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 and 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 fan 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.

Lifetime resident comment: *I’m incredibly grateful to get to live here. Berkeley is sort of a hub that is close an endless range of activities. There are also a lot of good restaurants, some (although limited) nightlife, and it’s generally just a beautiful city with so many interesting people to meet.*

Too many to choose from.

The Best Thing About Berkeley?

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 definitely 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 definitely 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.

One local's note about housing prices here: *It seems like if you want to live on your own in Berkeley (and not with a ton of roommates), or raise a family, you need to have a lot of money to do so (or the sheer will to take on a lot of challenges). I Still live with my mom (we rent) because I could never afford to live on my own in the Bay Area.*

The Price of Gold(en Bears)

The Worst Thing About Berkeley? 

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: https://www.visitberkeley.com/events/

Lifestyle of Berkeley

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!

 Re: Best Thing(s) About Berkeley

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**The Best Thing About Berkeley?** Too many things too choose from

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 and 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 fan 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. 

**The Worst Thing About Berkeley?** The Price of Gold(en Bears)

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 definitely 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 definitely 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. 

**How You Living?** Somewhere Overpriced

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.

**Why You Should Move Here Now?** Re: Best Thing(s) About Berkeley

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!


Not unusually the neighborhood choices for students at UC Berkeley are often driven by undergrad/grad distinctions. Undergrads often choose South Berkeley due to its proximity to south campus and the fact the neighborhood is the center of the restaurant, bar and music scene in the city. North Berkeley is where graduate students live due to the fact it is quieter than South Berkeley and the housing options are more varied. Some graduate students will even live farther out from campus in towns like Albany, Oakland and El Cerrito. Excellent public transportation including the BART train system that drops you off at campus makes this possible. 
- South Berkeley
- North Berkeley


College Students

South Berkeley/North Berkeley

Young Professionals tend to live in overlapping neighborhoods in Berkeley. Downtown Berkeley draws everyone that wants to live near work/school and the bars and restaurants of the city. Southside and Northside pull more students but professionals will also pick it depending on prices. Berkeley is not an inexpensive city and beggars can’t be choosers for affordable housing options if you want to be in the midst of the action. 
- Downtown
- Southside
- Northside


Young Professionals/Students

Downtown

The Berkeley area has a ton of options for families but the Berkeley Hills is for sure the most popular. Beautiful homes, Craftsman and Bungalows generally, line golden streets in the winding hills of the neighborhood. Prices can be exorbitant but the lifestyle is wonderful if you can pull it off. Claremont is another fancy neighborhood in a hilly section of Berkeley. Similar to the Hills it has beautiful homes on stunning windy streets that sit near commercial districts.  
- Berkeley Hills 
- North Berkeley/Thousand Oaks
- Claremont
- Elmwood
- Westbrae
- Oceanview
- South Berkeley



Families

Berkeley Hills

Berkeley

**What is it like to live in Berkeley, CA?**

My husband and I have lived in Berkeley for 20 years, raised kids, owned a house, and have loved being here. At first I thought I wasn’t cool enough or liberal enough, but there are truly all types of people, with enormous economic and social, cultural, and political diversity. The city has about 100K people and there are defined neighborhood sections. Some are more affluent than others, generally the farther east and up into the hills you go, the wealthier people are, but only generally. You can find housing that’s architecturally diverse in all of them. Having UC Berkeley right here provides academic, athletic, and cultural opportunities all the time. Our kids attended both public and private schools, each for different reasons. Their experience growing up in a mini model of the world with equal representation of Latin Americans, Blacks, Asians, and Caucasians, has been tremendously valuable to them. The downside things I would say are an increase in drugs and their availability, crime, and the cost of living.

**What is it like to live in Berkeley, CA?**

Berkeley is a diverse, educated and mostly liberal enclave known for its food and coffee scene, its schoolyard garden programs and its recycling, as well as the epicenter of the "free speech" movement. It is home to the University of California at Berkeley, which hosts approx. 35,000 students, most of which are grad level. It also hosts Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, which employs 4500 or so scientists and administrative staff employed in fundamental scientific research. UCB does not financially support the City of Berkeley, as some believe, and the fees directed from Campus to the City are less than $2M a year, despite the excessive wear the student population places on the City infrastructure. The Campus has its own police force, engineering and sanitation depts. There are many entrepreneurs and companies which have begun here in Berkeley, as a result of students or faculty from UC or those attracted here due to the brain trust. 

Berkeley's City government is a city manager structure, so the mayor has little real political power and there's been little movement in mayoral candidates over the last thirty years. There are five or six distinct neighborhoods in Berkeley and several of these skew towards the retirement centers for retired UCB professors, which keeps property values high in comparison to other more volatile, evolving neighbors, such as Emeryville. This has also served to keep crime relatively low. Most crime occurs in or near the downtown area, where the demographics skew younger and the street scene is bogged down by vagrant sleepers and beggars, the bain of locals, who don't have the stomach to restrict street behaviors to limit sleeping on public streets or aggressive panhandling. There's a fairly good transit system, with everyone being within one mile of a BART train, and only the hills being underserved by the bus system, which keeps cars essential for anyone commuting outside the city. I would venture that the most popular car is a Prius and the most popular luxury car is a Tesla. Bicycles are also very popular, with many city streets being labeled as Bicycle Boulevards with extra wide bike lanes and direct routes with fewer cars encouraged by use of auto barricades.

Current challenges are focused on development downtown: to high-rise buildings or try and maintain small town character? Another is affordability, with focus on rental units (city is rent-controlled) and the popularization of AirBnB which has removed hundreds if not thousands of apartments off the rental market into the hotelier market, to the consternation of those living here and moving here for employment.

It is expensive to live here, but there are also many unique features which make it attractive. Public libraries among the best, access to the university and other colleges locally, good public schools, world renowned disability advocacy program, good theater and music scenes, good sports programs, community and residential gardens all make Berkeley very livable.

**What is it like to live in Berkeley, CA?**

Expensive - very wealthy population on average, and a very large university, making housing expensive in the downtown area, and the cheaper big chain stores have been banished to Emeryville. Very good ethnic food, everywhere you look, and often reasonably priced. Very very liberal - you will be judged if you are not in the extreme tail of the left wing. Overrun with idealistic undergrads and 20-something hipsters near the university or farther south along/near Telegraph. Southwest Berkeley is cheaper, poorer, more barren in terms of restaurants etc, and more like north Oakland than Berkeley. There's a lot of fun/interesting stuff to do downtown and at the University (open to the public as well.) Lots and lots of bums, constantly bugging you for change, many of which are obviously in need, and many of which are obviously disaffected teenagers living out some romanticized notion.

**Pros/cons of living in Berkeley or Oakland?**

Pros: Culture (aka $8 coffee and beers). JK the East Bay is an awesome place with tons of things to do but I’ll leave that to you to figure out or you can DM me with any specific questions. Cons: Old snobby hills people, NIMBYs, homeless, vandalism, theft (hope you have a discreet car with a trunk), gun violence, drug problems (like you’re guaranteed to see needles almost daily and have encounters with legitimately insane drugged out people), poor public transportation, most public spaces being filthy and crowded, slumlords in the southside, tech bros moving in and acting urban, urban moms in their lulu’s leaving the fourth street soul cycle, hold out hippies in surplus army fatigues sniffing glue with their pit bull making wire jewelry on Telegraph, forever academics at Berkeley who contribute nothing to society, cost of living, etc. The list goes on. They call it Bezerkeley for a reason. Don’t get me wrong. I like Berkeley, but it’s definitely not this bastion of liberal freedom that some people make it out to be.

Berkeley, California