Very good advice from my colleagues regarding your question about safety, so not much to add there. But in terms of how to find a location close to shops, restaurants, etc. you may find http://www.walkscore.com/ useful. It will give you a score based on the "walkability" of a place and it will also list the resources you have nearby (libraries, groceries, coffee shops..).
Good luck!
Anna

I lived in South Berkeley for many years. Keep this in mind: Above the University is safer than below - so above Hearst is the best. South Berkeley is safer above ( I mean towards the hills, not the Bay) Telegraph is safer. Live in a residential neighborhood if you can where there are more single family homes than apartments. That is my opinion as a single woman for so many years. all the best.

Safe is a hard word to define because it is different for everyone. What I may think of as safe may not be for you. Even in cities that are deemed the "safest place to live" could have "safety" issues.

That being said, the best thing for you to do is check out the areas yourself, walk the streets during the day and at night, and see how you feel. You can get a feel for the different neighborhoods by going here http://kristashouse.com/berkeley/ and then at the bottom is a link to the Berkeley crime stats website. As Eric mentioned, this is a valuable resource. Call them, tell them you are a single female attending Cal- what areas should you avoid?

As for areas that have access to stores, restaurants and parks? The areas near Shattuck, University, College, Telegraph and Bancroft will have lots of restaurants and shopping. Telegraph and Bancroft will have lots of street vendors and restaurants catering to college students. For groceries there is a new Trader Joes that will be opening on MLK @ University and there is a Trader Joes down College in the Rockridge District. Target is in Albany but unless there is a bus taking you there (I would be suprised if there wasn't) then you would need a car/bike/good pair of running shoes to get there- but it isn't far at all.

The north side of campus is more upscale residential, and a lot of faculty members live there. South of campus, closer to Ashby is also residential. Immediately southeast of campus is fraternity row. I believe the areas near College/Dwight/Channing have the majority of the apartments.

Hope this helps a bit!

Here's the link to the City of Berkeley's Police Department site that provides information on crime statistics
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/police/crimestats/crimeinformat… that show crimes that have been reported in the city within a few days of their occurrence.

Many folks will tell you that you should always think safety first regardless of where you live, and that you should never take it for granted that you're safe anywhere.

As women, we should ever be vigilant in protecting ourselves and there are so many articles and websites that provide good info on how to do this.

Here's one you should check out: http://women4hope.wordpress.com/2007/02/08/tips-on-how-women…

Just keep in mind that everything has a price. If you are constrained by your budget that won't allow you to live in parts of Berkeley that you consider safe, then you may want to expand your search to other adjoining cities that may meet most of your requirements. If you have to commute to have peace of mind, then perhaps that's an option you should explore. I'll be happy to give you some recommendations if you wish.

Take care, and good luck!

Pacita

Cal is the most urban of all the UC campuses. That has both its pluses and minuses. I reccomend going to the City of Berkeley's web site to view crime statistics.
They publish maps on the site with all the most recent incidents pinpointed.
/the 2 areas that are the most quiet are on the Northside of campus, and in the Elmwood area on the southside.

Good Luck, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions about finding the right place for you.

There are pockets of Berkeley that are very nice for students to live in. It all depends on how much you can afford as well. If you like, I can sent you some property listings and you can see what's out there while you weigh your options. Good luck in school..wish you all the best.

Kamal Randhawa
Broker
510-932-1066