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ADMISSIONS > Welcome > Living in the Bay Area >
Berkeley is a city of contrasts—a small town with big-city character. With its global population, rich diversity of arts and sense of political adventure, what happens in Berkeley reflects and affects the rest of the country. Yet it is an intimate city, full of friendly neighborhoods, coffeehouses, bookstores, parks and open spaces.
Just two blocks from Boalt Hall lies the busy shopping and dining southside neighborhood of Telegraph Avenue. The spirit of the 1960s still remains on Telegraph, with sidewalk vendors selling an eclectic mix of ceramics, clothing and jewelry. Telegraph also boasts numerous new and used music stores, inexpensive coffeehouses and restaurants, and some of the best independent bookstores in the country.
To the north and east lies Tilden Regional Park, with more than 30 miles of hiking and horse trails, swimming areas and a golf course. To the north, not far from the campus, is the Berkeley Rose Garden. And to the west, near the bay, is the bustling Fourth Street shopping district.
It is easy to get around Berkeley on foot, by bicycle or by public transportation. UC Berkeley also maintains a campus shuttle service, with routes that include connections to various bus stops and Berkeley's downtown subway (BART) station.
No description of Berkeley would be complete without mentioning the cuisine. This is the city where California cuisine, a genre of cooking emphasizing fresh ingredients and careful preparation, was born. Berkeley offers an impressive variety of specialty shops that sell fresh baked goods, assorted cheeses, local produce, fine wines, gourmet coffee and more. Within walking distance of the law school are numerous restaurants, many serving ethnic cuisine. The unofficial count of eating establishments in the immediate campus area alone numbers more than 50, not including an assortment of sidewalk vendors.
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