<p>How good is UCB's surrounding environment compared to UCLA Westwood area? I visited UCLA yesterday and it felt really safe. The city itself was very well organized with luxurious apartment towers erecting. Also, how much more expensive is living in Berkeley compared to living in LA?</p>
<p>I'll give you my biased opinion.</p>
<p>Westwood is not a college town. It's a gentrified extension of West L.A. It's not student friendly. West LA traffic tramples through Westwood.</p>
<p>Berkeley is a college town. The city is more student-friendly...walking around is easier...more student-focused cafes, restaurants, shops surrounding the campus. Berkeley is grittier - more bums. It does not have the West LA glamour, but is much more intellectual, IMO. </p>
<p>Going up to Berkeley for the first time from growing up in a Socal suburb and walking down Telegraph is quite a shocking experience. But, I loved Cal's quirky environment. I loved the easy access to public transportation and the different vibe from Socal. It provided the perfect retreat I was looking for and I grew to love it. </p>
<p>The environment to me felt safe.</p>
<p>Please explore the Berkeley campus...especially the eastern, western and northern parts...it is very beautiful. The southern part, with Telegraph Ave. is more gritty.</p>
<p>Only a visit can tell you if you'll like the place.</p>
<p>*corona7w, *</p>
<p>Westwood Village is a great college town. :) Click below to read more info:</p>
<p>UCLA</a> Bruins - Traditions</p>
<p>If you are concerned about the crime level in the "grittier" neighborhood of Berkeley, the Berkeley Police Department has a website where you can make custom maps to show various crimes committed (i.e. robberies, burglaries, car thefts, etc) within a chosen radius of campus, going back as far as 180 days. The entrance to the University is at the cross streets of University Ave. and Oxford St.</p>
<p>Berkeley is perfectly safe. You'll probably have some homeless people ask you for money, though. This might make some people feel unsafe. That does not mean, however, that there is any actual safety issue.</p>
<p>If you are from SoCal, UCB surrounding environment is a bit of a shock but it is safe. I've been there many times especially the Telegraph avenue. UCLA is in a nice area but it could fool you and you maybe thinking you are safe(not careful). Last year, TV reports 2 assaults on UCLA campus.</p>
<p>UCLA Band Mom, thanks for posting the Berkeley Community Incident Map. I entered the cross streets of Bancroft and Telegraph, assuming I'd get the most reported crimes in that area. I certainly got a lot (!), but since the vast majority were either "loud noise" or "theft", I'm not too concerned. Noise is to be expected in such a bustling area, as is theft (unfortunately) in an area frequented by college kids out spending money and street dwellers. I was actually comforted by the relative lack of violent crime.</p>
<p>My daughter sent in her SIR to Berkeley last night after visiting Berkeley over the weekend. I couldn't agree more with UCBChemEGrad; if you are considering attending, you must visit. Berkeley is not for everyone. That said, my daughter (and I) loved the excitement of Sproul Plaza with its tables representing myriad organizations/causes, its colorful flyer-covered bulletin boards, its protesters and its speakers. We found Telegraph Ave. to be inviting and exciting with its street vendors (a la NYC, some with an activist bent), college age-appropriate shops (okay, maybe the head shops aren't exactly anything-appropriate!), and ethnic restaurants. (You could eat at a different restaurant a day and not have to go back to the same one for a couple months! And a meal plus tip for $10 per person is easy--less in groups.) If you didn't want the hustle and bustle of Telegraph, a more typical "Main Street, USA" atmosphere can be found one street west of the campus' western border street, which is also where the BART station is. We took BART to San Francisco Friday night--15 minutes to Powell Street plus a two minute walk to Union Square for $6.80 roundtrip.</p>