Warring Street, Berkeley

Reading this article in the San Francisco Chronicle (link here) reminded me of my own days living in a house on Berkeley's "Greek Row", the picturesque, tree-lined thoroughfare that runs down Piedmont Avenue and Warring Street connecting the eastern gate of campus, Hearst Greek Theater, Memorial Stadium, International House, and the Clark Kerr satellite campus. Friends of my aunt and uncle down in Ventura County were looking for someone to manage a large multi-unit house they happened to own in Berkeley; their son, a member of the Cal men's swimming team, had just graduated and would be moving out of the house along with his teammates (including Olympic gold medalist Matt Biondi, who lived on the second floor). So I jumped at the chance. Free rent with a small weekly stipend. The house and the setup was more than any college student could ask for. Room-by-room housekeeping twice a week, professional gardener, big screen projection television, leather lounge chairs, mahogany furniture, gourmet kitchen with a double oven, full size pool table, free income from selling parking spots along our driveway during football games, etc. Good times.