Berkeley in 2011: a year covered in all its ups and downs by Berkeleyside. Photo: D.H. Parks 

Most important Berkeley stories of 2011 The future of Telegraph Avenue, Occupy protests, city budgets and safety at Berkeley High: just some of the year’s top issues.

Big Screen Berkeley: Best movies of 2011 You can read reviews of the big box-office films in the mainstream press. Berkeleyside’s John Seal selects his favorite 15 alternative movies that screened in Berkeley in 2011 and which he recommends you seek out and see.

Ten most popular multimedia stories in 2011 Cyclists — naked and not — Peetniks, a theater painter, and rats all featured in Berkeleyside’s audio and video offerings this year.

Top food stories in Berkeley in 2011 Artisanal butchers, Andronico’s, Alice Waters: not all the big food topics began with ‘A” in 2011.

It was a week of looking back at the most enduring stories Berkeleyside ran this year. But the news didn’t stop happening just because we were taking a moment to reflect. We reported on the double shooting on Sacramento Street, a lawsuit against Pacific Steel, and a two-house fire on Miller Avenue. And we also published a heartfelt personal thank you to the Berkeley Fire Department by a Berkeley resident whose house was saved in a blaze earlier this month.

If you think Berkeleyside has made your life a little richer, and enhanced your knowledge of this vibrant city in 2011, please consider helping up sustain the site by becoming a subscriber. Thank you and a very happy, healthy 2012 to all our readers.

Tracey Taylor is co-founder of Berkeleyside and co-founder and editorial director of Cityside, the nonprofit parent to Berkeleyside and The Oaklandside. Before launching Berkeleyside, Tracey wrote for...