Oakland, California Totally Explained

Everything about Oakland California totally explained

In 2007, however, founder Ronn Guidi announced the revival of the Ballet.
A new use for the Kaiser Convention Center was proposed in 2006: a redevelopment designed to nucleate a cultural and educational district with the nearby Oakland Museum of California and Laney College. In July 2006, the Oakland City Council approved a bond measure to expand the city's library system and convert the closed Center into a replacement for the city's aging main library, but Oakland voters defeated the library bond measure in the November 2006 election. Ron Dellums, a former Berkeley city council member and U.S. Representative, was elected mayor in June 2006. The mayoral election race was contentious between Dellums and other candidates, including Oakland city council president Ignacio de la Fuente and councilmember Nancy Nadel. Each candidate had different visions of Oakland's future and different ideas about how to combat crime, encourage appropriate urban development, and foster successful public schools. In what was essentially a three-way race, Dellums barely won the required majority of votes needed to win without a runoff election in November.

Geography

Oakland is located around 37°48' North, 122°15' West (37.8, -122.25), in the longitudinal middle of California, on the east side of San Francisco Bay.
   According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 78.2 sq mi (202.4 km²). 56.1 sq mi (145.2 km²) of it's land and 22.1 sq mi (57.2 km²) of it (28.28 percent) is water.
   Oaklanders most broadly refer to their city's terrain as "the flatlands" and "the hills," which up until recent waves of gentrification have also been a reference to Oakland's deep economic divide, with "the hills" being more affluent communities. About two-thirds of Oakland lies within the flat plain of the San Francisco Bay, with one-third rising into the foothills and hills of the East Bay range.
   One of Oakland's most notable features is Lake Merritt near downtown, the largest urban saltwater lake in the United States. (Lake Merritt is technically an estuary of San Francisco Bay, not a lake.)

Neighborhoods

The city of Oakland stretches from the San Francisco Bay up into the East Bay hills. The character of these neighborhoods continues to change as waves of migrants from within the United States and from other countries relocate here. The changing economy has also lured more workers with information technology and biotechnology skills to Oakland.
   Oakland has more than 50 distinct neighborhoods, many of which are not "official" enough to be named on a map. The common large neighborhood divisions in the city are downtown Oakland, East Oakland, North Oakland, and West Oakland. East Oakland actually encompasses more than half of Oakland's area, stretching from Lake Merritt southeast to San Leandro. North Oakland encompasses the neighborhoods spread between downtown and Berkeley and Emeryville. West Oakland is the area between downtown and the Bay, partially surrounded by the Oakland Point encompassing the Port of Oakland.
   Another broad geographical distinction is between "the hills" and "the flatlands" (or "flats"). The flatlands are the historically working-class neighborhoods located relatively closer to San Francisco Bay, and the hills are the more upper-middle/upper-class neighborhoods along the northeast side of the city which include the Montclair and Claremont Hills neighborhoods. This hills/flats division isn't only a characteristic of the City of Oakland, but extends beyond Oakland's borders into neighboring cities in the East Bay's urban core. Downtown and West Oakland are located entirely in the flatlands, while North and East Oakland incorporate lower hills and flatlands neighborhoods.
   One island of "Non-Oakland" exists in the upscale city of Piedmont, in Oakland's central foothills, which is a separate city, completely surrounded by the city of Oakland.

Downtown and Lake Merritt

East Oakland

Fruitvale

Dimond District

Laurel Lower Hills District

Crocker Highlands

Glenview

Lakeshore

Lincoln Highlands

Redwood Heights

Trestle Glen

Grand Lake

Upper Dimond Central East Oakland

Havenscourt

Lockwood Gardens

Maxwell Park

Melrose

Millsmont

Oakmore

Ridgemont

Seminary San Antonio

Lynn

Tuxedo

Reservoir Hill

Cleveland Heights

Bella Vista

Highland Park

Highland Terrace

Meadow Brook

Ivy Hill

Clinton

Rancho San Antonio

Oak Tree

Merritt

East Peralta/Eastlake

Jingletown Elmhurst

Brookfield Village

Eastmont

Sobrante Park

Oak Knoll

Oakland Hills

Northeast Hills

Claremont

Montclair

Piedmont Pines

Panoramic Hill

Hiller Highlands

Glen Highlands

Merriwood

Mountain View Cemetery

Forestland

Shepherd Canyon

Upper Rockridge

Montclair Business District

Oakmore

Lake Temescal

Joaquin Miller Park Southeast Hills

Crestmont

Sequoyah Heights

Sheffield

Skyline-Hillcrest Estates

Caballo Hills

Leona Heights

Chabot Park

Woodminster

Climate

Oakland's climate is typified by the temperate and seasonally arid Mediterranean climate. More specifically, it has features found in both nearby coastal cities such as San Francisco and inland cities such as San Jose, so it's warmer than San Francisco and cooler than San Jose. Its position on San Francisco Bay directly across from the Golden Gate means that the city gets significant cooling maritime fog during the summer. It is far enough inland, though, that the fog often burns off by midday, allowing it to have typically sunny California days.
The National Weather Service has two official weather stations in Oakland: Oakland International Airport and the Oakland Museum (established 1970).

