TomBear said:

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It is really too bad the weather appears destined to be nasty. And there isn't anything you can do about the crime and filth, it is what it is.

But I do agree with ConcordTom that a trip up over Grizzly Peak will be impressive. I wouldn't stop there. Check out the little train ride that also provides some impressive views of the East Bay/Marin and then stop at the Merry Go Round. Lake Anza is right across the street, and the drive with its trees and greenery is hard to match.

I would surely focus on the area north of campus and even drive up into the hills to look at the architecture (and even more views).

As far as academic comparisons go, the only way she'll figure that piece out is to talk with students involved with her areas of interest.

And I would be sure to take her by CMS/Bowles Hall. Doesn't get much more stately and beautiful than that.

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Merry Go Round?

I'd rather go to Kips and piss on the floor that used to be a toilet

https://www.travelandleisure.com/berkeley-california-healthiest-city-in-america-8629444

Berkeley is healthiest city in USA… not sure this is good

Just have her scroll through the featured stories to put her mind at ease.

https://www.berkeleyscanner.com/

oskiswifeshusband said:

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When she walks around campus she'll see all the green spaces that exist. There's also that nearby park with the "hidden" waterfall.

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and don't forget to walk by People's Park so she can get a real taste of Cal-Bezerkeley

Oakbear said:

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oskiswifeshusband said:

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When she walks around campus she'll see all the green spaces that exist. There's also that nearby park with the "hidden" waterfall.

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and don't forget to walk by People's Park so she can get a real taste of Cal-Bezerkeley

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People's Park has turned into Shipping Container Park, so there's nothing to see there these days.

socaltownie said:

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Sct Jr. Went to college of chemistry lecture and Said after "dad, this has always been were I belonged"

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Try this on for size!
Enjoy.

https://www.captiongenerator.com/v/2299232/socaltownie-jr-goes-to-cal#google_vignette

Big C said:

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AUOso said:

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Big C said:

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Oski123 said:

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Swing her by: (1) Bowles Hall (Harry Potter vibe); (2) Morrison Reading Room (more Harry Potter vibe); (3) stores on College (shopping vibe); (4) Northside/Rose Garden (sophisticated vibe); (5) Gourmet Ghetto (food vibe).

A few other selling points:

1. Lots of new student housing is in the pipeline. For example, transfer student dorm opens this Fall. Adds more students close to campus; and should make it easier for everyone else to find housing.
2. Easy access to SF
3. If Southside raises safety concerns (though overall numbers of violent crimes per student population are still very low), look at Clark Kerr or Foothill; and/or get an apartment on Northside for year 2.
4. Berkeley crime maps show vast majority of crime is in south/west Berkeley -- Northside is pretty safe.

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Thank you. I don't exactly understand why posters on this thread seem to be talking down Cal. I walk "the gauntlet" down Telegraph Ave. 10+ nights per year to go to basketball games. Tons of students are always out there and none of us seem to feel endangered.

UVA is really nice, I'm sure, but c'mon: Go Bears!

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The problem isn't necessarily walking down Telegraph, plus based on the typical demographic profile on this site I'm guessing you are probably a dude (forgive me if that assumption is incorrect) and possibly less concerned that you might get jumped. Its more about having to be on guard when walking on campus or quieter streets at night by herself if I read her right. Honestly I think this is somewhat fixable and doesn't have to be a thing if UCPD were more present and the University dedicated more resources to the issue. at USC the USC cops intensively patrol 1 mile from campus and they seem laser focused on student safety. I'm guessing that UCPD really doesn't enforce anything outside of the UC campus and UC owned buildings, in any case there is a perception that they aren't terribly present or proactive, otherwise why would there need to be this:

https://www.safebears.org/

I'm not trying to throw UCPD under the bus here but consider from the website above:

• While the UCPD would ideally provide all of Cal's security, the reality is that they are short staffed, and building the department back to full strength after Cal's long running defunding of UCPD will take years. To put this in context, with two new officers joining in October, the UCPD now has 46 sworn officers (with one additional officer in the academy), compared with about 80 officers a decade ago. While nearly every other UC campus has increased police funding after a dip during the pandemic, Berkeley has seen fit to continue the steep cuts to UCPD's budget that began in the '19-'20 fiscal year.

Also,

I'm not going to tear down Charlottesville over a one off rally of jackass racists. Its the south after all (although a purple south) and its going to have a little hair in terms of the neighboring areas, you could say the same about Cal and Richmond/Oakland in terms of being somewhat unsafe, albeit for different reasons. In any case if you remember there were violent right wing protests in Berkeley on April 27th 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Berkeley_protests.

The political based protest violence really isn't a concern as they are extremely infrequent and are very easily avoidable, and in the context of her choice they are nothing more than hyped sensationalist noise, its the everyday nitty gritty that is of primary concern and it makes me a little sad that we might lose brilliant kids because of this issue.

Also, sadly the weather forecast for Cal Day sat is rainy and cold

Accentuating the positive and hoping for the best but knowing she will make a decision based on what her heart speaks to her.

