West Berkeley, Berkeley, California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
West Berkeley is generally the area of Berkeley, California which lies west of San Pablo Avenue, abutting San Francisco Bay. It includes the area which was once the unincorporated town of Ocean View, as well as the filled-in areas along the shoreline west of I-80 (the Eastshore Freeway) including, mainly, the Berkeley Marina.
Ocean View developed starting in the 1850s. Ocean View was included in the incorporation of Berkeley in 1878 and thereafter was known as West Berkeley. Ocean View was also, briefly (1908-9) the name of what is now Albany, California, just north of Berkeley. Ocean View was primarily an industrial, working class community. The name derives from the fact that the Pacific Ocean is visible through the Golden Gate across San Francisco Bay from the site.
The main east-west thoroughfare in Ocean View was Delaware Street. In later years, it was eclipsed by University Avenue. The main north-south thoroughfare was San Pablo Road, today's San Pablo Avenue. One of the earliest buildings in Berkeley was an inn and stagecoach stop called "Bowen's Inn" located at what is now the northwest corner of San Pablo Avenue and Delaware Street. At the foot of Delaware Street, a wharf was built, "Jacob's Landing". Lumber, soap, hay and many other goods were transhipped from here. Ferry service was established between the wharf and San Francisco in 1874. The Central Pacific constructed its new main line, part of the transcontinental overland route, along the shoreline in 1876. A passenger and freight depot was built at Delaware Street.
The earliest school in what is now Berkeley was the Ocean View School located on the southeast corner of Virginia Street and San Pablo Avenue, established in 1856. The creek that flowed adjacent to the school was dubbed "Schoolhouse Creek". The school was subsequently renamed The San Pablo Avenue School, and again later as the Franklin Elementary School. Nothing of the original Ocean View School building remains. In June of 2002, Franklin was closed and a year later, transformed into the new site of the Berkeley Adult School which opened on September 7, 2004.
The first mayor (technically, the President of the Board of Trustees) of the newly incorporated Town of Berkeley was elected from Ocean View, Abel Whitton of the Workingman's Party. He served from 1878 to 1881.
Just east of I-80 between Ashby and University Avenues is Aquatic Park created in the 1930's by the WPA. Its centerpiece is an artificial mile-long lagoon.
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| Neighborhoods | Berkeley Hills · Berkeley Marina · Claremont · Cragmont · Downtown Berkeley · La Loma Park · Lorin District · Northside · Ocean View · South Berkeley · West Berkeley · Westbrae |
| Education | Berkeley City College · Berkeley High School · Berkeley Unified School District · Graduate Theological Union · University of California, Berkeley |
| Trunk roads and Highways | Interstate 80 · Interstate 580 · Piedmont Avenue · San Pablo Avenue (SR 123) · Solano Avenue · Telegraph Avenue |
| Public Transportation | AC Transit · Ashby BART · Berkeley Amtrak Station · Berkeley BART · North Berkeley BART |