Demographics

City of Oakland Population by year
1880: 34,555	1950: 384,575
1890: 48,682	1960: 367,548
1900: 66,960	1970: 361,561
1910: 150,174	1980: 339,337
1920: 216,261	1990: 372,242
1930: 284,063	2000: 399,484
1940: 302,163	2008: 420,183

In early 2008, Oakland's population reached 420,183. In the census of 2000, there were 399,484 people, 150,790 households, and 86,402 families residing in the city. The population density was 7,126.6/sq mi (2,751.4/km²). There were 157,508 housing units at an average density of 2,809.8/sq mi (1,084.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 38.66 percent African American, 23.52 percent White, 0.66 percent Native American, 15.23 percent Asian American, 0.50 percent Pacific Islander, 11.66 percent from other races, and 4.98 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21.19 percent of the population.
   The US Census Bureau 2005 estimates show 31.00 percent African American, 26.10 percent White, 0.60 percent Native American, 16.40 percent Asian American, 0.90 percent Pacific Islander, 14.00 percent from other races, and 4.80 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.00 percent of the population.
   The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimates show estimates show 34.1 percent White 30.3 percent African American, 0.9 percent Native American, 15.6 percent Asian American, 0.7 percent Pacific Islander, 14.6 percent from other races, and 3.8 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.9 percent of the population. The non-Hispanic White population totaled 89,834 - or 23.8% of the population of 377,256. The Black or African-American population (alone or in combination with one or more other races) was 123,277, or 32.6% of the total population..
   Oakland is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country.
   Out of 150,790 households 28.6 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.0 percent were married couples living together, 17.7 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7 percent were non-families. 32.5 percent of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.38.
   An analysis by the Urban Institute of U.S. Census 2000 numbers showed that Oakland has the third-highest concentration of gays and lesbians among the 50 largest U.S. cities, behind San Francisco and Seattle. Census data show that, among incorporated areas that have at least 500 female couples, Oakland has the nation's largest percent per capita. In 2000, Oakland counted 2650 lesbian couples; one in every 41 Oakland couples listed themselves as a same-sex female partnership.
   In 2000, Oakland's population was reported as 25.0 percent under the age of 18, 9.7 percent from 18 to 24, 34.0 percent from 25 to 44, 20.9 percent from 45 to 64, and 10.5 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.
   The median income for a household in the city was $40,055, and the median income for a family was $44,384. Males had a median income of $37,433 versus $35,088 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,936. About 16.2 percent of families and 19.4 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.9 percent of those under age 18 and 13.1 percent of those age 65 or over. 0.7% of the population is homeless. Home ownership is 41% In 2006, Oakland had 148 murders, the highest number in ten years and the third highest since the early 1990s. Murders increased 57 percent from only 94 murders in 2005. The peak was 175 homicides in 1992, which was at a time when an average of 160 murders a year occurred in the 1990s (1999 saw the lowest count at 68). The majority of the crimes being committed occur in West Oakland, Oakland, California and the flatlands of East Oakland between I-580 and I-880. Besides homicides, Oakland has significant problems with other crimes of violence and property crimes. There were mixed results concerning crime in 2007; the city finished the year with 127 homicides (including justifiable ones), which was down from 148 in 2006.
   Current mayor Ron Dellums is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston mayor Thomas Menino.

Politics

In the state legislature Oakland is located in the 9th Senate District, represented by Democrat Don Perata, and in the 14th, 16th, and 18th Assembly Districts, represented by Democrats Loni Hancock, Sandré Swanson, and Mary Hayashi respectively. Federally, Oakland is located in California's 9th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +38 and is represented by Democrat Barbara Lee.

Economy

Oakland is a major West Coast port, and is home to several major corporations including Kaiser Permanente and Clorox, as well as corporate headquarters for national retailers like Dreyer's and Cost Plus World Markets.

Revitalization

Oakland has experienced an increase of both its population and of real-estate prices in the past decade, attributable to economic recovery and former mayor Brown's "10k Plan," which resulted in large amounts of new multi-family housing and development. In addition, Oakland's weather, location, and hillside neighborhoods with views of San Francisco and the Bay provide an attractive alternative to the high rents and home prices in nearby San Francisco. Because of its size, Oakland offers a substantial number of shopping districts and restaurants representing many American and international cuisines.

