Monterey Flowers

Mahmoud is an artist and a gentleman. I grew up in the neighborhood and his flowers have graced my parents’ home for years. While Monterey Market has gone through some ownership transitions his cheerful presence outside has helped anchor the area and maintain the best of North Berkeley. He did the flowers for my sister’s wedding and helped with the same for mine. Whenever I drive down Hopkins I keep an eye out for his stall — if you see a flash of floral color he’s open for business. Stop and say hello — you won’t regret it.

The best flowers in North Berkeley are sold at a stall with no sign, on the sidewalk next to Monterey Market, by a man known simply to his customers as Mahmoud. For over ten years Mahmoud has sold fresh, beautiful flowers at reasonable prices from his stand on Hopkins Street. You can find cheaper flowers at Monterey Market, but they will likely not last long. And you can find more expensive flowers at any number of places. What’s unique about Mahmoud’s selection is that his flowers are both carefully chosen and moderately priced. In addition, he has an artist’s eye for color and design: when you ask Mahmoud to make you a bouquet, you get something strikingly beautiful and original, rather than a ready-​made bunch jammed into a tub. Along with the flowers you may get — on those days when you can spare a few minutes — the pleasures of Mahmoud’s conversation: by turns sweet, courtly, ironic, melancholy, boisterous… but always, starting and ending with a smile.