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Neighborhood Descriptions |
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Berkeley
Oakland
Other East Bay Cities
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Berkeley Neighborhoods
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Southside
A bustling, student-oriented area adjacent to south campus. Bookstores, record stores, cafes and restaurants abound. Telegraph Avenue is a main feature, with its colorful street vendors. Student housing is relatively plentiful in Southside.
Elmwood
Just to the south of Southside is the Elmwood district, which can be found by following College Avenue away from campus. Elmwood is a charming mix of small apartment complexes and large homes. Gift shopping is a delight, and there are many restaurants featuring international cuisine. There is also a popular movie theater.
Claremont
A neighborhood consisting primarily of grand, expensive homes and few rentals. The typical Claremont rental might be an "in-law" apartment in someone's house, or a room in a private home. The Claremont area is generally characterized as the area surrounding the Claremont Resort and Hotel.
South Berkeley
West of the Southside, Elmwood and Claremont districts and south of Dwight Way is an area generally known as South Berkeley. This area, in addition to West Berkeley and the Westbrae neighborhoods, is where the most affordable housing is likely to be found. Small, single family bungalows, duplexes and fourplexes are featured on the tree-lined streets. Cute cafes, antique shops and the Ashby BART station with its weekend flea market in the parking lot are part of the South Berkeley scene.
Downtown Berkeley
While "downtown" can be found just a block from the West Entrance of campus, continue a few more blocks westward and you will find tree-lined streets with a mixture of apartments and houses. Many students live in this area and enjoy its convenience to downtown BART, movies, restaurants, and the campus.
West Berkeley
South of University Avenue and west of Sacramento Street is the area known as West Berkeley. Modest single family homes are interspersed with apartment buildings, and the neighborhood is dotted with Victorian farmhouses that were the original dwellings in the area.
Westbrae
A quiet, residential neighborhood just north and west of the North Berkeley BART station, the Westbrae area consists of small homes, duplexes, and fourplexes. One of the area's highlights is a specialty produce store that attracts shoppers from all over Berkeley. Easy access to BART and the campus makes this a popular area. Public tennis courts, a jogging track, a pool, and a playground are located nearby at the local middle school.
Oceanview
The outlet stores, specialty shops and restaurants along the popular 4th Street area turned this formerly sleepy place of small homes and light industry into a bustling, lively street scene.
Northside
This area directly north of campus is a contrast to the bustling Southside area. Quiet by comparison, Northside boasts several student co-ops and charming apartment buildings interspersed with large, single family homes. The main street is Euclid Avenue, which features a small grocery store, shops, and restaurants.
North Berkeley and Thousand Oaks
If you hear the term "gourmet ghetto," it refers to this North Berkeley area north of Shattuck Avenue. Here you'll find gourmet food shops and the famous restaurant, Chez Panisse, among others. Thousand Oaks continues the North Berkeley theme through the Solano Tunnel and down Solano Avenue with many restaurants, cafes and bookstores frequented by local residents. This is a popular area for young and old.
North Berkeley Hills
The Berkeley Hills, north of Northside and east of North Berkeley and Thousand Oaks, is an area of winding, hilly streets and stately homes with bay views. This is one of the most expensive areas for housing and is bordered by Tilden Park, an enormous stretch of regional park.
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Oakland: A Selection of Areas
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This metropolis stretches to the south of Berkeley and offers a variety of neighborhoods that are extremely commutable to campus by bus, bike, or BART. Oakland features a major "Chinatown" area and an attractive waterfront with shops, restaurants, and a movie theatre in Jack London Square. There is also ferry service to San Francisco.
Popular Oakland neighborhoods for students are as follow:
Rockridge
One of the most popular Oakland neighborhoods, Rockridge features the convenience of a BART station with trains that go directly to San Francisco, as well as buses and bicycle routes that lead directly to the UC Berkeley campus. Bookstores, gourmet shops, flower stands, and bakeries characterize this neighborhood. Houses and apartments tend to be expensive to rent due to the desirability and accessibility of the area.
North Oakland, Piedmont Avenue, and Lake Merritt
These three popular areas contain quite a number of rental apartments and houses, as well as some of the most attractive and affordable housing in the East Bay Area. Much of North Oakland is easily accessible to campus, either by a short bicycle ride or a longish walk for avid walkers. The Piedmont Avenue area is attractive with its many shops, restaurants, and movie theaters. Lake Merritt is a gem in the middle of downtown Oakland, with its jogging paths and surrounding parks.
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Other East Bay Cities
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Emeryville
Emeryville has recently emerged as a major area for shopping and entertainment. Outdoor shopping malls, a major Cineplex, a jazz club, and new apartment housing have made Emeryville come alive in the past decade or so. The city runs free shuttle buses to BART stations and around town.
Albany
Albany is a small city to the north and west of Berkeley. This is a town of mostly owner-occupied, small, single-family houses and some rentals. It is also home to a large complex of University-owned Family Student Housing (call (510) 642-4109 for information). Solano Avenue, with its movie theaters, many shops, and restaurants, travels through Albany and into the Thousand Oaks neighborhood of Berkeley. Albany is a quick bus or bicycle ride to campus.
Kensington
Just to the north of the North Berkeley Hills lies the small community of Kensington with its many homes similar to the homes in the Berkeley Hills. Students may find "in-law" type apartments, shared housing, or room rentals in Kensington, and much of Kensington is an easy commute by bus, either on the Arlington or Colusa Avenue buses. There is a small grocery store and other shops on Arlington.
El Cerrito
El Cerrito is to the north of Albany and conveniently situated for commuting. El Cerrito South, with its focus around the El Cerrito Plaza and BART station, is two BART stops from campus. There are many affordable apartments in this quiet, clean, small town.
If you have questions about these neighborhoods or other parts of the East Bay Area, please consult a Cal Rentals housing counselor.
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