Area around Berkeley...really that bad?

<p>Do they have theatres that show foreign films and play movies that most big chains don't play?</p>

<p>^ Yes. There are groups that sponsor those.</p>

<p>eiffelguy,
Pacific Film Archive is at Bancroft & Bowditch, southside. One of these days (hopefully before you arrive, if you do) The Elmwood will re-open (about 5 min. away by bus, 15-20 min. on foot from campus). And although there is no Cine Arts near campus, the Albany Twin on Solano Ave. recently played Merchant of Venice when the only other movie theater group carrying it was the Cine Arts. Solano Ave. is northwest of campus & a great place to hang out -- Peet's, affordable restaurants, 2 movie houses, 2 huge used bookstores (major discounts!), pizza places, etc.</p>

<p>You can also get on public transit & go to The Clay in S.F. Yes, I know, it's in Pacific Heights, but the theater is small & it plays foreign films. Similarly, the other colleges in the area, such as S.F. State, often run foreign films on their campuses.</p>

<p>Hope that helps. You could have major fun in Berkeley.</p>

<p>Epiphany: Thanks so much. One of the reasons I like UCLA was the abundant films in Westwood and Santa Monica.</p>

<p>But with your post, it shows that I can leave LA to catch some good foreign films.</p>

<p>I've lived around Berkeley all my life, and I just wanted to add my comments on the city around Cal. I've been accepted, and will probably be going to school here in the fall. =)</p>

<p>It is definately not an average city, and a lot of people have different views of it. In my opinion, the atmosphere is sort of refreshing compared to an upperclass college environment. I would agree that it is a "charming urban" place. Berkeley isn't all "made up", but I would not say it is run-down at all. To me, it also is sort of a mixed bag... there are parts that are absoluteley gorgeous, and then there are more urban areas. </p>

<p>There is lots to do around Berkeley, and the bay area is a great location. There is good transportation also. (BART and buses are affordable)</p>

<p>I visited UCLA and the suburbs around it, and in comparison to Berkeley, it felt sort of sleepy. I'm not sure if this is because I'm used to it.. =) but, IMHO Berkeley is more lively and vibrant. UCLA is a beautiful campus, but I found Berkeley to have more of an air of excitement. </p>

<p>As far as the homeless people around, they really are harmless. They may seem a little crazy, but in my opinion, even they are interesting people. They won't bother you. There students in the city everywhere, so I don't really see a need to deem it completely unsafe. Just be careful about being alone at night, as you should in any location. Use common sense, and you're fine. =)</p>

<p>Berkeley is far from being a suburban bubble and is certainly not for everybody. It evokes a range of different reactions..But I think past everything, Berkeley proves to be an interesting place, with definately a lot of character.</p>

<p>Cool. People talk about UCLA's surroundings being so much better, but I've driven down there, and that's exactly what everyone else was doing. Driving. They both have their pros and cons. I'll check out both places again next week and decide. I've always liked the big city feel, but I've always hated LA for the traffic and smog. And I've always liked walking through vibrant cities with a lot going on, but I don't know if I'd get tired of that or not.</p>

<p>Lol... when I came back north from LA, I was like.. "wow, the air feels so much fresher!" But it might have to do with the weather... its pretty warm in LA, and hot = bad air quality. =/</p>

<p>Oakland side of College--Zachary's Pizza! My favorite! trendy shops, bakeries, art galleries, clothing stores, etc. etc. Love it. Bought H's birthday cake at Grace Baking the other day.</p>

<p>Area around Berkeley? It's fine. Heck there are homeless people all over the Bay Area, not just in Berkeley. They're part of the charm. Harmless for the most part. </p>

<p>Impossible parking. Be careful about Berkeley, they love to give parking tickets, tickets for jay walking, tickets if your registration sticker isn't on your car, etc. Telegraph Ave--lots of street vendors, Cody's Books, dirty street, kind of grungy, home of "People's Park"--but not dangerous.</p>

<p>I got kind of tired of Berkeley for awhile, but I find myself getting over there more and more lately.</p>

<p>I'm living on Clark Kerr, which is southeast side. If you live by Unit 1/2/3, which I walk by often you live near Telegraph. This is also near People's Park which is homeless area. If you run into bums its here. I don't find it a problem. I walk by People's Park even at 11 PM. I don't care. I haven't gotten scared YET.</p>

