BEADAZZLED A shop for beading crafts opened on April 28 in a long vacant storefront on Solano Avenue. The space was most recently occupied by By Hand, which moved across the street to 1746 Solano Ave. in 2010 (and closed in 2015 after 40 years in business.) Beadazzled owner Lilian Leung ran her store on Mount Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette for 17 years, and, before that, in her hometown of El Cerrito for 14 years. The new Berkeley store features a wide selection of beads, pearls, natural and semi-precious stones, jewelry and jewelry-making supplies. It also does repairs, ear piercing, hosts children’s parties and currently offers three ‘beading basics’ classes with more to come. “I’ve always loved Solano Avenue,” Leung said, “the atmosphere and the people. It’s much more of walking neighborhood than my previous location in Lafayette.” Leung said she is still settling into the new space and plans a Grand Opening for sometime in June. Open six days a week, Leung said the store may extend its hours to include a half day on Sundays, if the community supports it. Beadazzled, 1741 Solano Ave. (at Ensenada), Berkeley 94707. Tel: 510-529-4455. Open Mon. through Sat., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Connect on Facebook.
INDIGO VINTAGE COOPERATIVE A new collector’s shop is opening on Telegraph Avenue in the space previously occupied by Sock Shop. Indigo Vintage Cooperative opened its doors on May 4 at 6 p.m. with a party. Designed as a modern marketplace collective, with local vintage dealers and makers collaborating under one roof, the shop features ceramics and jewelry, streetwear, vintage clothing and accessories for men and women, antiques, apothecary and beauty products. Owner Melissa Willis ran a mobile business out of her ‘87 Chevy Bonaventure van, traveling along the West Coast for the past six months, before deciding to open the brick-and-mortar spot in Berkeley. “I grew up in the Bay Area and Telegraph Avenue was always my favorite day trip,” she said. “The best food, shopping and people and the historical background of the area, paired with a rich street culture, served as the perfect setting for music and fashion.” Willis believes the shopping experience she is bringing to the area, offering an eclectic mix of visiting vendors, will fit perfectly on the avenue. “With over 15 visiting vendors — local makers and curators from all over the Bay — we hope to create a little hub of creativity, entrepreneurship and responsible shopping,” she said. Indigo Vintage Cooperative, 2505 Telegraph Ave. (at Dwight), Berkeley 94704. Tel: 415-810-1990. Open Mon. through Sat., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sun., Noon to 6 p.m. Connect with them on Instagram and Facebook.
BERKELEY CHESS SCHOOL After years in flux, the Berkeley Chess School has bought and renovated the space that formerly housed the Covenant Worship Center, located at 2622 San Pablo Ave. Berkeley Chess was founded as a nonprofit in 1982 by Elizabeth Shaughnessy after she volunteered to teach chess at her son’s school in Berkeley. It currently serves more than 7,000 students annually. The school lost its most recent home at Berkeley’s Hillside School when the building was deemed seismically unsafe and has since been creative in setting up programs at various venues, including local schools, conference centers and performance spaces, before landing the acquisition of the church. “By luck, we found a building that suited our ability to purchase that was in a location where we can serve the children of SW Berkeley,” said Shaughnessy. “A chess parent drove by the building and spotted a ‘for sale by owner’ sign. The church had purchased the facility directly next door and turned it into an event center. They are our current neighbors and we allow them to use our facility for their children’s church.” Current offerings at the chess school include classes for adults and children, tournaments, affiliate memberships, camps and an outreach program. The school is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays with Friday night chess club and tournaments for adult players and a Friday night club for children. It will be hosting a summer camp at the facility and, in keeping with its mission, offer financial aid to families in need. A ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration was held on Saturday May 5, featuring Grandmaster Sam Shankland. Berkeley Chess School, 2622 San Pablo Ave. (near Carlton), Berkeley 94702. Tel: 510-843-0150. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with special weekend programs. Connect on Twitter and Facebook.
BANK OF AMERICA Bank of America has opened at 2151 Shattuck in downtown Berkeley in the corner space formerly home to Games of Berkeley, which relocated in Nov. 2017. The branch moved across the street from its former location to make room for the construction of a new hotel. (Read more about the new hotel project.) This site is temporary for the bank and will be open while its previous location is being redesigned with new technology, furnishings and layout. Bank of America, 2151 Shattuck (at Center), Berkeley 94704. Tel: 510-542-5405. Open Mon. – Thurs., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fri., 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sat., 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Connect on Facebook and Twitter.
URBANITY PIEDMONT The boutique that moved into a new location on Solano Avenue recently, as reported in a Feb. Shop Talk, has opened a second location on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland. The store opened its doors on May 1 with a champagne reception. “After 10 great years in North Berkeley, Urbanity is expanding into Oakland to serve that community as well,” said owner Angela Cadogan. “We are so fortunate and happy to be introducing ourselves to Oakland and look forward to continuing to serve the beautifully eclectic women of the Bay Area who value fashion sustainability.” She added that shoppers can expect to find the same friendly service and curated selection of designer and luxury brands on the shelves at fair prices at Urbanity Piedmont. For consignors, Urbanity allows drop-in and drop-off consigning up to an hour before closing time, with up to 60% cash or trade, and a sell-by-mail service. Urbanity Women’s Designer Resale, 3879 Piedmont Ave. (near Rio Vista), Oakland 94611. Tel: 510-922-1098. Open Tue. through Sat., 11 a.m to 6 p.m. Connect on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Shop Talk is Berkeleyside’s regular Berkeley local business column. If you’re a Berkeley business with news or a Berkeleyside reader who has spotted a change in your neighborhood or on your travels, shoot us an email with the details at editors@berkeleyside.com. Read previous Shop Talk columns. And catch up with all food business news with our Nosh coverage.
