The good and the bad...
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7/23/2006
I have lived in the bay area for 8 years.
Oakland is diverse and somewhat extreme... you have wealthy people (generally white) who live in the east bay hills, within walking and biking distance to a very large and beautiful parks system. Then you have poor people who live in the flats. The poor are generally mexican, black, asian, and artists. I keep wondering if there is a middle class in Oakland at all or just rich and poor.
Some of the neighborhoods in the flats are reasonably safe, with good sense of community. Some are very dangerous and have a pretty well deserved rap for violent crime. Cost of living is high no matter what neighborhood you live in. So are housing costs. In the worst areas, a small starter home that needs some work will run you around $300,000.
On the other hand, a lot of people move to Oakland from San Francisco because it is more affordable here.
There is a vibrant and strong African-American culture in Oakland. Oakland is historically blue-collar. It is a major port city. It has great community colleges. There are also a lot of families in Oakland, and in general it is a much more down-to-earth place than neighboring Berkeley.
Downtown is a bit run-down, but there is a pretty lake (Lake Merritt) with a path for jogging and biking.
The weather is sunnier in Oakland than anywhere else in the bay area, and there is a lot of good hiking and nature activities surrounding.....just be sure to allow an extra hour or more to get anywhere on the weekends or rush hour (6-9:30am and 3:30-7:00pm). Traffic can be quite bad on the freeways, and Bart (rapid transit trains) is not that extensive but is expensive and sadly, smelly(fabric seats from the '70's).
Winter weather can be depressing- over the last few years we have gotten on average the same amount of rain (this year more than) as Seattle. There is less fog than in San Francisco, but summers can still be cold or cool and with a few weeks exception, you will likely need to keep a sweater or light jacket with you at all times. Warm summer weather typically hits in the fall (Sept/Oct).
San Francisco, probably the most expensive city in the US is right across the bay. Very beautiful, with all of the culture you could ask for. Music, arts, sports, business, shopping, tourism, it is a world-class city.
Overall Oakland has a lot going for it, but housing is too expensive and hard to get.
chandra | Oakland, CA