<p>@mikei, I know what you mean, bay area air is so much better than the air down in LA!!!, I especially love the air up here when it is late at night or early in the morning, it’s the greatest thing ever</p>
<p>Neither. Can’t wait to turn down one/both of those schools for UCSD !</p>
<p>As a math major…BERKELEY ALL THE WAY!!! And all you people complaining about the climate…please…sun all day every day can get REALLY boring…trust me, I live in Hawaii. Part of the appeal of Berkeley is the COOLER weather and identifiable winter, not to mention the outstanding academics. Besides, people in the bay are are just…cool. Like there’s the vibe about them…LA can’t even compete. People there are just weird…</p>
<p>@arcadefire - Me, too. I used to live in Westwood and visit UCLA all the time. I just love the atmosphere there… But I’m a bit biased because I’ve never been to Berkeley. Don’t wanna regret it. Roadtripppp</p>
<p>@nicolles: If you really want cool weather and seasons, you probably should’ve applied to SFSU across the bay in SF proper. East Bay gets a hell of a lot of sun.</p>
<p>@nicolles,</p>
<p>Oh yes, I’m with you. People in the bay are just… real. They are themselves and they accept others for being themselves. No need to pretend your someone else in the bay. There’s just more culture and love.</p>
<p>Even tho UCLA is my first choice, I’ll definitely visit if Cal accepts. I’ve heard so many good things, and if it’s anything like Monterey/Santa Cruz, I’m going to have a tough time deciding. If I go to LA, I will probably have to live in the valley, and I don’t know if that traffic is worth it to me… Thinking about getting a motorcycle.</p>
<p>Driving a motorcycle in LA = asking for your death bed.
(Do they get free parking? Hahah)</p>
<p>Lol I wonder if they do! Bikes do, and I’ve been researching that, too. </p>
<p>And not a motorcycle motorcycle… like an Aprilia Mojito or something (that one is my fave so far)… I’m a scooter girl, and I wouldn’t be taking it on the freeway (even though you can). I prefer the Sepulveda Pass, even in my car. If I actually get a place along the pass/sunset area, then I’m definitely buying a scooter. My only worry is that a strong person could just pick it up and throw it in the back of their truck. That would make me sad.</p>
<p>Here’s the one I want: [2006</a> Aprilia Mojito 150 specifications and pictures](<a href=“Motorcycle catalog with 40 000 motorcycles”>2006 Aprilia Mojito 150 specifications and pictures)</p>
<p>I’m going to get a Kawasaki Ninja 250r when I go away to college haha. Its cheap, awesome gas mileage, and I won’t ever have to travel very far away anyways.</p>
<p>I remember I was so close to buying a scooter (Vespa GTS!) because we had free and accessible motorcycle parking at SMC. Parking there is hell on earth, by the way. But… I actually don’t know what changed my mind. If there’s free motoparking at UCLA (and if I live driving distance) I might actually reconsider.</p>
<p>I agree with nicolles and mikei. I’ve lived in the bay area my whole life. I’ve also gone to socal many times over the years. I really feel that here in the bay, people are as they appear. There’s no need to represent something you’re not. That’s not to say that all people in socal are fake, but I feel a genuine sense of understanding with people here. We just “get” each other. Air up here is as clean as can be, the weather is great (leaning to the cooler side), the food is some of the best in the world…yes the world! etc.</p>
<p>I want to always live in the bay. I don’t think you can beat this place anywhere.</p>
<p>But I’m a libertarian… I hear they tar and feather my types up there.</p>
<p>kernIslanders,</p>
<p>I’m going to speak for leftist northern Californians (which I shouldn’t really do)… Those of us who embrace cultural differences see libertarian politic as being harmful as it does not proactively, institutionally, and affirmatively defend minority rights and equality. Because of this, we (as in those of us who embrace the leftist cultural diversity ideal) disagree with your politic. However, we will not dislike you for it and we’ll be more than grateful to be your friend. And get this, unlike in So Cal (where I currently live and have lived for the past two years), we don’t need to avoid talking about politics. In the bay we don’t avoid discussing things that we disagree about… That’s part of each of our identity that that’s something we would not try to show a blind eye to. Of course, you will probably face debate but if you’re “torn up” during a fair and calm debate, perhaps you want to reconsider your politic. 
