Great article about how crappy the city of Berkeley is in the Daily Planet.

Weiss said one of his toughest challenges in attending UC Berkeley has been finding local venues that he would want to go to or that would invite him, a 20-year-old, in.

“I’ve learned that being a college town and a party town are two very different things,” he said.

Berkeley, home to one of the largest universities in the country, has avoided the glut of bars, clubs and late night eateries that typically accompany other schools.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve went out for a midnight snack. I walk all over the place looking for a restaurant that’s open, with no luck. It’s a lost cause but I try anyway. Luckily, the gas station across the street from my apartment is always open so I can pick up a hot dog that’s been roasting under a heat lamp for the better part of the day.

Katz said that extending hours for cafes and bars along Telegraph would improve safety and increase business along the corridor. The biggest problem so far, Katz said, has been convincing the mostly family owned sit-down restaurants to stay open into the earlier hours of the morning, when the relatives who run the restaurants would rather be sleeping.

All the more reason to have chain restaurants. Maybe it’s just me, but I see the absence of these things as a sign of anti-business/anti-growth overregulation. The Mom & Pop restaurants could maybe hire some extra help and learn how to compete for once. So yes, please do extend the hours. I want to see some 24/7 service by next year.

The rest of the article is about opening new clubs and extending hours. I’m all for it, even if it’ll bring a little more noise. Better the student populace party it up than go crazy studying or coming up with leftist plots.