st louis arch COMEDY & CABARET Beach Blanket Babylon Moments Now a San Francisco tradition, Beach Blanket Babylon

Shopping This year I enlisted my resident L.A. shopping expert, Tracy Larrua, to fill me in on all the hot new stores. Some highlights include: Cloud s, 2719 Main St. (& 310/3992059), where you ll find heavenly st louis arch scented candles; Arts & Letters, 2665

COMEDY & CABARET Beach Blanket Babylon Moments Now a San Francisco st louis arch tradition, Beach Blanket Babylon is best known for its outrageous costumes and oversize headdresses. It s been playing almost 31 years, and almost every performance still sells out. It s wise to write for tickets at least 3 weeks in advance, or buy them through st louis arch Tix (& 415/433-7827). At Club Fugazi, Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd., 678 Green St. (between Powell St. and Columbus Ave.). & 415/421-4222. Tickets $20 $55.

Northern California st louis arch may be frightfully demure in comparison, but in the long run, its subdued charms and natural beauty prevail. Wealth is certainly in abundance, but rarely displayed. The few hard bodies st louis arch that exist are usually swathed in loose jeans and shirts. st louis arch The few celebrities who live here keep very low profiles, and are more likely to be on their ranches than on Rodeo Drive. Ostentation st louis arch in any form is looked down upon (of course, it s okay to own a BMW, as long as it s slightly dirty), and unlike Los Angeles, you can actually explore smog-free San Francisco on foot.

UC Berkeley itself is worth a stroll. It s a beautiful old campus with plenty of woodsy paths, architecturally noteworthy buildings, and 33,000 students scurrying to and from classes. Among the architectural highlights of the campus are buildings by Bernard st louis arch Maybeck, Bakewell and Brown, and John Galen Howard. Contact the Visitor Information Center, 101 University Hall, 2200 University Ave., at Oxford Street (& 510/642-5215; www.berkeley.edu/visitors), to join a free campus tour. Tours are Monday through Saturday at 10am and Sunday at 1pm; $40 electric-cart tours are available with reservations (no tours mid-Dec to mid-Jan), or pick up a self-guided walking-tour brochure. If you re interested in notable off-campus buildings, contact the Berkeley Convention & Visitors Bureau (& 510/549-7040; www.berkeleycvb.com) for an architectural-walking- st louis arch tour brochure.