Berkeley
Berkeley climbs the East Bay hills above San Francisco Bay, crowned by the 307-foot Campanile whose carillon rings out three times a day — ride the elevator up for Golden Gate views. This is where the Free Speech Movement began on Sproul Plaza, where students stream through Sather Gate, and where 'Go Bears' means the Big Game against Stanford. Blue and gold, sea fog, and famously mild weather.
What to wear in Berkeley, month by month
This corner of the country breaks every generic packing list. It is not about surviving cold — it is about staying dry through a long gray winter and a famously short, beautiful summer.
| Move-in (Aug) | 56–72°F | Warm, dry, sunny days — the Bay fog burns off by midday and evenings turn cool. No A/C needed. |
| Sept–Oct | 55–74°F | Often the warmest, clearest stretch of the year — Berkeley's real summer arrives in fall. |
| Nov–Dec | 45–61°F | Cooling down as the rainy season starts — grey, damp, and green, but rarely cold. |
| Jan–Feb | 44–58°F | The coolest, wettest weeks — almost never freezing, but you'll want a rain shell. |
| Mar–May | 47–66°F | A green, blooming spring — morning fog, warming afternoons, and the hills at their brightest. |
What Berkeley lets you bring
- A fan — the halls have no A/C, and Berkeley's warm, dry late-summer afternoons are the ones you'll want it
- A coffee maker or electric kettle — auto-shutoff models are fine, unlike toasters and hot plates
- Twin XL bedding (confirm your specific hall)
- UL/ETL power strip with a built-in circuit breaker — not a bare extension cord
- Damage-free wall hangings like Command strips — no nails or screws
- Low-draw LED desk and task lamps
- A fan, a reusable water bottle, and UL-listed electronics
- Open-coil / open-flame cooking: toasters, toaster ovens, air fryers, hot plates, electric grills, sandwich makers
- Candles, incense, wax warmers, and anything with an open flame
- Halogen lamps
- Extension cords without a breaker; outlet splitters and multi-plug adapters
- Space heaters and personal A/C units (unless your school provides/approves them)
- Hoverboards, e-scooters, e-bikes, and other e-mobility devices
- Weapons of any kind — including decorative — and fireworks
- Your own fridge or microwave — every room already has a MicroChill fridge-microwave combo, and personal ones aren't allowed
- Candles and incense — no open flame of any kind
- Halogen lamps and plug-in string lights (battery-powered ones are fine)
- Hot plates, toasters, and air fryers — no open-coil or high-heat cooking appliances
- Space heaters and window A/C units
These come from Berkeley's official housing pages and cover the essentials plus the genuinely local rules. Double-check the current official guidance before you buy — policies and renovations change every year.
Getting your room at Berkeley
- 01After you're admitted
Accept the housing contract
Berkeley guarantees on-campus housing to entering first-years who apply by the deadline — you accept the contract and rank your Unit and room-type preferences through the housing portal.
- 02Late spring–summer
Preferences & roommate matching
You set building and lifestyle preferences and can browse potential roommates in the portal; assignments run on preferences and timing, so applying early helps.
- 03Mid-summer
Assignment posts
Your building, room, roommate, and room-specific mailing address arrive over the summer through the portal.
- 04Mid-August
Move in by timeslot
New students move in over two days in mid-August (roughly Aug 19–20), each assigned a date and timeslot by building — wait for yours before booking travel. Welcome Week rolls straight into the fall semester.
Where you'll live at Berkeley
The Units
Berkeley houses first-years in high-rise 'Units' clustered just south of campus — each Unit is a set of towers named for the halls inside — plus a few standout complexes uphill and to the southeast. You rank a building and room type; most first-years land in a Unit.
High-rises around a central courtyard one block south of campus — traditional doubles and triples plus a few two-bedroom mini-suites.
The Haste Street towers a few blocks down — close to Telegraph's restaurants and the fraternity blocks.
High-rises one block from campus and steps from Telegraph Avenue — the most central Unit.
Suite-style halls up the north side by the engineering and science buildings — hillside views and a beloved dining hall.
A red-tile-roofed complex five blocks southeast with courtyards and lawns — quieter and prettier, but a bit of a walk.
A modern, secure complex on Dana Street with premium-style rooms and an interior courtyard — first-year priority.
The Berkeley move-in checklist
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Bedding6
Bath5
Laundry4
Storage & organization6
Desk & study4
Electronics6
Cleaning5
Kitchen — within the rules5
Health & meds4
Clothing — see the seasonal guide7
Move-in day go-bag5
Berkeley logistics, sorted
How to send a package to a Berkeley student
[Hall + Room #]
[Unit street address]
Berkeley, CA 94720
The Campanile
Go Bears, and the Axe
Berkeley & around
Telegraph Avenue
The legendary strip off Sproul's south gate — street vendors, Amoeba Music, Moe's Books, cheap eats, and decades of counterculture, steps from Unit 3.
Downtown Berkeley
Shattuck Avenue's restaurants and the 'Gourmet Ghetto' (Chez Panisse country) a few blocks west, anchored by the Downtown Berkeley BART station.
San Francisco
BART runs from Downtown Berkeley under the Bay into San Francisco in about half an hour — no car, no bridge traffic.
Tilden Park & the Berkeley Hills
Redwood and eucalyptus trails, a botanical garden, and Bay-and-Golden-Gate overlooks rise right behind campus — the East Bay's backyard wilderness.
Where to stay near Berkeley
Graduate by Hilton Berkeley
Durant AveThe collegiate boutique hotel (long known as the Hotel Durant) one block south of campus — walkable to the Units and Telegraph.
Berkeley City Club
Durant AveJulia Morgan's 1930 'Little Castle' — a historic boutique hotel a few blocks from campus, with a spectacular indoor pool.
DoubleTree by Hilton Berkeley Marina
Berkeley MarinaFull-service waterfront hotel out on the marina with Bay views — the pick if you want parking and a car.
Berkeley gear & gifts
Berkeley — links & contacts
- Berkeley Housing: Visit page