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STREET DATE
Solano Avenue
- Paul Kilduff
Thursday, July 20, 2006

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Gently sloping down to the bay as it straddles the border between North Berkeley and Albany, Solano Avenue is the kind of shopping area that attracts people to a community. Developed in the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake as the shopping hub for Berkeley's Thousand Oaks neighborhood by local land baron John Hopkins Spring, Solano is surrounded by well-maintained Craftsmen-style homes on either side. Soon after its development, rail lines were brought in to take Solano Avenue shoppers to nearby downtown Berkeley and beyond. The trains are long gone, but the tree-lined and spacious boulevard endures. Solano has the feel of an intimate small town and the kind of amenities that would make a Manhattanite feel right at home. There are two non-multiplex movie theaters, scores of restaurants and unique shops selling everything from bones to Buddha sculptures. The area even boasts two nightclubs. So if the mall experience leaves you cold, head to Solano Avenue -- even if it's just for a stroll.

Oaks Theater

1875 Solano Ave.: Built in 1925 by the same architects who designed Oakland's Grand Lake Theater and the Cliff House in San Francisco, the Oaks has been designated a historic landmark. Unlike many of today's theaters, it has remained relatively unmolested through the years. Although the top floor is not in use and the bottom was cut into two theaters long ago, everything else about the place seems appropriately lost in time, right down to the ushers in black suit and tie. And it even shows first-run movies. (510) 526-1836. http://www.metrotheaters.com/.

2. What the Traveller Saw

1880 Solano Ave.: The child of avid ethnic art collectors and himself a veteran of the Nature Company, Michael Silverman decided to open a store to sell arts, crafts and music from Asia, Africa and the Americas. "The best new products made in old tribal traditions" is the way Silverman describes his store's offerings, which include wood sculptures from Mexico and Bali and stone carvings from Zimbabwe. Silverman also makes sure with the help of fair trade groups like Aid to Artisans that the artists who created the work are fairly compensated. But that doesn't mean you can't snag a bargain like a shopping bag emblazoned with the image of Che Guevara for $11.95. Big spenders can always opt for the hand-carved Buddha from Bali made of suar wood for only $1,295. (510) 527-1775. http://www.culturestore.com/.

3. The Bone Room

1569 Solano Ave.: With a wide array of human and animal bones, mounted insects and fossils on hand, the Bone Room's manager Diana Mansfield describes the store as "a private museum where you can buy the exhibits." Customers include medical school professors who come in for the human skeletons to bad boy British artist Damien Hirst. They also sell bug-collecting equipment and even insect-inspired art like spiderwebs encased in glass. (510) 526-5252. http://www.boneroom.com/.

4. Lola's

1585 Solano Ave.: Occupying a small storefront, Lola's is the kind of takeout place you wish you could sit down in. With a simple Italian-style menu featuring oven-roasted (not rotisserie, mind you) chicken made with lemon, rosemary and garlic, Lola's also scores with Tuscan beef stew, mac and cheese, panini and even stromboli. (510) 558-8600. http://www.lolaspizza.com/.

5. Ivy Room

858 San Pablo Ave.: The Ivy Room is the kind of local bar that could get away with just being a watering hole. But no -- they had to kick it up a notch with live music. A throwback to the postwar era when San Pablo Avenue was chock-full of nightspots and so much illegal gambling that nearby El Cerrito was once referred to as "Little Reno," the Ivy Room is actually two rooms. One has pool tables and shuffleboard, and the other has the stage where up-and-coming acts strut their stuff. You can also check out DJs and enjoy free Wi-Fi, all in, as the club likes to say, an "authentic dive" atmosphere. (510) 524-9220. http://www.ivyroom.com/.

6. Montero's

1106 Solano Ave.: If getting your dance groove on is more your thing, you might want to venture into Montero's for a little salsa dancing. For those who didn't learn Argentina's national dance in high school gym class, no worries. Montero's offers salsa lessons Thursday through Saturday night. And Montero's isn't just a place where you can dance like an Argentine. On Friday and Saturday nights you can also eat really late like one too, as Montero's serves dinner till 2:30 a.m. Just be sure to put on your nice duds, as the nightclub has a strictly enforced dress code. (510) 524-1270. http://www.clubmonteros.com/.

GOOD TO KNOW

Expected to draw more than 250,000, the Solano Stroll takes place Sept. 10. It features a parade, food and craft booths, zany art cars, music and this year's theme: wacky clowns. For more information, visit www.solanoave.org/strol.htm.

GETTING THERE

Heading north or south on I-80, take the Gilman Avenue exit and head east to San Pablo Avenue. Then take a left to Solano. From the El Cerrito BART station hop on the No. 43 AC Transit to Solano Ave. The street is also served by AC Transit's G and 15 lines.

PARKING

There is plenty of metered parking and some unmetered parking along the entire stretch of Solano Avenue.

Paul Kilduff, 96Hours@sfchronicle.com

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