Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA

I was so pleased with myself for finding my way to Annie's Annuals in Richmond and back through into Berkeley without getting LOST!  So I thought I'd reward myself with a poke around Fourth Street.

I first visited here years ago when it was still a bit of a renegade retail destination.

(I might be in love with Nest.  Who also have a shop in San Francisco.)  You?  In love already too?

 Fourth Street was originally an industrial area full of metal sheds.

Now, well, it's verging on being a soigne mall for the equally sleek, arty and well-groomed.

You've noticed already, haven't you, that the shops are SHUT!  This happens to me alot?  You'd noticed that too?

Our Father, Who Art In Heaven........OR......My FATHER-IN-LAW who also happens to be in Heaven.....seems to like to organize things this way so that I don't spend too much of my sweet hubby's hard earned money..........(Note to self: Must sell more artwork.)

It was only about 6:00 p.m when I arrived at Fourth Street ....but in Berkeley you can't expect the "usual".....so even if the Mall shops: Anthropologie, CB2, Jigsaw (more on this below) have moved in

Fourth Street is not open till 9 p.m. on a Wed. nite as other malls might be.

But do expect: that The Gardener, (one of the original and most tone-setting shops on 4th St.) will still be there.  And that you will find wonderful things to buy at the Gardener.  Yes, sweet hubby, FERMOBS FOR YOU!  (Yeah, I've already posted about his Amour de Fermob)

OK, Jigsaw.  An English "High Street" (vs. Mall) shop, as they call it, has arrived on Fourth Street!  And I was glad to see it.  Since I haven't made it to their store in the Beverly Center here in L.A.

What can I tell you about Jigsaw?  Kate Middleton had a brief consultancy there during her tragic "Duchess-in-Waiting" period while Wills was off at Sandringham and otherwise "finding himself".  I was able to nab one of her black corduroy "gendarme" hats during a Christmas sale and I like it very much.

I have an unrequited love of Jigsaw that goes back for what seems like decades.  Gorgeous clothes, v. stylish but they don't mark down much and I can't pay full price for clothes that are cut for tall, statuesque horsewomen of the Diana-Princess-of-Wales-English-Rose physical type (which I'm not) and which would just sit in my closet.

Anyway, I was glad to see Jigsaw if nothing else, to be reminded of what I will NOT be wearing when I visit London in the rain later this summer.  LOVE that Missoni style black dress!  What a great idea, to take the color out.....one looks a little less Grand Canyon-esque accordingly - could you agree?

Looking closely at this I'm realizing, somebody called out the cops!!!!?  Cuz some dark, small-statured woman was peering a little too closely into shop windows, and lingering there perhaps a little too long? (I might be paranoid, but does it mean I'm wrong?)

Sad, but true, even on the Left Coast, in a place like Berkeley, certain people leap to the wrong kinds of conclusions about other kinds of people.  But that is another story for another time.

There is a huge toy store on Fourth Street.

A paper shop for those crafty and snail-mail essentials.

We are in Berkeley so I'm talking about plantings again.

The Anthropologie doesn't disappoint with it's arty corners of beauty.  There is good eating on Fourth Street too.  But I'm saving that for another post, and another visit!  Need to have something to go back for.  No?

Have you been to Fourth Street?  Any favorites?  What did I miss?  (Alot, I'm guessing.)