Thanks to installing bike lanes in 1967, Davis is well known as the “Bicycle Capital of America,” Indeed, this is a flat city in the middle of the Sacramento Valley with a quite common grid layout. With the youthful population of about 28,000 undergrads at UC Davis, cycling has become the most popular means for successful experiences.
Many in our community are familiar due to countless Danville residents being either alumni or students. But as a Berkeley grad, it’s easy to denigrate this campus that opened in 1908 as the “University Farm.” There is no denying UC Davis has played a critical role in developing California’s vast, rich agricultural offerings. In the late 1800s, UC soil scientists led the foundational research that showed farmers how to remove salts from the alkali soils in the Central Valley, transforming barren land into one of the world’s most productive farming regions. And there would be no California wine industry if UC researchers had not helped resurrect vineyards after Prohibition nearly destroyed it.
Naturally, its school of horticulture and agricultural sciences are the best in the country. There are decorative gardens throughout and the modern artist Robert Arneson dotted the campus with his “Egghead” sculptures. And like Berkeley, there is a redwood grove and a creek running through central campus.
The central campus does indeed lack the classic 19th century architecture that dominates the Berkeley and Los Angeles campuses. But the UC Davis schools in management, medical, law and the sciences create a community laden with students, professors and researchers from around the world. And they don’t have to travel far to sample some world cultures.
The impressive Robert Mondavi Performance Arts Center brings in major musical, theatrical and cultural events from around the world. The stunning Shrem Manetti Museum has been honored as one of the best museum buildings in the last 100 years. Want to “enhance your understanding of wine, brewing, and food sciences?” There’s the Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science. Off campus, you’ll find a community of wide pathways and greenbelts popular with cyclists, runners and walkers. Downtown is the quaint college-vibe of bookstores, coffee shops, and brew pubs. But when it comes to dining, you can try Burgers and Brew, but there’s also Mustard Seed, a traditional steakhouse resplendent in mid-20th century décor – a gentle throwback. And like all California college towns, there’s always good Mexican food, and Guadalajara Taqueria is first rate. With an hour’s time, you can visit Davis for a stroll around the downtown shops, then take in a musical event and top it off with a
memorable meal. Not bad for an old farm.
By Ted Johnson, Resident since 1991, Photos by by Dan Schultz