Berkeley, California

There’s a bit of everything for everyone in Berkeley. It’s a smaller city that has both an urban and college-town vibe due to the dominating presence of UC Berkeley. It has an intimate culture and arts scene, but you can also hop on a rail train and be in San Francisco or Oakland in twenty minutes if you’re feeling like something bigger on the weekend. The weather year-round is mild, with winters much warmer than the rest of the country, but also without the blistering heat of Phoenix and Vegas or the humidity of the Midwest and East Coast in the summer.

Berkeley consistently ranks as the healthiest city in America, with bike and hike-friendly streets and a ton of outdoor activities a short drive away. Berkeley is also extremely family-friendly, with good public schools and a ridiculous number of things to do with your beans.

Now we’d be remiss to not point out the fanatically liberal political climate of Berkeley. For some, this is the best thing about Berkeley, and for some, it goes in the category of the worst thing about Berkeley. We’re going to assume everyone knows this and no hard-core Tea Party or MAGA fans are fixing to move the family here so we’re sticking this point in the Best Thing bucket. There is however a Portlandia feel to the progressive nature of Berkeley and even the most ardent AOC fans can find themselves getting canceled if they get the compost mix wrong, so buyer beware or buyer celebrate, depending on your appetite for street-level activism.

While there is a little bit of everything here in Berkeley, it’s brutally difficult for everyone to afford those slices of everything. Higher costs of living and California taxes are major obstacles that get in the way of living comfortably here. Bay Area job markets mitigate some of that, but the costs are things that you have to be prepared for if you’re moving to Berkeley, or anywhere else in the Bay for that matter. Also, as noted above, Berkeley lives up to its “hippie” reputation as well, and if you’re not into the affluent, hyper-liberal vibes, Berkeley can be a lonely place.

Berkeley is only 3 miles by 4 miles, but that’s a stat even some long-time residents are shocked to learn, in large part due to the number of distinct neighborhoods and living options. The campus area is mostly students with a lot of apartment housing, and colorful streets with plenty of bookstores, cafes, restaurants, and bars.

“Downtown” Berkeley is pretty much on the doorstep of campus with a mix of apartments and houses, and students and non-students.
As you continue moving away from campus/downtown, you get to more quiet, single-family residential neighborhoods like Westbrae and North Berkeley. It’s all pretty expensive, with the southern part of the city a bit more affordable, but still… it’s Berkeley.

Check out the Berkeley calendar of events if you're interested in seeing the happenings in the coming year:

We highly recommend visiting Berkeley and staying in the community in a VRBO rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our partnership with Expedia as well.

It’s no secret we’re living through crazy times. If you want to live and get involved in one of the true centers of political movement for the left then Berkeley should have a spot near the top of your list. Go Bears!