Oakland.  There's never been a song about it. It's often the brunt of jokes, verbal trashing or fear.  But Money magazine has rated Oakland as the 15th most livable urban area in the U.S.A.  Many other surveys have rated Oakland as a top American city. It's city that is often overlooked, but offers much charm, beauty, cultural and artistic benefits often unknown and even hidden to the outsider.  Oakland is a city that has been having an economic and cultural resurgence.   As a native of Oakland, I feel delighted and privileged to live here. There is so much to enjoy.
                        Oakland is known to have the best over-all weather nationwide.  We have more artists nationwide than any other city outside of New York City.  We have one of the most diverse and rich assortments of people from every culture in the World. We are known to be the most integrated city in the U.S., with no true ethnic majority.  We have gotten so use to our rich multicultural environment that we may often take it for granted until we travel to other parts of the World.  Being located between the shores of San Francisco Bay and the Coastal Mountains gives us a diversity of terrains to enjoy.  We can spend a Sunday morning shopping at the wonderful farmers' market at Jack London Square waterfront, then make a picnic, and take an afternoon hike in the hills of the East Bay Regional Parklands. 
                        The history of Oakland can be discovered in the History Room at the main branch of the Oakland Public Library.  The Ohlone and Yokut tribes of Native Americans found this area to have such a mild climate, rich in flora and fauna that they made it their home for thousands of years.  After colonization by various European groups, Oakland started being settled by Americans during the mid-nineteenth century at the time of the Gold Rush.  It served as a summer resort area for San Franciscans, and we still can see some of the remains of this with the little cottage-like homes in the Oakland foothill areas such as Millsmont, upper Laurel and even Montclair.  The developers loved Oakland for its dramatic convergence of hillsides, creeks and trees.  A number of our neighborhoods started as little picturesque clusters in park-like settings, and much of this variety and ambiance remains. 
                        Oakland has many points of interest.  Lake Merritt, in the center of the city gives Oakland the status of being the only city in the World with natural salt water "lake" within its borders.  We can take rowing or sailing lessons out on the lake, or even enjoy a gondola ride.  Many of us walk or jog the lake regularly.  Fairyland, a magical place for young children is said to have been the inspiration for Disneyland.  The Lakeside Horticultural Gardens calls Lake Merritt home.  Surrounding the Lake are Many attractions from the Nationally renowned Oakland Museum, the Calvin Simmons Little Theatre, Laney Community College, Oakland Chinatown (one of the largest Chinese and Asian neighborhoods outside of Asia) featuring many small shops and restaurants from many countries throughout Asia, and the $80 million Pacific Renaissance Plaza (a huge retail center with 200 condominiums and parking for 590 vehicles), the Camron-Stanford house, the Alameda County Building, the Main library, the beautiful Grand Lake Theatre, The Morcom Amphitheatre of Roses, numerous Farmers' Markets and many beautiful and popular residential neighborhoods. 

One neighborhood undergoing tremendous changes has been Downtown Oakland.   The Alice Arts Center, which houses The Oakland Ensemble Theatre, the Oakland Ballet, Malonga Casque-Lord Dance Center, and Dimensions Dance Theatre, along with the Paramount Theatre are glorious state-of-the-art renovations of fabulous Art Deco buildings in nearby downtown.   Downtown also features the twin tower Federal Building and a City Center Plaza offering shops, restaurants, free lunch concerts on a regular basis, a state-of-the-art sports-exercise club, parking, BART.    There have been, and continues to be new condominium developments in downtown Oakland.  They have all been very successful.  People want to live downtown. More and more new restaurants are opening as well. There is a strong move to renovate the wonderful Fox Theatre, which would bring more nighttime traffic to its section of downtown.  Jack London Square, houses Jack London's Yukon cabin, moved down from Alaska, Barnes and Noble bookstore, Yoshi's (the best jazz club in the Bay Area), the Ebony Museum, a large yacht harbor, farmers' market, and ferry boat service to San Francisco, along with quality shops and restaurants, and many condo lofts.   

Spreading out from Jack London Square, along the Oakland Estuary can be found our Embarcadero which features another yacht harbor, more restaurants, businesses and even a small executive inn and convention center.   Oakland has a lovely Aquatic Park, which houses dance and musical events from time to time.  The Port of Oakland is considered one of the largest and most important ports on the entire West Coast, handling 95 percent of the tonnage coming through the Golden Gate.  The Oakland Coliseum is home to the Oakland Athletics (better known as the Oakland A's), and the Golden State Warriors.  Many top rated performers and shows also perform at our Coliseum.  We can't forget our Oakland International Airport.  It is very convenient and easy to use.

                        On the other side of town, in the hills, we have the Dunsmuir House and Gardens, fabulous and lush Colonial Revival mansion built in the 1890's with 40 acres of landscaping and outer buildings. It is not only offers an unique Christmas time fantasy, not to be missed, but throughout the year it is open to the public for special events such as a Blues and Jazz festival or a Mother’s Day festival.  It can also be rented for private events.  The Oakland Zoo, located in Knowland State Arboretum and Park went from being one of the worst in the Country to being one of the best.  The Nationally acclaimed Cabot Science Center and Observatory is located in the Joaquin Miller Park area, off Skyline Blvd.  It offers a wealth of scientific information and inspiration available for our entire community.  The Oakland hills features regional parks with hiking and horseback riding trails.  Roberts Park offers a public swimming pool with barbecue and picnic sites.  Joaquin Miller Park houses the Westminster Amphitheatre featuring concerts and plays.

Oakland has many wonderful residential and shopping neighborhoods.  Among them are the Oakland Rose Garden Neighborhood, Crocker Highlands, Glenview, Laurel, Redwood Heights, Rockridge, Piedmont Avenue, Montclair, Oakmore, Temescal, North Oakland, Maxwell Park, Mills Mont, Leona Heights, Sequoia Hills, Grass Valley, Creston, Ridge Mont, Brooklyn, New Chinatown, Fruitvale, San Antonio.  Many exciting developments are occurring in West Oakland, with big plans for the old Oakland Army base at hand.  The Claremont Hills, which while having a Berkeley address are actually located in Oakland, with Oakland services.  Oakland has numerous colleges.  There are two community colleges: Merritt and Laney Colleges.  There are three private colleges:  Mills College, California College of Arts and Crafts and Holy Names College.  The University of California, Berkeley, has many of its offices in Oakland, and is very convenient for Oakland residents.   In short, Oakland is an amazingly livable city that offers much that can only be obtained here in Oakland.