| | Berkeley is a college town from its inception. The area was selected as a college site and named in 1866 for philosopher Bishop George Berkeley. The University of California began operating in 1872 and has been the linchpin of the town's economy and character since. Although Berkeley became famous for its activist politics during the anti-war protests of the 1960s and 70s and the associated Free Speech Movement, the city has long been at the vanguard of radical social ideas. Socialist Finnish immigrants settled in West Berkeley in the early 20th century, Berkeley elected a socialist mayor in 1911, and the support for women's suffrage was strong in the town. Berkeley's police department was also the first nationally to require officers to have a college degree.During WWII laboratories operated by the Berkeley campus played a major role in developing nuclear weapon technology. In 1986, however, the city voted to officially become a Nuclear Free Zone, disallowing the operation of nuclear reactors within city limits and preventing work from being done on nuclear weapons within its borders. These days the flower children have grown into gourmets. Berkeley is now as famous for its culinary attractions as its 60s radicalism. Alice Waters is credited with founding the fresh, seasonal California cuisine at Chez Panisse, her renowned Berkeley restaurant. |
| Berkeley is blessed with an extremely moderate climate. The daytime temperature is usually within 10 degrees of a blissful 68 and cool breezes sweep in from San Francisco. September and October are the warmest months, with temperatures ranging into the 80s. Winters are cooler and can be wet. The spring and early summer is usually mild compared to cities further inland, which can get uncomfortably hot. |
| Berkeley is located in the East Bay, across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco, and shares a southern border with Oakland. The western side of the city stretches out to the San Francisco Bay while the eastern side creeps up into the green hills of Tilden Regional Park. The city comprises 17.7 square miles and is also surrounded by the smaller cities of Albany, Emeryville and Piedmont. |
| Berkeley's economy is inextricably tied to the University of California. The huge number of students, faculty and staff at the university drive the businesses in the area. There is also a tourism economy around Telegraph Avenue that trades in water pipes, tie-dye attire and other counter-culture paraphernalia. |
| Berkeley's heavy lean to the political left is part of national history. In 1973 Berkeley's police stopped issuing arrests and citations for Marijuana. In the late 80s Berkeley was the first city to ban McDonald's from using polystyrene packaging for its hamburgers and began spearheading the plastics recycling movement. Today Berkeley is as progressive as ever. The Center for Voting Research recently ranked Berkeley as the 3rd most liberal city in the nation. |
| Berkeley's art scene is overshadowed by that of its metropolis across the Bay. But while cutting-edge galleries aren't in abundance, the city musters its own unique aesthetic vibe. Crafts of all kinds can be found along Telegraph Avenue. The California College of Arts also has a campus in Oakland, attracting many young aspiring artists to the area. And Berkeley has been home to many notables, from cartoonist Robert Crumb to filmmaker George Lucas. The theater arts thrive in Berkeley thanks to the Tony Award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theater, in downtown. |
| Berkeley seems to be wholly defined by the univesity and its 60s hippie legacy. Nearly every element of Berkeley society seems to be either affiliated with the Cal in one way or another or simply attracted by the promise of Berkeley's alternative lifestyle, and between students and the homeless the city has a huge transient population. This alternative intellectual society is reflected in Berkeley's establishments. There are huge numbers of independent book and record stores, and homeopathic medicine and acupuncture are ubiquitous. The city has recently become infatuated with the gourmet; specialty foods, usually from local farms or producers, can be found at the Berkeley Bowl grocery store or in the "Gourmet Ghetto" north of campus. Berkely is also home to large Indian and Asian populations and the concomitant culture and cuisine. |
| The predominant language in Berkeley is English. The city's large Asian and Indian populations add everything from Bengali to Mandarin to the mix. And, as in any large academic center with visiting students and faculty, every language is spoken by someone in Berkeley. |
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