If you want to stay in Berkeley or just close to San Francisco then choose Erika as your host! Before I started studying at UC Berkeley, I chose to stay in an airbnb the first couple of days to explore the surroundings (San Francisco, Berkeley and UC Berkeley) and to find a permanent apartment. I truly could not have chosen a better place to stay. Not only is the location amazing (3 min to Ashby Bart, close to grocery stores, restaurants, ect.), I also felt welcomed with open arms. I will miss Erika and our conversations about politics, arts and history. She definitely made my arrival at Berkeley much more pleasant.