Berkeley

 

Berkeley is a vibrant hub of culture and education on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay. Home to the prestigious University California, Berkeley, it also boasts an influential dining scene with prestigious restaurants credited for starting trends such as California’s farm-to-table and craft coffee movements. Recreation options include sprawling Tilden Park, which covers the hills to the city’s east.

 

This exciting city has a diverse mix of neighborhoods and housing options. There are many relaxed residential neighborhoods within Berkeley offering spacious and comfortable single-family homes as well as stylish contemporary condominiums located close to downtown amenities. The most sought-after properties include stunning homes situated on the Bayfront and rising into the hillsides at the city’s edge.

 

Berkeley is a diverse and energetic city known for its progressive atmosphere. The world-class UC Berkeley brings a lot of youthful energy and new ideas to the city. Berkeley is a captivating place to live with a distinct culture all of its own.

 

Berkeley boasts one of the Bay Area’s most dynamic and influential dining scenes. Centered along the northern stretch of Shattuck Avenue, its gourmet eateries and coffee shops have become known as the birthplace of Californian cuisine. The Cheese Board Collective has been run as a worker-owned collective since 1971. This iconic institution encompasses a bakery, a café, a cheese store, and a vegetarian pizzeria. The menu changes daily with different specialty breads, cakes, muffins, and scones on offer each day. The Cheese Board’s pizzeria prepares one type of artisanal sourdough crust pizza pie and salad each day with the finest quality local ingredients. You can enjoy these delicious daily specials alongside live music at lunch and dinner. Their cheese counter is stocked with an eclectic array of high-quality cheeses from around the world. Expert staff are on hand to help you put together the perfect cheese platter for any occasion.

 

Chez Panisse is another Shattuck Avenue landmark credited with pioneering California’s farm-to-table dining trend on its opening in the 1970s. The decades since have seen Chez Panisse develop a strong relationship with local farmers, ranchers, and dairies with an emphasis on sourcing sustainable local organic ingredients. The popular Bay Area craft coffee chain Peet’s Coffee also originated here. 

 

Shattuck Avenue’s unmatched reputation for culinary innovation has brought many more innovative eateries to Berkeley. Highlights include veggie-forward salads, soups, and flatbreads at FAVA, sophisticated French-inspired fast food at Gregoire, flavorful Nepalese and Indian cuisine at Taste of the Himalayas, and authentic Sicilian dishes paired with Italian wines at Agrodolce.

 

UC Berkeley was founded in 1868 as the first campus of the University of California. This world-renowned public research university’s alumni includes hundreds of recipients of Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes, Turing Awards, Fields Medals, and MacArthur Fellowship Genius Grants. UC Berkeley’s California Golden Bears sports teams compete in the Pac-12 Conference of the NCAA Division 1. The historic California Memorial Stadium hosts up to 63,000 fans when the Cal Bears football team is in action. Haas Pavilion is the home arena of the Golden Bears men’s and women’s basketball teams. 

 

Tilden Park extends over more than 2,000 acres between the Berkeley Hills and San Pablo Ridge to the city’s east. Miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails run through Tilden Park’s beautiful landscape of forested wilderness. At the park’s center, a sandy beach fronts the picturesque freshwater swimming hole of Lake Anza. Nestled within Tilden Park’s stunning Wildcat Canyon, the 10-acre Regional Parks Botanic Garden encapsulates California’s diverse scenery with a comprehensive array of geographically themed areas. Other Tilden Park attractions include the 18-hole public Tilden Park Golf Course and steam train rides on the miniature Redwood Valley Railway.

 

Berkeley is served by the Berkeley Unified School District.

 

 

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