Crime Rate: Safer than 1% of California cities.

Photo via Home Price: $500,500 median purchase price $1,189 median monthly rent Or challenge your friends to a game of pool or life-sized Jenga while you share an order of Burly Special Fries and decide between the 21 domestic and German beers on tap at Tap Haus. Savor craft cocktails like a Thank You Note or Last Word on the Balcony Bar at Tupper & Reed. Introduce your tastebuds to the wonders of Cajun cuisine with Angeline’s Gumbo and Voo Doo Shrimp at Angeline’s Louisiana Kitchen. Grab a loaf of Beer Rye bread, some Buffalo Burrata cheese, a Par-Baked Pizza, and other baked goods and cheeses at The Cheese Board Collective. Gather with friends for a relaxed meal crafted with local and seasonal ingredients at Chez Panisse, the restaurant widely considered to be the birthplace of California cuisine.

Collect your thoughts during a peaceful stroll through the rose bush-lined paths of Berkeley Rose Garden. Immerse yourself in nearly 20,000 pieces of artwork and thousands of international films and videos at Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive. Learn the words to “ Fight for California” so you can sing along when the University of California Golden Bears football team (NCAA) scores during a game at California Memorial Stadium. In addition, it presents residents with more affordable living options than San Francisco while remaining less than 30 minutes from the Golden Gate City. It’s an ideal locale for job seekers the median household income for Berkeley residents is well above the state and national averages. Plus, there are excellent schools like Cragmont Elementary School and Berkeley High School. While Berkeley has plenty of restaurants, cafes, and bars along Shattuck Ave that attract young adults to the area, families and retirees can also find a great home among the city’s tree-lined, suburban streets. This San Francisco suburb is best known for being the home of the University of California, Berkeley, but its charm extends beyond its collegiate atmosphere.

Perfect For: Singles, students, young professionals, families, retirees.

Crime Rate: Safer than 10% of California cities.Photo via Home Price: $795,200 median purchase price $1,434 median monthly rent

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