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Berkeley, California
Population: 100,744
Located in Alameda County
Located on the east shore of San Francisco Bay, Berkeley is a center of higher education (the University of California, Berkeley campus), scientific research, computer and biotechnology industries. Berkeley combines cosmopolitan living with the quirky charm of a small college town. Neighborhoods feature an eclectic mix of architectural styles (California bungalow to brown shingle Craftsman to innovative modern wonders). Intellectually and culturally stimulating, Berkeley is also a city of outstanding natural beauty.
When asked what they like most about living in Berkeley, residents repeatedly cite cultural diversity, art, beautiful parks, innovative businesses, and friendliness amongst neighbors. Other frequently mentioned characteristics include great restaurants and shopping, proximity to the University of California - Berkeley, geographic location, the physical beauty of the environment, easy access to San Francisco, Oakland, and Silicon Valley, the weather, community services, recreational activities - and an abundance of Cool Things To Do!
With its booming economy, sophisticated arts community, world-renowned university, and some of the best weather in the world, no wonder Berkeley is amongst the fastest growing regions in the United States!
Berkeley has a reputation for being perhaps the most liberal city in the United States. Rooted in the Free Speech Movement of the 1960's, visitors will find an eclectic mix of cultures and viewpoints. Berkeley's free-thinking environment has seen the birth of quality attractions, great food from many cultures, and of course the 30,000-person University of California, Berkeley.
The five-block stretch of Telegraph Avenue just south of UC Berkeley's Sproul Plaza is perhaps one of the city's most well-known and most-visited landmarks, with its independent stores, kooky sidewalk vendors and the unforgettable dynamic streetlife that is the amalgam of students, hippies and hobos. Besides its restaurants, Telegraph is the site of many bookstores, music shops, coffee shops, and used clothing exchanges.
Berkeley has modified its original grid roadway structure through use of diverters and barriers, moving most traffic out of neighborhoods and onto arterial streets (visitors often find this confusing, because the diverters are not shown on all maps). Berkeley maintains a separate grid of arterial streets for bicycles, called Bicycle Boulevards, with bike lanes and lower amounts of car traffic than the major streets to which they often run parallel. Berkeley has one of the highest rates of bicycle and pedestrian commuting in the nation. Berkeley is the safest city of its size in California for pedestrians and cyclists, considering the number of injuries per pedestrian and cyclist, rather than per capita.
Surrounding the University of California campus are the most densely populated parts of the city. West of the campus is Downtown Berkeley, the city's traditional commercial core; home of the civic center, the city's only public high school, the busiest BART station in Berkeley, as well as a major transfer point for AC Transit buses. South of the campus is the Southside neighborhood, mainly a student ghetto, where much of the university's student housing is located. The busiest stretch of Telegraph Avenue is in this neighborhood. North of the campus is the quieter Northside neighborhood, the location of the Graduate Theological Union.
Further from the university campus, the influence of the University quickly becomes less visible. Most of Berkeley's neighborhoods are primarily made up of detached houses, often with separate in-law units in the rear, although larger apartment buildings are also common in many neighborhoods. Commercial activities are concentrated along the major avenues and at important intersections. In the southeastern corner of the city is the Claremont District, home to the Claremont Hotel; and the Elmwood District, with a small shopping area on College Avenue. West of Elmwood is South Berkeley, known for its weekend flea market at the Ashby BART station. West of (and including) San Pablo Avenue is West Berkeley, the former unincorporated town of Ocean View. West Berkeley contains the remnants of Berkeley's industrial area, much of which has been replaced by retail and office uses, as well as residential live/work loft space, with the decline of manufacturing in the United States.
Along the shoreline of San Francisco Bay at the foot of University Avenue is the Berkeley Marina. Nearby is Berkeley's Aquatic Park, featuring an artificial linear lagoon of San Francisco Bay. North of Downtown is the North Berkeley neighborhood, which has been nicknamed the "Gourmet Ghetto" because of the concentration of well-known restaurants and other food-related businesses. Further north are Northbrae, a master-planned subdivision from the early 20th Century, and Thousand Oaks. Above these last three neighborhoods, in the northeastern part of Berkeley, is the Berkeley Hills. The neighborhoods of the Berkeley Hills such as Cragmont and La Loma Park are notable for their dramatic views, winding streets, and numerous public stairways and paths.
Education
The first public school in Berkeley was the Ocean View School, now the site of the Berkeley Adult School located at Virginia Street and San Pablo Avenue. The public schools today are administered by the Berkeley Unified School District. The city has only one public high school, Berkeley High, established in 1880. Berkeley also is home to Saint Mary's College High School, a private Lasallian institution located on the Berkeley/Albany Border.
Berkeley City College, formerly Vista Community College, is one of the California Community Colleges, is part of the Peralta Community College District. Berkeley City College serves students who seek general education, transfer to four-year universities, degrees and certificates in liberal arts and occupational areas, career preparation or precollegiate skills. The college is an active partner in local economic development and employment training endeavors.
The University of California, Berkeley is a public coeducational research university, commonly referred to as UC Berkeley, Berkeley and Cal, it is the oldest campus in the ten-campus University of California system. UC Berkeley of
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