Northside, Berkeley, California

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Northside is a neighborhood in Berkeley, California; located north of the University of California, Berkeley campus, east of Oxford Street, and south of Cedar Street. There is a small shopping area located at Euclid and Hearst Avenues, at the northern entrance to the university. The Graduate Theological Union is located one block west of Euclid Avenue, in an area nicknamed Holy Hill. The north fork of Strawberry Creek runs southward across Northside.

[edit] History

Northside was first developed in the late 19th century as a subdivision named Daley's Scenic Park. The initial development of the neighborhood was strongly influenced by the Hillside Club, which included prominent members of the Arts and Crafts movement, including Bernard Maybeck, Charles Keeler, and John Galen Howard. Most of the neighborhood was destroyed in, and rebuilt after, the September 17, 1923, Berkeley fire.

The first seminaries began arriving on Holy Hill in the early 1900s. In the 1960s they formed the Graduate Theological Union. The GTU's library opened in the 1980s.

Northside was not affected by the expansion of the University in the mid 20th century to the same degree as the south side of the campus. There have been a small number of buildings built on the north side of Hearst Avenue, however; most notably Etcheverry and Soda Halls (built in 1966 and 1994, respectively), and two large parking structures.

[edit] Landmarks

The Graduate Theological Union and its various member schools, clustered around the intersection of Le Conte Avenue, Scenic Avenue, and Ridge Road.
Etcheverry Hall
Soda Hall
Several student housing cooperatives, most notably Casa Zimbabwe and Cloyne Court Hotel

[edit] External links

Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 37.8751° -122.26018°
- WikiSatellite view at WikiMapia
- Street map from MapQuest or Google Local
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Satellite image from Google Maps or Microsoft Virtual Earth
"A Trip To Berkeley, California" - A glimpse of Northside circa 1900 can be seen in this silent film short at the Library of Congress website. The view is from a streetcar traveling from downtown Berkeley to Northside.