We all know how easy it is to doomscroll for hours in the morning or get lost on that video game over the summer. Screens overtake our lives, especially with AI and other technologies growing in prominence. Many of us yearn for a time of the past, where life felt a little simpler without constant text messages and excessive screen time. Luckily, Berkeley is the perfect place to get in touch with analog activities. It’s swarming with stores and communities to foster these new hobbies. Let’s check them out!
Playing cards and board games
Whether you’re really talented at charging exorbitant prices for property in Monopoly or just enjoy giving +4 cards in Uno, this activity is the perfect way to connect with others using physical media. Games of Berkeley on Durant Avenue is a huge shop to start at, with anything from roleplaying in Dungeons & Dragons to playing simple card games. I got into Magic: The Gathering here, with the shop offering Magic: The Gathering community nights. You should also check out Victory Point Cafe, an amazing place with coffee, cards and board games!
Physical photography
Physical cameras are all the rage nowadays, since this is a creative and easy way to enjoy art without phone screens. To start, you can order a camera off of eBay or Etsy. You can also purchase one-time-use cameras and process your own film at Photolab in Berkeley.
If you’re looking for a wider selection, Photographic Outfitters at Berkeley’s Northside is the place to go. You can also check out the nonprofit East Bay Photo Collective, which hosts unique community events to learn how to use a darkroom or practice anthotype printing. In spring, it has large annual sales for used cameras, which is where I got my digital camera. Stay on the lookout for that!
Gardening
This is a great way to connect with plants and a community. If you’re like me and you’ve never had a green thumb, you can volunteer at Berkeley Community Gardening Collaborative. This group is dedicated to preserving and creating gardens in the Berkeley area. It has different volunteer positions, such as photographing gardens or helping with the Berkeley Farmers’ Markets.
Another option is the Bancroft Community Garden. Here, you can apply for your very own pot up to a whole garden plot. They have volunteer hours to garden between 11 a.m. and dusk. You can even simply come to weed plants every week.
With this, check out Spiral Community Gardens, only about a mile and a half away from campus. You can care for plants just by dropping in. If you want to get inspired, visit the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden. There, you can volunteer or buy your own plants and seeds, taking the gardening into your own home (or dorm).
Knitting and crocheting
Another popular category for analog activities, these two hobbies are so relaxing and rewarding. Knitting can be best learned with a community, so Avenue Yarns in Albany (which bus Line 18 rides straight to) offers beginner-friendly classes that help you craft items such as scarves. You can also check out local shops such as ImagiKnit, which sells a variety of knitting and crochet kits for anyone. With enough patience, you can foster this relaxing hobby.
Collecting CDs and records
Listening to CDs and records is a classic way to connect with the past. On Telegraph, Rasputin Music and Amoeba Music are the places to go, with huge rows of CDs, records and old movies. Amoeba Music also sells turntables! Local bookstores and thrift shops also offer small selections of CDs, such as Pegasus Books and Goodwill. If you don’t have a CD or record player and can’t find one, you can easily check Best Buy or eBay. Happy listening!
Solving crosswords and jigsaw puzzles
This is a simple hobby to pick up, as most physical newspapers have some sort of puzzle on the back! Even The Daily Californian’s physical prints have them during UC Berkeley’s school year (wink wink). Puzzle books also frequent thrift stores such as Goodwill in Downtown Berkeley! And who knows, maybe you’ll become a puzzle extraordinaire!
Writing postcards and letters
Sending letters to loved ones is a personal favorite analog activity of mine, as this is both meaningful and creative. To find artsy cards, explore local bookstores such as Pegasus Books and Moe’s Books. Another recommendation is Elmwood Stationers on College Avenue — this is a quaint shop with a huge selection of stationery for your loved ones. Sitting down to write about an experience is powerful — you can connect with someone through tangible words that take time and resources to put on paper. Collect some stamps and stickers to go along with this hobby, and send someone a surprise in their mailbox — that’s sure to go a long way.
Now is the time to find your favorite analog activity before the school year starts, refreshing yourself with time away from the screen. Hopefully one of these ideas spoke to you, and if not, there’s always some new hobby to try. Maybe even getting in touch with the past means waking up in the morning with a fresh cup of coffee and a book. Whatever speaks to you, you can find it — get searching!