As a Bay Area native, I recall spending most of my childhood within the narrow corridors of Berkeley flea markets and San Francisco art festivals, where the quality of the clothes and financial accessibility of the authentic, handmade art were the tangible, equally appealing equivalents to the candy my mother always forbade 5-year-old me from having. The vibrant canopies, display tables, and industrial cobblestone of Jack London Square’s Sunday Market collectively assembled into the structures of my own imaginary amusement park, and its $2.00 plums, strawberries, and freshly popped kettlecorn were like my park’s prized cotton candy stand. However, now that I’m a teenager and an active student at O’Dowd, the academic, emotional, and literal clock is seemingly always ticking, and time –in the most cliché, yet realistic manner possible– is always of the essence. This means that weekends, occasional after-school hours, and holiday breaks mark the distinct periods in which I can somewhat preserve that retail-therapeutic bliss of my childhood. Yet, instead of art festivals and farmers markets, my free time has led me to indulging in an increasingly costly and elusive practice: thrifting.
As inflation, gentrification, and vintage appeal are collectively on the rise, it felt fitting to share an opinionated perspective as a self-proclaimed ‘thriftophile’ and as an individual experiencing the country’s economic, geographic, and cultural effects on affordable shopping. Here’s a brief and unfiltered run-down on some of my and others ‘ favorite (and non-favorite) Bay Area shopping scenes:
- Haight Street (Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco, CA): Historically iconic and aesthetically appealing. A burden to a teen’s wallet and hopeful sense of morale.
I’ve visited Haight Street only twice –once with my older siblings and again with my close friend Kaya. While its so-called “thrift shops” are single-handedly responsible for my beloved collection of vintage Abercrombie baby tees and distressed jeans, they’re also equally responsible for my history of poor financial decisions and the mental bargain one has to make between buying a rare $100 lace babydoll top or leaving the store disappointed. While the neighborhood offers a great variety of clothing shops and dining options, its inflated prices constitute an experience comparable to what one could assume shopping in SoHo is like for the native Brooklynite. While Haight-Ashbury is a gold mine for amazing clothes and ‘outfit inspo’, it’s not the most Bay Area-local-friendly.
Kaya Bullard, a senior at O’Dowd and an Oakland native who visited the district just a year ago, shares, “I feel like it was a great source of fashion and repurposed fashion, so I don’t knock it for anyone [Bay Area] native or non-native, but it’s definitely a tourist attraction and the prices aren’t very ‘native-friendly’”.
During the mid-1960s, Haight-Ashbury was known as the birthplace and epicenter of the American hippie movement. Now it’s a gentrified shopping destination.
“If I were to go thrift shopping again, personally, I would not go back there,” Kaya added. “Unless I had a good budget and I knew I was getting like one or two things, just cause, like –with how much money I make, I don’t really call that thrifting. I call that vintage shopping.”
- 2nd Street (Telegraph Ave., Berkeley, CA): A genuine favorite. It’s where I’ve found the best jeans, sweaters, and jackets for timeless outfit repeats. Sadly, amid my writing of this, I was informed that as of June 1st, 2025, this specific store location in Berkeley was closed indefinitely. It will be missed.
2nd Street doesn’t deserve as much of an in-depth critique as Haight Street. It’s honestly been an extremely dependable location when in need of new vintage baggy jeans or cute zip-up hoodies from sports teams and niche brands I know absolutely nothing about. It’s a hotspot for Cal students, and my visits typically consist of the silent awe I always feel from seeing everyone’s outfits.
But Pinterest-esque inspiration isn’t its sole selling factor either –its prices are. Most prices range from around $5 to $45, which, for an indispensable Y2K bomber jacket or vintage Levi’s of a wash only seemingly available within 2000s VMA red carpet looks, are arguably fair. The only unfortunate drawback is that this review lacks any actual weight or reference for future shoppers, as this store location no longer exists. Fortunately, however, San Francisco hosts its two lasting locations in the Bay Area, one on Haight Street and another within the Stonestown Galleria mall. As a San Francisco regular, I will definitely be checking both of these locations out soon!
- The Wardrobe Project Fleamarket (Rockridge, Oakland, CA): My recent discovery-turned-all-out obsession.
If it were possible to write love letters to thrift markets, I’d be the Wardrobe Project Flea’s secret admirer, and the concrete College Avenue underpass under which it’s tucked into would be filled with declarations of my persisting love and likely also the 20-point shopping list I take with me everywhere. Think: a vast retail-cornupopia of vendors selling different types of watches, jewelry, leather boots, ballet flats, along with entire collections of diverse clothing styles and accessories. This market truly has something for everyone, and makes this reality all-the-more apparent through their affordable prices. I first visited the market amid a desperate plea to thrift new clothes before my upcoming trip to New York last summer. When I arrived, I seemingly hit the perfect clothing quality-to-price jackpot. As someone who is typically very particular about the finite details of nearly anything I come across while shopping, I found myself overwhelmed by just how willing I was to impulsively throw any babydoll dress, tank top, or knitted cardigan over my shoulder for immediate purchase (I nearly had to mentally restrain myself from exhausting my remaining finances). Fortunately, I left spending only around $35 total and buying up to 6 different items, which, from my perspective (as a thriftophile) is absolute thrift-heaven. The Wardrobe Project Flea takes place every 3rd Saturday of the month, and is typically open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It is run and organized by the Wardrobe Project brand, which is a vintage and consignment store located nearby. The market usually gets really busy fast, so I suggest arriving early with an empty tote and determined spirit!
Whether it be vintage shopping on Haight Street, mourning the last 2nd Street store in the East Bay while relocating to those in San Francisco, or immersing yourself within the thrifting paradise that is the Wardrobe Project Flea, it’s important to remember that the Bay Area’s thrift scene is constantly evolving. And, regardless of whether you opt for a more vintage or thrift scene, fashion allows us to go beyond the limits of life’s conventions and discover our own means of individuality –which amid a highly rigorous and often pressure-building academic environment, is exactly what makes a school community like O’Dowd so special!
