The Best College Town In California

Berkeley, a mid-sized city in northern California along the eastern bank of San Francisco Bay, boasts worldwide recognition in the Golden State. Its prestigious university, UC Berkeley, exudes energy and vibrancy downtown with welcoming hotspots for the entire family. The quiet nooks, trails, and landmarks lend a homegrown feel for strolls or quiet study time in the greenery. The infectious community spirit makes you fall head over heels for Berkeley.

Just minutes north of Oakland, overlooking the Golden Gates of San Francisco across the bay, Berkeley is a great place to escape the hustle of the everyday. Its entertainment venues and amenities hold up to any major city's, while the studious vibe resonates through local attractions and cultural pursuits, plus great nightlife. Home to friendly locals and an inclusive social scene, Berkeley's blend of seaside charm and vivacious energy appeals to every type of visitor.

Overview and Brief History

The area, first explored by Spaniards, was under Mexico's rule from the 1820s to the 1840s. In the 1860s, the College of California moved from Oakland, some five miles south and nearly four times the size of Berkeley's 117,214 residents today. The university was founded in 1868, ten years before Berkeley officially became a city. Its official Town Hall was built in 1880, two years after; in 1908, there was an unsuccessful campaign to make Berkeley the capital of California.

The modern town exudes cultural vibrancy, with over a third of its population attending the college, telling of the university's impact, and 65% of minorities in attendance. But Berkeley is so much more than an 81% four-year graduation rate and great salaries for alumni. With UC Berkeley as the focal point, there's plenty to see and do around the campus and beyond for every non-student and visitor, including spectacular outdoors, family-friendly attractions, and dining options.

Community Appeal

If you are new in town, the Berkeley Visitor Information Center is full of great ideas to start discovering Berkeley. The Lawrence Hall of Science has long been a favorite place among local and visiting families, who also enjoy the interactive activities at the Habitot Children’s Discovery Museum. The cultural venues dotting the city draw performers and crowds with all forms of art, plus local talent through galleries and pop-up shows.

From college football and baseball to plays and concerts throughout town, the sporting events foster a loyal fan base. Many enjoy the scented Berkeley Rose Garden, which has thousands of rose bushes and dates back to the 1930s, around the same time as the Berkeley Marina, a scenic promenade. Both, established by Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal agencies, are perfect for romantic strolls and relaxation with views of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.

The University's Impact

Founded in 1868, the downtown campus sprawls over 1,232 acres, with Tilden Regional Park at its back door. Cal Berkeley is the face of the town and the main hand orchestrating its lively atmosphere and the relationship between the university and the local community. Serving as a cultural centerpiece, many hotspots are right on site. Exuding youthful energy and vibrancy, it is exemplary of academic achievement, cultural diversity, and community spirit. Its community involvement is rooted in the idea that challenges can only be addressed through sustainable relationships that take time and require continuous investment. There are over 300 community organizations with Berkeley student involvement, and over 6,000 UC Berkeley undergraduates annually engage in off-campus public service projects and programs.

In fall 2024, total student enrollment comprised of 33,070 undergraduates and 12,812 graduates. With over a third of the student population, the lively city makes for an enjoyable visitor's experience. Boasting over 400 degree programs, its famous alumni include the American entrepreneur and electrical engineer Steve Wozniak, the actors Gregory Peck and Chris Pine, plus 35 Nobel Prize winners. Currently, 9 faculty members hold a Nobel Prize. There's a lot to boast about when you attend the top public university worldwide, as per U.S. News & World Report, like a 19:1 student/faculty ratio with 71% of classes of under 20 students, plus 35 alumni who hold a Nobel Prize and nine faculty members at present. Grading high across the board, UC Berkeley scored the 17th spot in National Universities and 2nd in Top Public Schools.

Around Campus

Starting on a sightseeing tour of the campus, Sather Gate is its enduring landmark gate from 1910, with Beaux-Arts flair and ornate bronze metalwork. You'll discover many beautiful buildings like Sigma Phi Society and Wheeler Hall Auditorium. Nearby, the soaring bell and clock tower, Campanile, accompanies you on a stroll with daily carillon concerts and offers panoramic views from the top. Established in 1890, the 34-acre University of California Botanical Garden features meandering trails through a collection of plants from around the world.

You can take a break at Memorial Glade, an expansive, sloped lawn to spread a picnic amid academic buildings among UC Berkeley students. Also at the UC Berkeley campus, Stu Gordon Stadium is a longtime home of the Golden Bears. Home of the Cal Bears, the scenic California Memorial Stadium draws crowds for football games with great views of the Bay Area. It is a quick drive along University Ave or a leisurely hour-and-change stroll via Addison Street to the Bay Area. Five minutes out, stop by the spacious Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park with a historic fountain and a farmers' market.

The Outdoors

All roads in Berkeley eventually lead to the waterfront, where Cesar Chavez Park is a beautiful, outermost landscape on its own peninsula into the bay. Overlooking San Francisco and the Golden Gates, it is one of the three main components centered around Berkeley Yacht Harbor, with trails for kite flying, hiking, dog walking, or your choice of recreation in the bay vistas, among students studying for exams or escaping after them into nature.

