Bay street and embrace the magnitude that just one singular street can bear.