Directions to BACDS Dance Venues

This page lists transit and driving directions to venues currently used by BACDS regular dance series.
(For each venue below, click on its name to see the venue's website; click on the address to see a local Google map of the venue).

Regular Dance Venues

All Saints Episcopal Church, Palo Alto

Address: 555 Waverley Street

Public Transit: Take CalTrain to Palo Alto station. From there, head into downtown Palo Alto on University, and continue to Waverley. Turn right on Waverley, and left on Hamilton. Total distance is roughly 3/5 mile, or 25-25 minutes walking time.

Driving:

• From East Bay locations:
  • Cross the bay via your bridge of choice (San Mateo or Dumbarton) and get to Southbound US-101.
  • Take US-101 to University Avenue offramp.
  • Head west (towards downtown Palo Alto) on University to Middlefield Road. Turn left on to Middlefield.
  • Go one block on Middlefield and turn right on to Hamilton.
  • All Saints is about 4 blocks down Hamilton, on Waverley.
• From Marin/San Francisco/Peninsula locations:
  • Get to Southbound I-280 or, if you are closer to US-101, follow directions above for East Bay locations.
  • Take I-280 to Sand Hill Road; exit at Sand Hill, and turn left to head into Palo Alto/Menlo Park.
  • Continue down Sand Hill to Arboretum; turn right onto Arboretum.
  • Continue on Arboretum to Palm Drive; turn left onto Palm.
  • Continue on Palm across El Camino Real, where it becomes University.
  • Continue on University to High Street; turn right on High.
  • Go one block down High Street to Hamilton Avenue; turn left onto Hamilton.
  • Park near Waverley. All Saints is on Waverley near the NE corner with Hamilton.
• From South Bay locations:
  • Get to Northbound I-280.
  • Take I-280 to Page Mill Road; exit at Page Mill, and follow the signs for Palo Alto.
  • Continue down Page Mill until it crosses El Camino Real, where it becomes Oregon Expressway.
  • Continue down Oregon Expressway to Middlefield Road; turn left on Middlefield.
  • Continue on Middlefield to Hamilton; turn left on Hamilton.
  • Continue on Hamilton to Waverley (4 blocks); church is on Waverley near NE corner with Hamilton.

Parking: Street parking only.

Dances: Peninsula English Dance series

Christ Church Berkeley (Formerly Grace North Church), Berkeley

Address: 2138 Cedar Street (between Walnut and Oxford)

Public Transit: Take BART to downtown Berkeley station. From there, catch the AC Transit 7, 9, 18 or 19 bus at the stop in front of Games of Berkeley at the SE corner of Shattuck and Center. Get off at the corner of Cedar and Shattuck, and walk 1-1/2 blocks up Cedar. 18 is the one that runs back late enough to be useful after the dance, although it's also usually easy to get a ride back to the BART station.

Driving:

• Take I-80 to University Avenue offramp. Follow signs for downtown Berkeley and University of California.
• Continue on University Avenue to Shattuck Avenue; turn left onto Shattuck.
• Continue on Shattuck Avenue to Cedar Street; turn right onto Cedar.
• Christ Church Berkeley is 1-1/2 blocks up Cedar, between Walnut and Oxford.

Parking: Street parking only.

Dances: Berkeley Wednesday Contra Dance series, Berkeley Wednesday English Dance series, Berkeley Saturday Experienced English Dance series

St. John's Presbyterian Church, San Francisco

Address: 25 Lake Street (at Arguello)

Public Transit: Take the 38/38X Geary bus from downtown and get off at Arguello. The church is five blocks up Arguello on the left, at the corner of Lake. Or, take the crosstown 33 Ashbury/18th Street bus, which stops across the street from the church at its northern terminus.

