Located in Northern California in the United States, Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay.  To the south, the cities of Emeryville and Oakland neighbor Berkeley, and the city of Albany and the unincorporated area of Kensington border to the north.  The county line that borders Contra Costa County is also the city limits on the eastern side, and follows the Berkeley Hills ridge line.  Berkeley has a population of 112,580 as of the 2010 census, and is found in the county of Alameda.
The city of Berkeley is well known for being the home to the University of California, Berkeley, which is the oldest University in the entire California college system.  Berkeley is also home to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the Graduate Theological Union.  The city is often referred to as one of the most politically liberal areas in the country, with one study claiming it is the third most liberal city in all of the United States.
Berkeley was named for George Berkeley, who was an English philosopher theologian.  The University of California here is quite prominent and easily recognized by elaborate buildings and more than thirty thousand students.  The energy exhibited by these students can be seen in several key areas, including Telegraph Avenue, where street peddlers can be found selling rainbow bracelets against a backdrop of pizza places, vegetarian restaurants, and music stores.  Just the name “Berkeley” brings to mind images of rebellion and left wing political views.
As previously mentioned, Telegraph Avenue is a major hangout in the city and students enjoy the unique setting, establishments, and bookstores.  Students who are a bit older tend to gather in “Northside”, a short distance panama real estate for sale from the homes located on the woodsy city hillside.  Here they can enjoy a plethora of treats from a variety of restaurants, bakeries, and delis located on Shattuck Avenue.  Just to the north of this area is Tilden Regional Park which has a beautiful rose garden and terrific trails.  The Berkeley Marina is located along the bay and sailboats and windsurfing gear can be rented for fun on the water.  You can also pack a picnic and watch the scenery pass by the Golden Gate Bridge.
While Berkeley has a history that dates back centuries, it was not until the post World War II years that the city saw moderate growth.  It was during this time that the University of California campus began hosting events that would eventually lead up to the renowned activism activities that took place during the sixties.
Because of these events, Berkeley became identified with many of the political movements, civic issues, and social changes that the 1960s were well known for.  During this time, Berkeley, and the Telegraph Avenue in particular became a major hub for the “hippie” movement, which came across the bay from San Francisco.
By the time the sixties ended, and the 1970s dawned, the city of Berkeley noted a decrease in population number, mostly due to people leaving to take up residence in the suburbs.  The main reasons for this move had to do with a higher cost of living taking hold in the bay area, as well as a decline and evaporation of several industries in the area of West Berkeley.
Starting in the 1980s, and continuing today, Berkeley has seen housing costs on the rise.  This was especially true during the mid to late 1990s.  From 2005 through 2007, home sales began to slow, however, the average price of a home in the city as of the year 2010 remain amongst some of the highest prices in the country.
While for the most part, the days of large public protests ended in Berkeley in 1974 with the end of the Vietnam War, the 2000s saw a bit of a resurgence in protest movements.  In 2006, a protest of constructing a new sports center annex to Memorial Stadium took root, and became known as the Berkeley Oak Grove Protest.  This movement took shape because a grove of oak trees on the University of California campus were in danger.  After a long drawn out court battle, the protest ended in September of 2008.
In 2007 and 2008, Berkeley gained media attention when demonstrations against a Marine Corps recruiting office located in the city took shape, followed by a series of motions by the Berkeley City Council related to opposition of Marine recruiting practices.
The fall of 2011 lead to further movements that continued on the tradition of Berkeley being a hub for protests.  This time the nationwide Occupy Wall Street movement made its way to the city, and the campus of the University of California became home to a number of protestors as well as Civic Center Park, what was turned into an encampment for demonstrators.