South Berkeley Area

Map_Area_South

The wide arterial streets of Adeline, Shattuck, Telegraph and Claremont Avenues reflect the imprint of streetcar and steam train lines built in the early 1900’s to service developing East Bay communities. Trains and streetcars connected Berkeley and areas farther north to the ports, ferry slips and downtown commercial areas of Oakland and San Francisco.

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Panoramic View from the Claremont Hotel (Russell St. is main east-west street),postcard (1915), Sarah Wikander collection.
Panoramic View from the Claremont Hotel (Russell St. is main east-west street),postcard (1915), Sarah Wikander collection.

Commercial buildings constructed along these lines in the Elmwood and Lorin districts remain largely intact, despite many demolitions along Adeline Street during the 1970’s for construction of the underground Bay Area Rapid Transit system.

Webb Block, Ashby Station (Ashby Ave. and Adeline St.), postcard (1905), Anthony Bruce collection.
Webb Block, Ashby Station (Ashby Ave. and Adeline St.), postcard (1905), Anthony Bruce collection.

The additional costs for undergrounding the trains were paid by Berkeley taxpayers through a special assessment.The tree lined streets of South Berkeley’s residential neighborhoods have a mix of modest and substantial family houses in signature styles: brown shingle, neo-Classical, bungalow and High-Peaked Colonial Revival.

More Information:

BAHA, “Historic Buildings in Ashby Station”

South Area Plaques