Berkeley

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Berkeley, California is a small city in the East Bay, across the bay from San Francisco and north of Oakland, two much larger cities.

Berkeley is the city that surrounds, and often is being consumed by, the University of California at Berkeley, the first campus in the system.

Berkeley can be thought of in two parts: There is the flat part and there's the hilly part. Historically, the hills were affluent, while the flats were working class. But the increasing price of housing has rapidly gentrified the city. The UC Berkeley campus sits in the center of Berkeley.

Take BART!
Bay Area Rapid Transit - the commuter train that serves the Bay Area. There are three BART stops in Berkeley:

Ashby BART on the south edge of the city, at the border with Oakland. Ashby BART hosts a very special flea market in its parking lot every Saturday and Sunday. This part of Berkeley is unique for it's "blended" flavor because of its proximity to Oakland, and the Ashby Flea Market is a perfect introduction to the neighborhood.

Downtown Berkeley BART lets you out on Shattuck Avenue in downtown, within walking distance of the UC campus and University Avenue. Lots of good bookstores nearby. While it is a short walk (6-8 blocks), this is the closest stop to get to Telegraph Avenue.

North Berkeley BART a residential area, within walking distance of both University Avenue and San Pablo Avenue. Berkeley's "Fourth Street" shopping district is about a mile to the west.

If you're not inclined to take public transit, the difficulty in finding parking will convince you that BART is a reasonable alternative to driving into Berkeley. Schedules available from BART.gov or through their web page for wireless devices (smart phones, etc.)

University of California at Berkeley
Big Campus. Lots to see.

TELEGRAPH AVENUE A unique street close to campus with stores, restaurants and side walk vendors. Telegraph Ave. stretches from the UC Campus to downtown Oakland, but for one mile or so it's a dense shopping district. Vehicle traffic is one way for this stretch, but the character of the street is better served when it is closed to all cars, which occurs on special occasions.

PEOPLE'S PARK Located just off Telegraph Ave. near the campus. Once a parking lot for the UC, then a community garden. Now people's park is the center of community life for the homeless, both young and old, that make Berkeley their home - much to the consternation of both UC officials and Telegraph business owners. There are trees and grass and basketball courts and a free box and Food-not-bombs distributes free meals to all comers.

KPFA Berkeley is home to radio station KPFA, founded in 1948, KPFA is the Flagship Station of the Pacifica Network, and is the first community funded radio station in the country. Tune your FM dial to 94.1 or visit KPFA.org. There is a micro version of KPFA just for Berkeley, 88.1 KPFB, which mostly repeats whatever is on KPFA, but occasionally features local programming such as live broadcasts of the City Council Meetings, or Youth Radio.

Farmer's Markets Fresh fruits, vegetables and other good things (fungi, honey, cheese, yogurt, etc...) ALL YEAR ROUND, RAIN OR SHINE

Saturdays 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Center Street @ M. L. King, Jr. Way

Tuesdays 2 p.m. - 7 p.m. Derby Street @ M. L. King, Jr. Way

Thursdays 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. All Organic Shattuck Ave @ Rose

Annual Events

 * Solano Stroll
 * How Berkeley Can You Be Parade

Attractions

 * Regional Parks Botanic Garden
 * University of California Botanical Garden
 * Berkeley Rose Garden

Berkeley History and Character
Berkeley is perhaps most famous for the political activities that originated from the campus in the late 1960's, including the "Free Speech Movement." Those times are long gone, but Berkeley and it's citizens are still sometimes at the forefront of progressive ideas and policies in the nation.