<p>If you live on Northside, what the hell, you live by no one. It's quiet. </p>

<p>I'm living down on west side next year at Shattuck. This is Berkeley downtown, right next to the BART station. This is convenient if you take BART to go to SF or for me to go home in the south bay. Ummm, the theaters are ok here, but I prefer going down to the south bay (mercado 20) to watch my movies unless I know ppl who are willing to bus down to emeryville.</p>

<p>i always thought of berkeley as scary or whatever before i came here. i thought westwood was kickass. it still is pretty kickass, but i think telegraph kicks more ass.</p>

<p>SF is easily reachable. $3.60 i think to Powell St. which is where Cheesecake Factory, Union Square is. If you know SF a little more, you can hop on Muni and get to Chinatown, GG Bridge, etc.</p>

<p>Overall, the environment is pretty cool.</p>

<p>

<a href="http://a.abclocal.go.com/images/wabc/2005/wabc_040505_sex2.jpg%5B/img%5D"&gt;http://a.abclocal.go.com/images/wabc/2005/wabc_040505_sex2.jpg

</a></p>

<p>Police say Michael Lohman, a 28-year-old Princeton grad student admitted to them that he would fill small, plastic bottles with his own urine or semen and then spray it on unsuspecting women or pour the bodily fluids into their beverages when they weren't looking. </p>

<p>Police say Lohman told them he targeted only Asian females.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Fifty incidents reported on Princeton University campus. </p>

<p>Princeton Borough police charged a Princeton University graduate student Wednesday in connection with more than 50 incidents of harassment targeting Asian women on the Princeton University campus.
Michael J. Lohman, 28, of Butler Avenue was charged with two counts of recklessly endangering another person, two counts of tampering with a food product, one count of harassment and one count of theft. Butler Avenue is part of the Princeton University's Butler Apartments complex off South Harrison Street, and police identified Mr. Lohman as a graduate student. He is associated with the applied and computational mathematics department.
Investigators linked a report from an Asian woman who said an unidentified man cut a lock of her hair March 11 while she was riding a shuttle on Washington Road to reports of a white man seen pouring an unknown substance into women's drinks, according to police.
Mr. Lohman is believed to have placed his own bodily fluids into drinks being consumed by Asian women at various locations on the Princeton University campus, police said. Most of the incidents occurred in the Graduate College dining hall.
He also may have squirted body fluids on Asian women riding the university shuttle on many occasions, police said.
Mr. Lohman also stole clothing from Asian women on campus, according to police. Women's underwear and numerous mittens were recovered during a search of his apartment, police said.
Police said he was transported to the Capital Health Systems at Fuld for evaluation, and he still is in police custody.
The borough police department is requesting that individuals who suspect they might have been a victim contact Detective Sgt. Nicholas Sutter at (609) 921-8108.

[/quote]
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<p><a href="http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14283623&BRD=1091&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;PAG=461&dept_id=425695&rfi=6%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14283623&BRD=1091&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;PAG=461&dept_id=425695&rfi=6&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>My advice. If you are Asian and you want to be safe and study hard, stick to Harvard, Berkeley, UCLA, Stanford, Yale, and Cal Tech.</p>

<p>Okay, why is it that whenever West Side posts, I can't see them? They're not listed on here, despite the last post being here has the SN on the main page?</p>

<p>I've noticed that too eiffelguy87...I thought I was the only one, lol. It's kinda hard to check subscribed threads for new stuff on the CP...</p>

<p>Yeah actually I am kinda afraid of the area around Berkeley too. I'm going to be there for the whole summer doing research at the Lawrence Livermore Labs and I hope I don't get mugged and stabbed or something.</p>

<p>just make sure you make some nice friends who will walk with you rooster, safety in numbers ;)</p>

<p>I've never gotten anywhere close to mugged even though I walk back sometimes alone. My friend got mugged once but he Kung Fued the hobo into the ground and got his wallet back. Oh man... that was pretty owned there.</p>

<p>do hobos have guns or knives? im assuming they r too poor to buy guns, but u never know...</p>

<p>Anyone could carry a gun or knife these days, including street people.</p>

<p>There was a news byte on the KNTV NBC-11 website about an girl in 3rd grade who was allegedly stabbed in the back by another 3rd grade girl on her way home from school. This happened in Kansas City, not Berkeley.
<a href="http://www.nbc11.com/news/4351562/detail.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nbc11.com/news/4351562/detail.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Someone can encounter dangerous people anywhere in the Bay Area.</p>

<p>yea thats just crazy. funny (or unfunny) thing is "Investigators said they know who the alleged attacker is, but they haven't located her yet." wow it must be hard to track down a 9-yr-old girl huh.</p>