And no matter what, with politics, you’ll face debate. There are so many degrees of politics that nobody will agree with everything one says. A friend of mine from HS was a very proud libertarian and he went to Cal. He loves it. Oh yeah, and being a libertarian is VERY different than being a conservative. And EVERYONE in the bay knows that.</p>
<p>If someone out there is a conservative, however, and you actively work AGAINST celebrating cultural diversity, then do yourself and us a favor and don’t move to the bay. Your hate will dirty up our love. :D</p>
<p>^^ I hella agree with mikei :). An extremely well described viewpoint of a northern California leftist…such as myself.</p>
<p>Great, more people who don’t know when to abstain with politics. Awesome, people who feel the need to blurt out random political views as if they are either 1. An ultimate truth or 2. The right thing to do…As if we aren’t smothered enough with politics in newspapers, books, television…etc. I knew it was politically active, but the way you describe it is more along the lines of a be active or die approach. I really hope to avoid all that tom foolery when I get up to the Bay area. It’s not that I don’t have opinions, it’s that I don’t have time to listen to your opinions. It’s that I don’t care about opinions because they are all a sort of myth making mechanism, especially concerning politics. Why take a side? Why not take all sides? When I am approached by a political fiend, I’ll simply change sides every couple of minutes, go back and forth between them until they get annoyed that I’m not coloring inside the lines, that I’m not playing nice according to their rules. It’s the easiest way to get rid of those junkies.</p>
<p>Berkeley!!</p>
<p>Yeah, lintij, if you’re someone who hates to talk politics I would NOT recommend Berkeley for you. You will hate it. The same goes for UCLA. I don’t know about the other UC’s, though.</p>
<p>And, by the way, the political discussions in newspapers, books and television are some of the most intellect-free and shallow conversations you could possibly have. It’s just a part of the culture of the top-tier colleges… I mean, the people they attract just like to think about these things… Like, deeply… And a lot…</p>
<p>And it’s not that we don’t know how to “abstain” from politics… UCLA and UCB are known for their politically active student bodies. In fact, go to Stanford, Harvard, or even MIT and you’ll see the same thing. We don’t feel that we “don’t have time to listen to your opinions” because we know that when you shelter yourself, you stay ignorant.</p>
<p>I highly do not recommend Berkeley to you. Even at UCLA it will be very hard to avoid talking about politics. I can almost guarantee you won’t be happy so long as you feel the way you do.</p>
<p>And by “junkies”, you must mean “intellects.” Which further proves you shouldn’t go to Cal or LA.</p>
<p>Open up, man. Open yourself to other opinions. Stop trying to protect your ignorance.</p>
<p>No one wants to protect a minority until they’re in one… haha!</p>
<p>Thanks Mikei- us libertarians will still be your friend too! </p>
<p>But back on thread, I think you’re right- both campuses are extremely active politically, and we’re all bound to find acceptance and resistance no matter where we go. As long as there is intelligent discussion and collaboration, I don’t see anything wrong with that.</p>
<p>My mom told me that she didn’t want me to go to Berkeley because Christians are persecuted up there. Since I didn’t have the heart to remind her that I am no longer a Christian (she’s sort of in denial I guess? I told her!), I simply told her that I believe that Berkeley students’ beliefs are so diverse that they will literally accept ANYONE. I sure hope I was right :). Ok maybe they might get mad at conservatives from time to time, so thank goodness I’m not one!</p>
<p>@ emilsinclair - this thing about “getting” each other up in norcal sounds interesting. As a lifetime Socaller, I’m very curious :)</p>