Like many other cities in California, the city of Berkeley owes its existence to the expeditions of the Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza Bezerra Nieto, notably the one of 1776. Yet it was not until the year 1866 that the city was named for George Bishop Berkeley, who was an Irish philosopher and poet. The city of Berkeley was quick to incorporate the many advantages of modern day living, such as electric lights, telephone service, and even the usage of electric streetcars. Many credit these innovations and the rapid course with which they took the city by storm to the fact that the university and its students were forward-thinking individuals who saw progress as something to be embraced rather than waited out. Similarly, the university is also credited with being the driving force behind the idea of stunting the advances of McCarthyism and other maladies that seemed to spring up in the aftermath of World War II and during the time of the Cold War.
As you can easily discern, it is next to impossible to separate the city of Berkeley from the university that has made a home for itself within its confines. Yet what many who learn about it for the first time do not realize is also the other contributions to California’s fame and fortune this wonderful city has made. Considering the Mediterranean climate the area enjoys, it has become a favored vacation spot for many who do not want to visit San Francisco proper, but would like to remain close enough for the occasional day trips. Because of its high population density, many tenements have grown up that have also given rise to thriving sidewalk cafes and a culture that caters to younger and single people who stroll down the famous Telegraph Avenue in search of a restaurant, café, or simply to take in the local color.
Much like Boulder, Colorado, the city of Berkeley is known for its bicycle friendliness and those who attention the many exhibitions of the Berkeley convention circuit love to rent a bike for a day and just peddle around the neighborhoods. Visitors will enjoy staying at the Claremont Resort & Spa which offers luxurious guest rooms, spa amenities, as well as the use of gorgeous tennis courts. If you find yourself strolling through Berkeley, do not forget to stop by the Cheese Board Collective store on Shattuck Avenue, which is considered by many to be the truest expression of the lifestyle embraced by the city’s residents. Many other sights and sounds will await the visitors to this amazing place which is rich in history, folklore, yet ever changing as new generations of forward thinking students leave their marks on the city and its surrounding areas. Visit soon!