San Francisco

With its steep hills, cable cars, and bridges, San Francisco is regarded as one of the most scenic and charming cities in the world. Surrounded on three sides by the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, the city offers spectacular views in every direction. San Francisco is home to internationally acclaimed museums, orchestras, opera, ballet, and theater. The city’s rich ethnic diversity produces such activities as nationally known jazz and blues festivals and the Chinese New Year celebration. Comedy clubs, concert halls, nightclubs, movie theaters, and critically acclaimed restaurants all contribute to an array of entertainment possibilities.

A fascinating mix of neighborhoods contribute to San Francisco’s cosmopolitan atmosphere. Chinese and Italian restaurants compete for patrons in North Beach. Remnants of hippie culture survive in Haight-Ashbury’s quaint Victorian townhouses, while the city’s Spanish heritage is apparent in the historic Mission District. Department store shoppers fill the sidewalks around Union Square, and tourists flock to Fisherman’s Wharf.

San Francisco is less than half an hour from Berkeley by car (via the Bay Bridge) or by the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, which has a station in downtown Berkeley one block from campus. Additional public transportation within San Francisco is provided by MUNI streetcars and buses.