I lived a couple of blocks away from the Berkeley Rose Garden back when I was in college. A stroll through a very quiet couple of streets lined with redwoods, homes with gardens plucked from an English landscaping magazine, and the scent of gardenias and jasmine lead you to Euclid Avenue and the rose garden.

It was news at the time, back in the early 1980s, that the rose garden had been neglected by the city and so a major revamping of the amphitheater-style park was effected. Now, almost 40 years later, the cycle continues as it seems the garden is polished, allowed slowly to tarnish over the years, then polished anew again and again to the cyclical delight and dismay of those who love it.

Nestled aside the garden are what I always considered to be the most scenic public tennis courts anywhere. They've always been well maintained, as far as I experienced, with nice, flat, painted surfaces. I'm always surprised not to seen long lines of players waiting their turn.