Berkeley is a city in Alameda County, in the San Francisco-Oakland metro area. Located on the east shore of San Francisco Bay, Berkeley is a center of higher education (the University of California, Berkeley campus), scientific research, computer and biotechnology industries. Berkeley combines cosmopolitan living with the quirky charm of a small college town.
Berkeley has a reputation for being perhaps the most liberal city in the United States. Rooted in the Free Speech Movement of the 1960's, visitors will find an eclectic mix of cultures and viewpoints. Berkeley's free-thinking environment has seen the birth of quality attractions, great food from many cultures, and of course the 30,000-person University of California, Berkeley.
Along the shoreline of San Francisco Bay at the foot of University Avenue is the Berkeley Marina. Nearby is Berkeley's Aquatic Park, featuring an artificial linear lagoon of San Francisco Bay. North of Downtown is the North Berkeley neighborhood, which has been nicknamed the "Gourmet Ghetto" because of the concentration of well-known restaurants and other food-related businesses. Further north are Northbrae, a master-planned subdivision from the
early 20th Century, and Thousand Oaks. Above these last three neighborhoods, in the northeastern part of Berkeley, is the Berkeley Hills. The neighborhoods of the Berkeley Hills such as Cragmont and La Loma Park are notable for their dramatic views, winding streets, and numerous public stairways and paths.
Berkeley has modified its original grid roadway structure through use of diverters and barriers, moving most traffic
out of neighborhoods and onto arterial streets (visitors often find this confusing, because the diverters are not shown on all maps). Berkeley maintains a separate grid of arterial streets for bicycles, called Bicycle Boulevards, with bike lanes and lower amounts of car traffic than the major streets to which they often run parallel. Berkeley has one of the highest rates of bicycle and pedestrian commuting in the nation. Berkeley is the safest city of its size in California for pedestrians and cyclists, considering the number of injuries per pedestrian and cyclist, rather than per capita.
Housing Cost
Berkeley combines cosmopolitan living with the quirky charm of a small college town. Neighborhoods feature an eclectic mix of architectural styles (California bungalow to brown shingle Craftsman to innovative modern wonders).
Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $700,300
Demographics
Estimated population in July 2006: 101,555. Berkeley covers 10.5 square miles. It sits at an elevation of 150 feet above sea level.
Weather
Berkeley, CA climate is mild during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 60's and cool during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 50's.
The warmest month of the year is September with an average maximum temperature of 71.70 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 43.60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperature variations between night and day tend to be fairly limited during summer with a difference that can reach 15 degrees Fahrenheit, and fairly limited during winter with an average difference of 13 degrees Fahrenheit.
The annual average precipitation at Berkeley is 25.40 Inches. Winter months tend to be wetter than summer months. The wettest month of the year is January with an average rainfall of 5.13 Inches.
Information provided by idcide.com and city data.com