Go Bears and or possibly Wah-hoo-wa.

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What can I say? Daughter and dad have legit concerns. I will have those down the road, too, when my daughter is off to college. Just saying, I feel like we read a lot lately about how places in the Bay Area and California, in general, are crime ridden, but I feel like a lot of that is anecdotal and written by "Calibashers" (just invented that word!) who don't live here. When I am in Berkeley, which is fairly often, I feel like the area is pretty safe (yes, I'm a dude).

Best of luck to your daughter, wherever!

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Such an internal and personal reaction right? The rare times I am in Berkeley, I can't believe the gentrification compared to years long gone by, and right, not overly threatening.
I had a daughter live in NYC for a long period of time, something she always wanted to do; she was comfortable there (at that time). Obviously kids go to NYU, Columbia, Fordham, et. al. and don't just survive, they love it.
An interesting choice to be made for her....but, at the end of the day, there is no wrong choice.

Great list, but you left out the only two that are left in town

PFA
Elmwood

I can't remember the name of the one you are thinking of, that was restored and opened around 1996-2002ish, total indie not part of any cinema chain?

Loved watching films at the UC Theater, and even better if I won free tix off of KALX's film Closeups show. I'm so glad the venue has found new life.

Hopefully ASUC still puts on movies in Wheeler.

BearBoarBlarney said:

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I see a lot of gentrification along Shattuck, with many of the older buildings razed and replaced with 6- to 7-story high density housing. The new downtown housing is fine by me, but I still miss the variety of movie theaters that students used to enjoy in Berkeley. Back in the late-80s/early 90s we had the following:
-California Theater
-UC Theater (this one was a bit of a hike from Southside as it was down on University a-ways)
-Shattuck Cinemas
-United Artists Theaters
-Another theater (maybe Berkeley Theater?) was along Shattuck, maybe between Channing and Haste
-For the fine arts / foreign pic crowd, there was the Act 1 / Act 2 theater

I know it's all streaming these days, but it was fun seeing new releases with a whole bunch of fellow Cal students at the old movie houses.

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IIRC, in the 90s, the UC Theater used to play a Hong Kong film one night a week. They weren't the latest releases in Hong Kong, but were classics of HK cinema. I spent many an enjoyable evening there.

I also took dates to the other movie theaters on Shattuck during my college years. I'm sad to hear those theaters are gone. It's another reminder that I'm a lot older now and not that spry 20 year old my mind keeps thinking I am.

flounder said:

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01Bear said:

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concernedparent said:

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01Bear said:

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Cal was home to the Free Speech Movement, Charlottesville is home to the new breed of neo-nazis and violent white supremacists.

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Neo-nazis and white supremacists marched on Charlottesville because it is one of the few prominently liberal bastions of the south.

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Or maybe because they're comfortable there. When trying to sell Cal to OP's daughter, it might help to remind her that the Tiki torches were carried in Charlottesville, not Cal.

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A Top Dog employee/white nationalist was caught up in the tiki torch riots, as was an SF guy who lived in his mom's basement by the Palace of Fine Arts.

I have spent many months in Charlottesville the past few years due to the Army's legal school being on the grounds. It is quite progressive without being over the top like Berkeley, 100x cleaner and safer, no fentanyl junkies passed out in the parks and on the street, and the community cares about and supports the school/teams. They just won the men's hoops national champ but I guess we have water polo and swimming?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2017/08/15/top-dog-worker-loses-job-after-being-outed-charlottesville-protester/569487001/

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UVA only supports their teams when they're winning-same as Cal.

rkt88edmo said:

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Great list, but you left out the only two that are left in town

PFA
Elmwood

I can't remember the name of the one you are thinking of, that was restored and opened around 1996-2002ish, total indie not part of any cinema chain?

Loved watching films at the UC Theater, and even better if I won free tix off of KALX's film Closeups show. I'm so glad the venue has found new life.

Hopefully ASUC still puts on movies in Wheeler.

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I think you're talking about the Fine Arts Theater on Shattuck, I knew the owners as I was an organizer of an independent film festival. They basically got ripped off by a local real estate kingpin who promised to renovate and reopen the theater as part of a new development, which helped him get his project approved, a promise he reneged on.

Cal is an awesome place, pretty much without peer if you are interested in all the local attractions, the mix of urban attractions in SF, the vintage early 20th century buildings and neighborhoods not designed around the automobile like most other American cities, and the gorgeous natural sites and local food terroir.

This being said, Berkeley does not offer the classic college experience, the campus is a bit impersonal and the city and most of its inhabitants are disconnected with the campus and in another mindspace and it's a bit gritty with a lot of homeless people and a fair amount of crime. It's not Southside Chicago or East Oakland, but it's enough of a issue to be worried if you're a 19yo coed walking back from Moffit or coming back from SF on BART at night.

I would also be concerned about the lack of political diversity on campus for students majoring in social sciences or liberal arts, this is more of a problem today than it was 10, 20 or 30 years ago.