Close to Oakland, the turreted white Claremont hotel stands out among the green Berkeley hills. This quaint and quiet residential side of the college town has mom-and-pop shops, restaurants and cafes for a mellow change of pace. College Avenue connects Elmwood and Rockridge, and looks a movie version of an American Main Street. The clean, pretty street has a mix of restaurants and novelty stores, minus the downtown Berkeley bar hopping scene.