<p>I am a long-time Berkeley resident, went to Cal, and my son is a fairly recent Cal graduate who lived in Clark Kerr. Clark Kerr is not particularly far – about a 10 minute walk down a busy, safe street – along fraternity row and past International House at the tip of campus, where there are a lot of people around in the daytime and at night. It is one of the nicer dormitories – with windows that open, not high rise, larger rooms, real walls (vs. cement block); it is supposedly a friendlier dorm than Foothill, particularly in the non-suite floors. The area adjacent to Clark Kerr is actually a wealthy area with large homes – I am speaking of the streets to the south and up toward the Claremont Hotel and of Elmwood. College Avenue is nearby and filled with nice shops and restaurants (and one of the best ice cream stores in the country – Ici, started by a Chez Panisse patisseure). My son had no bad experiences during the time he lived there. Indeed, for the most part, Berkeley is an affluent town – the hills on the north side of campus are filled with expensive homes, and even the flatlands have become more “yuppified” over time. Take a visit to Fourth Street, to North Shattuck. This may allay some of your concerns. The area that is more problematic is south of Telegraph Avenue, on streets like Dwight and Haste, where there are also several of the dorms. There are indeed some crazy people around – in Sproul Plaza and Peope’s Park and along Telegraph Ave. They are generally harmless. The danger is more from kids driving in from Oakland at night – there have been armed robberies, for example. It is important to be streetwise, especially on Telegraph and below and even in downtown Berkeley at night – better to walk in company with others or take the shuttles.</p>