And then there are the hills. Berkeley climbs from the Marina, with its kite fields and Golden Gate views, up through the flats to the Berkeley Hills and Tilden Regional Park — Lake Anza, the botanic garden, a vintage steam train, and the sunset view from Indian Rock. The terraced Berkeley Rose Garden, a WPA amphitheater from 1937, looks straight at the Bay. The Hayward Fault runs right under the city, a reminder that all this sits on living ground. Even the curb cut for wheelchairs was pioneered on these streets, in 1972.
Our Berkeley logo carries California's grizzly bear above ‘California Republic — Est. 1850,’ the shared retro emblem of our California towns; the bear is the state's own icon, from the old Bear Flag Republic, and 1850 marks the year California joined the Union. Rendered in black-and-white, it ties Berkeley to every other California town we make. What makes this one Berkeley is the city behind the bear — the Little Castle, the cafes of the Gourmet Ghetto, and the hills above the Bay.
Why People Visit Berkeley
Berkeley balances learning with the outdoors. Visitors mix landmark architecture and famous kitchens with regional parks, rose terraces, and waterfront breezes. It is curious, green, and welcoming, with year-round appeal in its parks, paths, and public spaces. History and everyday culture sit side by side here in a welcoming way, from the Little Castle to the cafes of the Gourmet Ghetto and the trails of the hills above the Bay.
