Westbrae, Berkeley, California
Encyclopedia
Westbrae is a neighborhood in the northern part of Berkeley, California
in the East Bay
section of the San Francisco Bay Area
. Westbrae is "centered" on the intersection of Santa Fe Avenue and Gilman Street, although the main extent is east, south and west of this intersection, with the Albany
city limit only a short distance north. It lies at an elevation of 79 feet (24 m). The neighborhood is mainly residential, with a small commercial section along Gilman from Santa Fe to Tevlin Street. In the past, businesses consisted of liquor and grocery stores but now are small restaurants, a natural food store, bakeries, and a nursery. The elevated tracks of the BART Richmond line cut diagonally across Westbrae, crossing over Gilman in the commercial section. There is a church called the Westbrae Bible Church located nearby on the corner of Hopkins and Ordway about three blocks from the center of the Westbrae neighborhood. The current, most notable business is the acclaimed Bay Area restaurant Lalime's.
Until about 1979, the tracks of the Santa Fe railroad
ran beside where the BART elevated and underground lines are today. Today, the Ohlone Greenway
, a bicycle and pedestrian path, follows the old right-of-way. Paralleling the Santa Fe tracks to the east were the tracks of the Key System
's G-Westbrae line. The "G" terminated at a small station just short of the city limits at Codornices Creek
. The origin of Westbrae is directly connected to the Key System. The Key System was part of a larger enterprise which included real estate, the Realty Syndicate. The name "Westbrae" was given by the Key developers and included tracts north of Codornices Creek in Albany. A street through the heart of this area was, and remains, "Key Route Boulevard". There were future plans to extend the G-Westbrae line northward to serve the development area, but this never happened. The "G" remained a trolley shuttle between the terminal near Gilman and Santa Fe, connecting with the H transbay line at Sacramento Street and University Avenue instead of being extended and transformed into a full-fledged transbay line of its own. AC Transit operates a Transbay express bus line along Key Route designated G, and also an H line to this day; the designations are inherited from the Key System lines.
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
in the East Bay
East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
The East Bay is a commonly used, informal term for the lands on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay, in the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, United States...
section of the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. Westbrae is "centered" on the intersection of Santa Fe Avenue and Gilman Street, although the main extent is east, south and west of this intersection, with the Albany
Albany, California
Albany is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 18,539 at the 2010 census.-History:In 1908, a group of local women protested the dumping of Berkeley garbage in their community...
city limit only a short distance north. It lies at an elevation of 79 feet (24 m). The neighborhood is mainly residential, with a small commercial section along Gilman from Santa Fe to Tevlin Street. In the past, businesses consisted of liquor and grocery stores but now are small restaurants, a natural food store, bakeries, and a nursery. The elevated tracks of the BART Richmond line cut diagonally across Westbrae, crossing over Gilman in the commercial section. There is a church called the Westbrae Bible Church located nearby on the corner of Hopkins and Ordway about three blocks from the center of the Westbrae neighborhood. The current, most notable business is the acclaimed Bay Area restaurant Lalime's.
Until about 1979, the tracks of the Santa Fe railroad
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
ran beside where the BART elevated and underground lines are today. Today, the Ohlone Greenway
Ohlone Greenway
The Ohlone Greenway is a pedestrian and bicycle path in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area.The path is named for the Ohlone Indians who originally lived in the area....
, a bicycle and pedestrian path, follows the old right-of-way. Paralleling the Santa Fe tracks to the east were the tracks of the Key System
Key System
The Key System was a privately owned company which provided mass transit in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Richmond, Albany and El Cerrito in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area from 1903 until 1960, when the system was sold to a newly formed public...
's G-Westbrae line. The "G" terminated at a small station just short of the city limits at Codornices Creek
Codornices Creek
Codornices Creek , long, is one of the principal creeks which runs out of the Berkeley Hills in the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area in California. In its upper stretch, it passes entirely within the city limits of Berkeley, and marks the city limit with the adjacent city of Albany in...
. The origin of Westbrae is directly connected to the Key System. The Key System was part of a larger enterprise which included real estate, the Realty Syndicate. The name "Westbrae" was given by the Key developers and included tracts north of Codornices Creek in Albany. A street through the heart of this area was, and remains, "Key Route Boulevard". There were future plans to extend the G-Westbrae line northward to serve the development area, but this never happened. The "G" remained a trolley shuttle between the terminal near Gilman and Santa Fe, connecting with the H transbay line at Sacramento Street and University Avenue instead of being extended and transformed into a full-fledged transbay line of its own. AC Transit operates a Transbay express bus line along Key Route designated G, and also an H line to this day; the designations are inherited from the Key System lines.