<p>Which apartments are the best in the UC Berkeley area (within 1-4 blocks)? I do not like any of the panoramic buildings except for GAIA, however, I am still trying to decide if I like its location. Lets PRETEND money wasn't an issue, and I was looking for the "better" apts in Berkeley within walking distance. Thanks</p>
<p>Have you tried craigslist? Just select the sf bay area, apt/housing, and then search ‘berkeley’. I found some pretty nice ones close to campus from there. If my housing offer sucks, I am going to pick one of those off-campus apartments.</p>
<p>“Better” in terms of what? How big? How close (or rather, how far is “walking distance”)? What is a must-have, what can you do without (ie, dishwasher, washer/dryer in building)?</p>
<p>Any feedback on Gaia?</p>
<p>I am going to live in Bachenheimer in the fall. And all I can say is that we got a good deal -$2500 for 5 people, excluding bills, utilities and whatnot. But we also checked out Fine Arts Building (bigger, but farther on campus). Hence, we chose Bachenheimer because it’s a bloc away from campus (fyi, most of us are Science majors), so it’s definitely a plus.</p>
<p>Reviews on Gaia aren’t so great on this site [Gaia</a> Building Apartment Ratings, Reviews, Map, Rents, and other Berkeley apartments for rent from ApartmentRatings.com](<a href=“http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/CA-Berkeley-Gaia-Building.html]Gaia”>http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/CA-Berkeley-Gaia-Building.html)</p>
<p>Neighbors living near Gaia and tenants of the building have long complained about the wild parties that occur on the ground floor. Police have responded numerous times to Gaia and the city council officially declared it a “public nuisance” this year.</p>
<p>In January police shut down a rowdy party at Gaia and tried to disperse everyone. As crowds moved downtown, someone fired 8-10 gunshots around the corner from Gaia. A swarm of police responded and Shattuck Ave and the BART station were temporarily closed.</p>
<p>The landlord for Gaia allows these parties to occur and disregards complaints from tenants and merchants from the same building.</p>
<p>There have been numerous stories about Gaia:
[Merchants</a> Unhappy With ?Riots? at Gaia Building . Category: News from The Berkeley Daily Planet - Thursday February 12, 2009](<a href=“Merchants Unhappy With ‘Riots’ at Gaia Building . Category: Press Releases from The Berkeley Daily Planet”>Merchants Unhappy With ‘Riots’ at Gaia Building . Category: Press Releases from The Berkeley Daily Planet)
[Police</a> Shut Down Another Gaia Arts Center Party–Shots Fired in Aftermath. Category: News Updates from The Berkeley Daily Planet - Thursday January 29, 2009](<a href=“Police Shut Down Another Gaia Arts Center Party--Shots Fired in Aftermath. Category: Extra from The Berkeley Daily Planet”>Police Shut Down Another Gaia Arts Center Party--Shots Fired in Aftermath. Category: Extra from The Berkeley Daily Planet)
[City</a> Calls Gaia Arts Center Public Nuisance After Rowdy Frat Party. Category: News Updates from The Berkeley Daily Planet - Thursday November 06, 2008](<a href=“City Calls Gaia Arts Center Public Nuisance After Rowdy Frat Party. Category: Extra from The Berkeley Daily Planet”>City Calls Gaia Arts Center Public Nuisance After Rowdy Frat Party. Category: Extra from The Berkeley Daily Planet)</p>