Next door, Adventure Playground and the adjacent Shorebird Park offer scenic marina views with picnic sites, play areas, and a nature center with fish and wildlife displays, which is perfect to take your kids or the visiting family to. The innermost McLaughlin Eastshore State Park State Seashore is a serene, sprawling shoreline refuge that feels like an escape from civilization, with tidal marshes, panoramic trails, and benches overlooking the bay.

Tilden Regional Park

No visit to Berkeley is complete without its subject of affection for nature from the doorstep. This 2,000-acre symbol of the city’s environmental dedication encompasses Wildcat Creek, a golf course, a botanic garden, a swimmable lake, campsites, and picnic areas. The nature area to the north features farm-like surroundings with animals, plus easy and challenging hiking trails. Many enjoy the serenity of the sensual Regional Parks Botanic Garden, a large landscaped green with native plants from California's diverse natural habitats.

Find the central classic merry-go-round ride from 1911 for a spin with whimsical animals. Nearby, the steam train at the Redwood Valley Railway delights the young and old aboard a real steam locomotive via a miniature train track. With a blend of trails in the southern reaches, Inspiration Point offers sweeping views and interpretive plaques, while Seaview Trail features wildflowers. Catch the sunset across the bay from Grizzly Peak Vista Point or Grizzly Peak Blvd Overlook before descending for a fun-filled evening.

Cultural Offerings and the Social Scene

Berkeley's cultural attractions are designed with community and tourism in mind. Its all-inclusive social scene and support for small businesses encompass Telegraph Avenue, the soul of Berkeley, with great shops and restaurants. In the 1990s, the city developed the downtown Addison Street cultural and entertainment district, anchored around Berkeley Repertory Theater. While the seaside and downtown bars stay open late, many enjoy passing their evenings over a play or a musical at the intimate Berkeley Playhouse, designed out of crafted redwood as a church in 1908.

It's easy to catch a regular event or a seasonal festival along these streets. An interesting side note: in 1992, Berkeley was the first city to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. Experience rich arts and culture through the Downtown Arts District, plus visual art at the Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive. This impressive steel-walled campus building hosts 18,000 exhibits, from Asian artifacts to local works, and an impressive film program. The Greek Theater at UC Berkeley is a popular outdoor venue, presenting well-known bands and events under the sunny Cali skies.

Where to Dine?

The dining scene encompasses coffee shops, world cuisine, favorite pizza places, and comfort food, among sports bars and pubs. You can dine on ethnic foods ranging from Japanese to Greek, Southern, Mexican, Indian, and more. Among countless downtown spots, stop by Caffè Strada on campus for your morning brew among the studious. La Mediterranee is a longtime Middle Eastern-Mediterranean spot known for its meze sampler platters and outdoor seating.

For a date, Chez Panisse offers unintrusive service as Alice Waters' acclaimed flagship, serving seasonal fare in a chic, cozy vibe downstairs and a cafe upstairs. Many bars are right outside the campus, like Jupiter, a two-story venue with a beer garden, dishing out wood-fired pizzas over handcrafted beers and ales. Away from downtown, Zachary's Chicago Pizza serves up crust pies in a room full of customer artwork.

Appeal to Non-Students

If you are a resident, visiting, or thinking about moving to Berkeley, you can look forward to equal parts quaint and fun in a dynamic cultural environment of a wholesome community. Highlighted by the synergy of small businesses and the robust university, its excellent selection of cultural and dining experiences caters to both families and solo travelers. You'll meet friendly crowds at local hotspots, like Sports Basement Berkeley, a destination for the outdoorsy with clothing, gear, and accessories, plus equipment rentals.

The popular 99 Ranch Market carries imported specialty foods from Asia, plus meat, seafood, produce, and baked goods, perfect for home cooking, in-dorm, or your hotel room. Berkeley's multicultural makeup extends to places like Wat Mongkolratanaram, an ornate Buddhist temple, and the Örly Museum of Hungarian Culture. There are many more delights to explore between the campus and the spectacular views over the bay to San Francisco. If visiting, the youthful feel is sure to transport you to your own college days.

To Summarize

Berkeley is the academic face of the Golden State with seaside makeup and a fun personality. Often considered the best place to attend college, its appeal is elevated by the collaboration between the school and the community, encompassed between the great outdoors and the bay. It takes but a visit to fall for the unique charm of the city with the heart of a college town that will leave a soft spot in yours, but you have to be here to experience it.

So whether you're coming out of state for schooling, on a road trip, or exploring a new city, Berkeley brims with authentic experiences and activities designed to engage, expand, entertain, and enthrall. From your morning bagel to dinnertime at Cholita Linda, a Latin American place, and nightlife, you can be exploring Tilden Park. So plan your escape to Berkeley from a bigger city or out of state to unwind back in your college days without the studious part.