For many of us, our time at UC Berkeley is ending or over, and we can get nostalgic as we think back on our time here. The Bay Area is so uniquely special that it can feel like there’s no place like it; however, if we take off our Berkeley goggles, we might realize that’s not quite true.
Here are some other incredible cities with Berkeley-esque vibes to place on your list when you miss these halls.
Laguna Beach, California
Known for its rich artistic community, Laguna Beach is a lovely place to visit and an expensive place to live. Hidden between Los Angeles and San Diego, Laguna Beach promises lots of crafts events, festivals and fairs like the street fairs on Sundays in Berkeley — with the added bonus of beautiful beaches.
Hoboken, New Jersey
New Jersey gets a bad reputation — mostly from New Yorkers — but Hoboken is a wonderful place to stay. It also offers a relatively quick commute into the city by subway — not unlike our commute to San Francisco. Hoboken is also the birthplace of baseball and is home to Carlo’s Bakery of the show “Cake Boss,” which could rival the goodies you find here in the Bay.
Portland, Oregon
Aside from being named America’s “coolest city” to visit, Portland also promises a political climate similar to that of the Bay Area “bubble,” but with fresher air and more greenery. Why not visit one of the most hipster towns — once you’re done with your startup, anyway.
Edinburgh, Scotland
If you want to get out of the country, I couldn’t recommend Edinburgh enough. Edinburgh is one of the most popular places for university students in the United Kingdom and is a wonderful balance of medieval history and modernity, with vegan restaurants, film festivals and a vibrant political atmosphere. It even boasts being the place where J.K. Rowling was inspired to write Harry Potter. (There’s a graveyard with Tom Riddle’s name on it, really.)
Mount Shasta, California
If you don’t want to leave California, why not go to Mount Shasta? It’s the top hippie city in the United States and has been named the best city for “stressed-out progressives.” With plenty of spiritual retreats and nature to get away from it all, Mount Shasta may be the city you’re looking for.
All in all, Berkeley will always hold a place in our hearts, but finding hidden gems around the states and across the globe can help us take a bit of that Berkeley with us.
