Let's take a look at the recent history of the City of Berkeley California, located on the shores of San Francisco Bay.
The 1970s saw a decline in the population of Berkeley, partly due to an exodus to the suburbs. Some moved because of the rising cost of living throughout the Bay Area, and others because of the decline and disappearance of many industries in West Berkeley. Many factories went shuttered or moved away to better locations. Much of the West Berkeley business district was created in the war years of the forties. Much like the City of Richmond to the north.
The period from the 1980s right up to the present has been marked by a continuation of rising costs, particularly with respect to housing, especially since the mid-1990s. In 2005-2007, sales of homes began slowing, but average home prices were, and as of 2008 remain, among the highest in the nation. Of course many of those homes in the hills have spectacular bay views which keep their value high. However they are also located very near to the Hayward earthquake fault too. This makes many nervous about living there long term. Did you know that the fault runs right down the middle of the Cal football stadium? You can actually see where it has shifted the walls at one end of the stadium.
Although many think of the 1960s as the heyday of liberalism in Berkeley, it remains one of the most overwhelmingly Democratic cities in the United States. Today it has one of the most progressive city governments in the nation as many who were involved in political action in the 60's settled down and became active in local politics.
The era of large public protest waned considerably with the end of the Vietnam War in 1974. One person who rose in prominence during the late sixties and into the seventies was Ron Dellums, nephew of C.L. Dellums, an African American labor leader. He first served on the City Council, and later became a federal representative for the district which includes Berkeley. He was elected as Mayor of Oakland in 2006, where unfortunately he progressive past has not served him well in a new city with huge urban problems.
Also in 2006, a tree sit-in began, protesting the construction of a new sports center annex to Memorial Stadium at the expense of a grove of oak trees on the UC campus. The protest ended in September 2008 after many months of negotiations with the tree sitters. The trees came down and the university intends to go forward with its construction of the sports complex.
In 2007-08, demonstrations against a Marine Corps recruiting office in downtown were ongoing, receiving special media attention after the City Council proposed to draft an anti-recruiting letter to the Marines. This action drew much national media attention and caused the city to eventually back down.
One thing is for sure, Berkeley will always remain unique on the American landscape. But one thing you should know is that despite its colorful past, Berkeley remains a serene and lovely place to live. It stretches from the lovely shores of SF Bay to the open park land of Tilden Park in the eastern hills above UCB.
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