Berkeley

University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, city, Alameda county, west-central California, U.S. Located on the northeastern shore of San Francisco Bay, Berkeley is directly east of the Golden Gate and adjacent to Oakland (south).

Originally part of the Rancho San Antonio that was granted to the Peralta family in 1820, it was settled as Ocean View in 1853 and selected as a campus site by the College of California (founded 1855 in Oakland). The college merged with the Agricultural, Mining, and Mechanical Arts College to create the University of California in 1868, and the campus (named for the philosopher George Berkeley) was opened in 1873. The city’s population surged after many people fled San Francisco following the devastating 1906 earthquake. Bridging the bay in the 1930s facilitated commuting and contributed to the city’s growth. During the 1960s and ’70s the hippie culture flourished in the city, and it continues to influence daily life in Berkeley. Chef Alice Waters made the city a centre of what is now known as the “Slow Food” movement, with her emphasis on fresh, organic, and locally grown foods.

Berkeley remains primarily an educational and residential community. Various divinity schools, including the Pacific School of Religion (1866), are located there. Several outstanding museums are on the University of California campus, including the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, the Essig Museum of Entomology, and the University and Jepson herbaria. Other noteworthy museums are the Judah L. Magnes Museum, highlighting Jewish art and history, and the Habitot Children’s Museum. The city’s many arts festivals draw large crowds. Berkeley Aquatic Park faces the bay, and fishing is popular at Berkeley Marina. Charles Lee Tilden Regional Park, which features a botanical garden, is adjacent to the city. Inc. 1878. Pop. (2010) 112,580; (2020) 124,321.