Driving:

• From East Bay/Peninsula:
  • Take US-101 Octavia exit. Cross Market Street and continue north. Turn left on Fell.
  • Continue west on Fell to Stanyan (the border of Golden Gate park proper). Turn right and then turn left on Geary when Stanyan ends.
  • Continue west until you reach Arguello (there's a large red brick middle school visible on the near corner) and turn right. The church is five blocks up Arguello on the left, at the corner of Lake, across the street from the massive dome of Congregation Emanu-El.
• From North Bay:
  • Take the Highway 1 exit on the left just after the tollbooths of Golden Gate Bridge.
  • Drive through the Presidio, then turn right at the traffic light onto California Street. Take three right turns so you are headed east on Lake.
  • Continue on Lake about 3/4 of a mile, until it dead-ends onto Arguello. St. John's church is on your left at 25 Lake.
• Parking:
  • Street parking only. There are almost always parking spaces on Arguello north of Lake.

First United Methodist Church, Palo Alto

Address: 625 Hamilton Avenue

Public Transit: Once CalTrain Weekend Service resumes, take CalTrain to Palo Alto station. From there, head into downtown Palo Alto on University, and continue to Webster. Turn right on Webster, and left on Hamilton. Total distance is roughly 4/5 mile, or 20-30 minutes walking time.

Driving:

• From East Bay locations:
  • Cross the bay via your bridge of choice (San Mateo or Dumbarton) and get to Southbound US-101.
  • Take US-101 to University Avenue offramp.
  • Head west (towards downtown Palo Alto) on University to Middlefield Road. Turn left on to Middlefield.
  • Go one block on Middlefield and turn right on to Hamilton.
  • First United Methodist Church is about 1-1/2 blocks down Hamilton, just before Webster.
• From Marin/San Francisco/Peninsula locations:
  • Get to Southbound I-280 or, if you are closer to US-101, follow directions above for East Bay locations.
  • Take I-280 to Sand Hill Road; exit at Sand Hill, and turn left to head into Palo Alto/Menlo Park.
  • Continue down Sand Hill to Arboretum; turn right onto Arboretum.
  • Continue on Arboretum to Palm Drive; turn left onto Palm.
  • Continue on Palm across El Camino Real, where it becomes University. Continue on University to High Street; turn right on High.
  • Go one block down High Street to Hamilton Avenue; turn left onto Hamilton.
  • First United Methodist Church is on Hamilton, just past Webster.
• From South Bay locations:
  • Get to Northbound I-280.
  • Take I-280 to Page Mill Road; exit at Page Mill, and follow the signs for Palo Alto.
  • Continue down Page Mill until it crosses El Camino Real, where it becomes Oregon Expressway.
  • Continue down Oregon Expressway to Middlefield Road; turn left on Middlefield.
  • Continue on Middlefield to Hamilton; turn left on Hamilton.
  • First United Methodist Church is about 1-1/2 blocks down Hamilton, just before Webster.

Parking: Parking lot at hall.

Dances: Palo Alto Contra Dance series

First Unitarian Church, San Jose

Address: 160 North 3rd Street

Join the Facebook Contra Carpool group.

Public Transit:

• From the Peninsula:
  • Either take VTA 522 Rapid Eastridge bus (or connect to it from CalTrain via the Santa Clara Transit Center) to Santa Clara and 1st in downtown San Jose.
  • Walk northeast on East Santa Clara Street towards South 2nd Street. Turn left onto North 3rd Street.
  • Total distance is roughly 1/3 mile or a 5-minute walk.
• From the East Bay:
  • Take BART to the Fremont Station.
  • Take VTA 181 Express to Saint John and 2nd in downtown San Jose.
  • Walk southeast on South 2nd Street towards East Saint John Street. Turn left onto East Saint John Street.
  • Turn left onto North 3rd Street.
  • Total distance is roughly 1/10 mile or a 2-minute walk.

Driving:

• From San Francisco/Peninsula locations:
  • Take US-101 southbound towards San Jose.
  • Take the CA-87/Guadalupe Parkway exit and continue onto CA-87 S.
  • Take exit 6B for West Julian Street towards Saint James Street.
  • Use the middle lane to turn left onto West Julian Street, and continue onto West Saint James Street.
  • Turn right onto North 2nd Street, left onto East Saint John Street, and left onto North 3rd Street.
• From East Bay locations:
  • Take I-880 southboard towards San Jose.
  • Take exit 4A for North 1st Street towards downtown, and turn right onto North 1st Street.
  • Turn right onto East Rosemary Street.
  • Turn right onto North 4th Street.
  • Turn right onto East Saint John Street, and then the first right onto North 3rd Street.

