Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE BAY AREA
In local parlance, the bay area breaks down into The City, the East Bay, Mar-
in, the Peninsula, and the South Bay. Although technically Santa Clara and
San Jose - and certainly Santa Cruz and Capitola - do not touch the waters
of the Bay, psychologically they still embody the same liberal, open-minded
ethos that so defines this area. This is probably because the dominant men-
tality of this swatch of Northern California is so definably different from
those of Southern California and the Central Valley. In towns such as Berke-
ley, Mill Valley, and Stanford the emphasis is on progressive thinking; smal-
ler enclaves such as Bolinas are determined to live life in harmony with the
breathtaking nature all around them.
1. BERKELEY
Its days as “Berzerkly,” when student protesters and tear-gas clouds filled the streets
in the 1960s, are only a fading memory now, although Telegraph Avenue still keeps
some of the countercultural traditions alive. A great university, “Cal's” faculty boasts
some dozen Nobel Laureates, while beautiful parks, tree-lined streets, and unique
shops typify this East Bay enclave. Berkeley continues to give more “power to the
people” than any other US city, with a host of public services that puts other com-
munities to shame.
BART Berkeley
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2. OAKLAND
Gertrude Stein's famous dictum about her home town, that “there is no there,” was
challenged by a very proactive mayor,
Jerry Brown
from 1997 to 2007. Oakland's im-
age, notorious for racial unrest and crime in the past, is being cleaned up to present
a more visitor-friendly face, and there has been an influx of creative types who have
moved here to flee the high rents of San Francisco. Oakland's attractions include
huge Lake Merritt, which offers a range of recreational possibilities, a beautiful Mor-
mon temple, and its Museum of California (for further details see
Oakland Museum
BART 12th St
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