Northbrae, Berkeley, California

Northbrae is a neighborhood in Berkeley, California built as part of the early 20th century northern expansion of Berkeley. The name broadly refers to the communities north of Berryman Street, south of Solano Avenue, east of Spruce and west of Albany. It's bordered by the two commercial districts on Solano Avenue and Hopkins Street, as well as hilly terrain made up of volcanic rock, rhyolite, and 136 stairways carved into the landscape. The Northbrae development area is visibly distinct for its pink sidewalks and many stone pillars topped with concrete globes denoting street names. The central hub of Northbrae is the Fountain at the Circle, a water fountain designed by the head architect of the University of California surrounded by terra cotta roundabout and stairwell. Northbrae made it into the American Planning Association's list of Great Places in America in 2011.