Parking: Street parking only.

Dances: San Jose Contra Dance series, San Jose English Dance series

Holbrook-Palmer Park - Carriage House, Atherton

Address: 150 Watkins Avenue (between El Camino Real and Middlefield)

Public Transit: 511.org SamTrans-KX line runs from Palo Alto Caltrain to corner of Watkins and El Camino.

Driving:

• General directions:
  • Get to Palo Alto.
  • Go North on El Camino to Watkins and turn right.
  • After you cross the railroad tracks, Hollbrook-Palmer is on the right.
  • Enter the first (western) entrance, park in the parking lot near the water tower.
  • The Carriage House is past the water tower.

Parking: In the parking areas. Do NOT park next to the Carriage House.

Dances: Atherton Woodshed Dance series

Palo Alto Masonic Center, Palo Alto

Address: 461 Florence Street (just off University)

Public Transit: Take CalTrain to Palo Alto station. From there, head into downtown Palo Alto on University, and continue to Florence. Cross and turn left on Florence; the Masonic Hall is a short ways down Florence from University Total distance is roughly 1/3 mile, or 5-10 minutes walking time.

Driving:

• General directions:
  • Take US-101 to University Avenue offramp.
  • Head west (towards downtown Palo Alto) on University to Florence. Turn right on to Florence.
  • Palo Alto Masonic Temple is about 1/2 block down Florence, on right.

Parking: Municipal parking across Florence from hall.

Dances: Palo Alto English Dance series

St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, San Francisco

Address: 1399 43rd Avenue (Corner of Judah and 43rd Ave)

Public Transit: Take SF MUNI N Judah line towards Ocean Beach. Get off at corner of 43rd Avenue and Judah Street.

Driving:

• From Peninsula and South Bay locations:
  • Take I-280 to Northbound CA-1 exit; exit here and continue towards 19th Avenue/Golden Gate Bridge.
  • Continue down 19th Avenue to Irving; turn right on Irving.
  • Go one block to 18th Avenue; turn left onto 18th Avenue.
  • Go one block to Lincoln; turn left onto Lincoln.
  • Continue on Lincoln to 43rd Avenue; turn left onto 43rd Avenue.
  • St. Paul's Presbyterian Church is two blocks down 43rd Avenue, at the corner of Judah, on the right side.
• From Marin and North Bay locations:
  • Take US-101 across the Golden Gate Bridge to the CA-1 exit; exit onto CA-1.
  • Continue down CA-1 through the Presidio and Golden Gate Park to Lincoln; turn right onto Lincoln.
  • Continue on Lincoln to 43rd Avenue; turn left onto 43rd Avenue.
  • St. Paul's Presbyterian Church is two blocks down 43rd Avenue, at the corner of Judah, on the right side.
• From East Bay locations:
  • Take I-80 across the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge then stay in the second lane from the right.
  • Follow signs toward "101 North / GG Bridge."
  • Watch for sign "Octavia Blvd / Fell Street." Take Octavia / Fell exit.
  • Go straight off exit ramp across Market Street onto Octavia Blvd.
  • After 4 blocks, all lanes turn left onto Fell Street.
  • Continue on Fell. Once past Masonic, merge into the left two lanes. Turn left onto Kezar (just before Golden Gate Park, just past Stanyan).
  • Continue on Kezar as it curves around to the right onto Lincoln.
  • Continue on Lincoln to 43rd Avenue; turn left onto 43rd Avenue.
  • St. Paul's Presbyterian Church is two blocks down 43rd Avenue, at the corner of Judah, on the right side.

Parking: Street parking only. There is usually plenty of parking one block South, around the Francis Scott Key Elementary School at 43rd Avenue and Kirkham Street.

Dances: San Francisco Contra Dance series