Considering buying real estate in Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto? Since the 60’s this eclectic neighborhood has been home to culinary innovators such as Chez Panisse, the first Peet’s Coffee and the Cheeseboard Collective. In addition to being the birthplace of California Cuisine, the Gourmet Ghetto has been home to Allen Ginsberg along with other iconic writers, musicians and artists.   

Gourmet Ghetto Location

The Gourmet Ghetto is in North Berkeley, with its famous culinary treasures focused primarily along Shattuck and Vine. Within a 10-minute walk, you’ll reach the downtown Berkeley BART which also serves as a hub for numerous bus lines that run through Berkeley and downtown Oakland.

In addition to an express commuter bus to San Francisco, this Berkeley neighborhood offers a high concentration of City CarShare pods.

The Neighborhood Feel of the Gourmet Ghetto

The Gourmet Ghetto has a distinctly European ambiance like walking in Europe. Amid the quaint residential neighborhood you’ll discover a treasure of outdoor cafes, flower stalls, bakeries and upscale boutiques. Residents and visitors alike flock to the Gourmet Ghetto for its unique artisanal and cultural offerings. In addition to contemporary California cuisine, the streets are awash with specialty wines and coffees. You’ll be hard pressed to find any area in Berkeley with more artists per square foot. From jewelers to chocolatiers, acupuncturists to galleries, the Gourmet Ghetto remains at the forefront of creativity in all its forms, edible or no.

Home Prices in the Gourmet Ghetto

Only blocks from UC Berkeley, the Gourmet Ghetto is home to UC professors and students alike, the Gourmet Ghetto has a rich and colorful variety of architecture. You’ll find everything from classic Victorians with rose gardens, to traditionally designed Craftsmans and bungalows with yards for family enjoyment. Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto has been included on neighborhood walking tours conducted by the Berkeley Architecture Heritage Association. Home prices in the Gourmet Ghetto range from the $800’s to $1.5 million.

School offerings include the Berkeley Arts Magnet Elementary School, Oxford Elementary School, and Jefferson Elementary. Just a bit west of the Gourmet Ghetto is Martin Luther King Middle School where students learn to tend a one-acre Chez Panisse Edible Schoolyard organic garden as part of their curriculum.

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