Le Conte (Hillegass Area)

The area just west of Telegraph to Shattuck, south of Dwight and North of Ashby is the residential area known as the Hillegass Area. It is known as a student neighborhood. It is not as nice as Elmwood but the slightly lower campus access and the plentiful housing make this a favorite spot for those associated with Cal.

The homes in the area are largely made up of Craftsman Style homes, boxy 70’s style apartment building, and the kind of Craftsman homes associated with Berkeley. Because of the high turnover, the area has a kind of look out for yourself urban feel. Students can tell their neighbors are students but unless they know them from school or share an apartment with them, they are unlikely intermingle because of the location where they live. The neighborhood does not have central meeting places within its grounds, for the most part. Rents in the area are slightly milder than closer to campus with studios and one bedrooms falling below $1K.

There is more a residential feel in the southern half of the neighborhood where Ranch and Prairie style homes surround Le Conte grammer school which receives mixed reviews from the parents.

The main drags are at the edge of the neighborhood and include both Telegraph and Shattuck, each of which are just past the heavily commercial areas they are known for. Within a block of Dwight where you find People’s park, you will find a few stores that would probably be better include just north of Dwight but which have spilled just south into the Hilligass border. There is, for example, an Ethiopian restaurant here, Finfine, and the Buffalo Exchange is just across the street. On Shattuck, you have several more choices including one of Berkeley’s renowned stores, the Berkeley Bowl the epitomy of fresh food. The neighborhood in the south east corner is actually the one that most resembles the Elmwood area and is a coveted area for families to live.