Thousand Oaks, Berkeley, California facts for kids

Thousand Oaks is a neighborhood found in Berkeley, a city in Alameda County, California. It sits at the bottom of the Berkeley Hills, about 239 feet (73 meters) above sea level.

Welcome to Thousand Oaks

Thousand Oaks is mostly a place where people live. You'll find many single-family homes here. These houses were built a long time ago, in the early 1900s. Some homes might even have small extra living spaces called in-law apartments. There are also a few apartment buildings in the area.

Shops and Fun

The main place to go shopping in Thousand Oaks is Solano Avenue. This street runs along the southern edge of the neighborhood. You can also find smaller groups of shops on the northern side. These are located in Kensington on Arlington Avenue and on Colusa Avenue.

A Look at Its Past

Thousand Oaks has an interesting history, especially how it became part of Berkeley.

How Thousand Oaks Got Its Start

When the nearby city of Albany officially became a city in 1908, its borders were drawn carefully. They left out the area that would become Thousand Oaks. At that time, this area was home to a refugee camp. This camp formed after the big 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The people living there were working to build the neighborhoods around them. City leaders thought these residents might vote against Albany becoming a separate city.

Plans and Growth

The Thousand Oaks area was first divided into smaller plots of land for building homes in 1909 and again in 1917. Before this, there was a plan to move the state capital to Berkeley. If that had happened, the Thousand Oaks area would have become a huge public park near the new capitol building!

Originally, Thousand Oaks was an unincorporated area. This means it wasn't officially part of any city. It grew as a commuter suburb. People lived here and traveled to work in bigger cities. It was also the end point for three interurban rail lines, which were like early electric trains connecting cities.

Nature's Touch

The neighborhood includes a rocky hill called the Thousand Oaks Knoll. This is an extension of the Berkeley Hills. You can also see several large rock formations on the eastern side of the neighborhood. Some of these rocks have been turned into public parks, while others are part of private yards.