Alameda is a small city that is composed of a main island, and a peninsula (called Bay Farm Island) connected to the island with a bridge, and roads near the Oakland Airport. There are actually two other islands that make up Alameda, one is tiny, and the other is a Coast Guard base.  The main island is connected to Oakland by bridges and one tunnel under the Oakland Estuary.  There is also ferryboat service between Alameda and San Francisco.  It is also a highly desirable place to live, in that the crime rate is low, it is extremely charming, with its small town “feel”.  The shopping keeps getting better with the improvements on Park and Webster Streets.  The population is approximately 75,000 people.  There is a wonderful and huge once-a-month antique flea market located on the old Navy Base that closed in the 1990’s.  This is a city that took down all of its billboards, and has approximately twenty parks.  The parks and recreation department offers lots of sports activities for children.  The schools vary.  They have been ranking from middling to the 90^th percentile.  Alameda is reported to have more Victorian homes than San Francisco.  The main island is mostly older homes, and some condos.  Bay Farm Island is mostly newer homes built in the later part of the twentieth century, as well as town homes.  It has a great marina, and lovely little beach along San Francisco Bay.  It’s a great city for bicycling.