A home steeped in Berkeley’s communal, hippie history has hit the real estate market — almost exactly a year after its storied owner passed away taking one final soak.
Deward Hastings, a longtime community fixture known to many simply as “the Hot Tub Guy,” opened up the handcrafted tub behind his cozy, brown shingle bungalow as a sanctuary to the outside community — free of charge — for nearly 50 years.
This week, the 2-bed, 1-bath home, located at 2133 Essex St., was listed for sale for $899,000. The 3,484-square-foot residence includes the semisecret backyard hot tub, which was encircled by towering Redwoods and always set at a scalding, yet lively, 113.5º using a laboratory-grade mercury thermometer.
Tens of thousands of visitors enjoyed a steaming soak at the hidden oasis between 1975 and September 2022, when Hastings died at the age of 78. A guest arrived to find Hastings lifeless in the tub; he was pronounced dead by emergency responders a half hour later. Police said there were no suspicious circumstances around his death.
Locals and travelers, alike, were free to take a dip at the silent, clothing-optional communal space, as long as they knew the code or someone who did.
The two-story South Berkeley home, just two blocks east of the Ashby BART Station, features hardwood floors, board and batten wood paneling, coved ceilings and a large basement with “great potential,” according to listing agent Michael Stephens.
The community is still grieving Hastings’ death, and Greg Callahan, who lives next door and was one of the primary caretakers of the property, said it was a “total surprise” to see the house officially up for sale.
Callahan said the tub was Hastings’ way of using his physical resources and mechanical knowledge to create a safe, natural place for people to escape society’s troubles.
“It’s similar to losing a close family member who you really love having in your life,” Callahan said. “(The tub) was a really important part of people’s days and weeks. Not having that — the home, the backyard, the community — it’s certainly missed.”
While Hastings wanted the tub to live on after he was gone, Callahan said the 78-year-old never fully squared away a plan to do that.
Callahan intimately understands just how big of an ask it would be for the new owners to continue running the tub, especially on top of much-needed renovations and upkeep inside the Essex Street home.
But he would certainly welcome anyone who has the financial resources and dedication to try.
“It would take someone like Deward to stay at the house, be a steward and watch over what goes on back there,” Callahan said. “I would love to see that tradition carried on, because it was really beautiful, but I’m also well aware of what it takes to do that — it’s no small feat.”
