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Oakland, California
Population: 415,492
Located in Alameda County
Part of the San Francisco Bay Area, Oakland has seen a resurgence in its economy and population over the past decade, as well as residential and commercial developments. The city's charming neighborhoods attract new residents and visitors, who are attracted to the lower home prices and near-perfect weather, not found in neighboring San Francisco and San Jose. With citizens who speak over 125 different languages, Oakland is known as one of America's most diverse cities, and the shops, restaurants and neighborhoods to reflect that.
Oakland's landscape is a picturesque mix of hillside neighborhoods, diverse architecture, two shimmering lakes, 19 miles of shoreline along the San Francisco Bay, unparalleled Bay views, and a number of parks and open space. Attractions include Jack London Square, the Oakland Museum of California, Chinatown and Lake Merritt.
Housing
Like most major cities, Oakland is divided into 4 neighborhood districts: downtown Oakland, East Oakland, North Oakland, and West Oakland. Stretching from southeast Lake Merritt to San Leandro, and encompassing more than half of the city, is the East Oakland district. You'll find North Oakland to include the areas between downtown, Berkeley and Emeryville and West Oakland to include the area between downtown and the Bay, partially surrounded by the Oakland Point encompassing the Port of Oakland.
Oakland's distinct, village-like neighborhoods, play host to a heady mix of cultures and peoples. You'll find tree-lined streets, dotted with renovated craftsman bungalows. Hilly districts with styles ranging from Mediterranean to English Tudor, with a few glaring examples of high modern. Other parts of the city feature luxury high-rises, ranging in style from Gothic to Post-Modern, stand as sentinels around the lakeshore.
Located east of downtown, Lake Merritt, some ten minutes walking distance from downtown, is a salt-lake body of water that connects to the estuary. Walkers and joggers round the lake's 3.5 mile shore daily, and Oaklanders in their canoes, small sail boats, kayaks, and all manner of skiffs and rowboats ply the waters; the park offers boat rentals, from rowboats to small sailing sloops, as well as romantic gondola excursions.
In 1998, former mayor, Jerry Brown, initiated the "10k Plan," to bring an additional 10,000 residents to downtown Oakland, resulting in several redevelopment projects near Lake Merritt, Jack London Square, and other neighborhoods just outside of downtown. Like San Francisco, the demand for high-rise condos and towers has surged in the past 5 years, with many proposals in the works.
Economy
In the last decade, Oakland has ranked among the top cities for business in Forbes and other publications. As part of the ninth largest regional economy in the US, Oakland has a strong and diverse business environment, allowing the city to remain stable during economic downturns.
Oakland's leading industry sectors include business services, health care services, transportation, food processing, light manufacturing, government, arts, culture, and entertainment. Major firms include: Clorox, Kaiser Permanente, Cost Plus, Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, APL Limited, and Rainin Instruments, among others.
Education
The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), serves all of Oakland; the city's three largest high schools are Oakland High School, Oakland Technical High School, and Skyline High School. Residents will also find a number of charter schools, such as The Oakland Military Academy, Oakland School for the Arts, Unity High School, and Oakland Charter Academy.
There are several renowned private schools in the areas including: The College Preparatory School, Head-Royce School, and the Julia Morgan School, housed on the campus of Mills College. The Catholic Bishop O'Dowd High School, Holy Names High School and St. Elizabeth High School are a few of the Catholic schools in Oakland.
The are also a number of colleges and universities in Oakland, The University of California, Berkeley campus is located partially within the Oakland city limits. Other schools include: Laney College, Merritt College, Pacific Oaks College, California College of the Arts, Mills College, Samuel Merritt College, and Holy Names University. Located downtown is Cal State East Bay's Oakland Professional Development and Conference Center.
Art & Culture
Oakland is probably America's most diverse city and undervalued cultural center. The art scene is alive and celebrated on every level here, from acclaimed symphony and ballet to museums, galleries, and small arts organizations. Oakland is home to one of the largest visual and performing arts communities on the West Coast. Recent months have seen the growth of the "Oakland Art Murmur" event, occurring in the Uptown neighborhood the first Friday evening of every month, which features concurrent art openings from many galleries. Oakland is also one of the breeding grounds of "West Coast hip-hop," as well as a fairly well-known rock and R&B scene.
The Old Oakland district includes many of the finest examples of Victorian commercial architecture on the West Coast. Oakland's population boomed after the 1906, and the Broadway Historic District showcases a range of architectural treasures constructed between 1900-1949. Bold new buildings now shine in the city's modern skyline, the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building has been lauded for its use of space and sense of place. The Temescal neighborhood is home to some of the finest examples of craftsman architecture, and is one of the few areas where one of Oakland's many creeks is still visible above-ground.
On the southern shore of Lake Merritt stands the Oakland Museum, the finest regional museum in the Bay Area and perhaps the country. The strikingly beautiful exterior consists of a flowing stair-step structure of gardens and trees, evoking a high modern take on the hanging gardens of Babylon; from the grounds, one has
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