Berkeley is a city in northern Alameda County, California, located on the eastern coast of San Francisco Bay. It is named after the Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley, who lived in the 18th century. It is bounded to the south by the cities of Oakland and Emeryville and to the north by the city of Albany and the unincorporated town of Kensington. Its eastern boundary with Contra Costa County follows the crest of the Berkeley Hills in general. The University of California at Berkeley, one of the state's most attractive college campuses, is an inspirational place to visit. The university was the home of the Free Speech Movement as well as the 1960s renegade hippie subculture. The Neoclassical buildings of the university rise majestically from a forested mountain top overlooking San Francisco Bay.

Berkeley is also well-known for its eccentric Bohemian character. The hectic Sproul Plaza remains a hive of student activity. In addition to being an educational center, Berkeley is also a center for entertainment and gourmet eating. The farm-to-table California Cuisine movement started in the 1970s with the opening of Alice Waters' Chez Panisse, a small neighborhood restaurant that irreversibly changed American dining. Tourists may dine on a fine meal before seeing a world-class show at one of Berkeley's award-winning theaters.