Gentrification

The West Oakland Community Land Trust, Inc. and The Institute for Community Economics have found ways to keep people in West Oakland. Since 1999, there has been a fall in crime, several ownership changes of land parcels, and much more community cohesiveness due to the redevelopment projects taking place in West Oakland. With developers interested in a "village community" with the West Oakland BART station as its center, West Oakland has seen an influx of new residents, some blue-collar and many white-collar workers. As a result, programs, such as the Anti-Displacement Network, have been started to assist in the stabilization of costs for homeowners and renters in West Oakland who may face hardships due to the rising cost of rent.
Redevelopment proponents believe that by 2015, the redevelopment projects under way in West Oakland may provide employment, health services, recreational facilities, special placement facilities, and additional housing (with buyer options) for new and current renters. The success of this project may serve as the spark the city needs to change Oakland's reputation for high crime rates.

Nicknames

Oakland is known by several nicknames, of which the most common is "Oaktown". In the 1970s and '80s, some called Oakland "Bump City" as a reference to cocaine. Oakland is sometimes called the "Sunny Side of the Bay", as it's less foggy and more temperate than San Francisco. Other nicknames include "O-town", "The Town" and "The O." Oakland has also been referred as "Cokeland" in reference to cocaine and "Oaksterdam" due to legalization of pot for medical use. Oakland is a part of the Bay Area consisting of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland, which is also called the "Yay Area".

"There's no there there"

Many Oaklanders have been frustrated by the misuse of this famous quote about Oakland. "There's no there there", writer Gertrude Stein declared upon learning as an adult that her childhood Oakland home had been torn down. Contrary to popular belief, the comment wasn't meant to disparage the city, but rather to express a sentiment similar to "you can't go home again." Modern-day Oakland has turned the quote on its head, with a statue downtown simply titled "There." Additionally, in 2005 a sculpture called HERETHERE was installed by the City of Berkeley on the Berkeley-Oakland border at Martin Luther King Jr. Way. The sculpture consists of eight-foot-tall letters spelling "HERE" and "THERE" in front of the BART rapid transit tracks as they descend from their elevated section in Oakland to the subway through Berkeley.

Arts and culture

Annual cultural events

Many annual events celebrate the diverse cultures of Oakland:

Cinco de Mayo Fruitvale Festival & Parade

(weekend nearest May 5)

Oakland Greek Festival

(mid-May)

Chinatown Streetfest

(late August)

Art & Soul Festival

(Labor Day weekend)

Montclair Jazz & Wine Festival

(mid-September)

Black Cowboy Parade

(early October)

Oakland International Film Festival

(September or October)

Fruitvale Dia de los Muertos Festival

(Sunday before November 1)

Oakland Holiday Parade

(early December)

Attractions

Chabot Space and Science Center

Children's Fairyland

Chinatown

Dunsmuir House

Jack London Square

McAfee Coliseum, home of baseball’s Oakland Athletics, and the Oakland Raiders of the NFL.

Mountain View Cemetery, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and resting place of many famous Californians

Oakland Museum of California

Oakland Public Library

Oracle Arena, directly adjacent to McAfee Coliseum, home to the Golden State Warriors of the NBA

Paramount Theater

Pardee Home

USS Potomac, Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidential yacht

Oakland Zoo

Nightlife

Downtown Oakland has an assortment of bars and nightclubs. They range from punk-rock makeovers of dive bars, such as The Stork Club and the Ruby Room, to modern bistros and dance clubs, such as Luka's Taproom and Lounge, @17,Pat's bar, Roy's 19th. st. Station, and The Oasis, to hipster spots such as Radio, Geoffreys, Karribean City, and art and jazz bar Cafe van Kleef. Oakland is home to a world-class jazz venue, Yoshi's, near Jack London Square. Jack London Square is a nighttime destination because of its movie theaters, restaurants, and clubs. 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 including 21 Grand, Boontling Gallery, Ego Park, Mama Buzz, and Rock Paper Scissors. The Rockridge area around the Rockridge BART station is known for its restaurants and bars. It stretches along College Ave from Broadway to Alcatraz Ave.

Hyphy

Oakland is also known as the home of "hyphy," a word coined by the Oakland rapper Keak Da Sneak. Pioneers like rapper E-40, Rick Rock, The Federation and many others have elevated East Oakland to national and international fame. In recent years, hyphy music has swept the nation and started many new dance crazes as well as spawning several hit songs. East Oakland is dubbed "Land of the Sideshow" and is known as a center of Bay Area hip hop culture.

Filming Locations

Oakland has been a less expensive location for several notable movies, TV Commercials, and music videos

The Mack (1973)

The Principal (1987)

Too Short- Life Is...Too Short music video (1988)

Too Short- I Ain't Trippin' music video (1988)

(1988)

True Believer (1989 film)

Too Short- The Ghetto music video (1990)

Raw Fusion- Throw your hands in tha air, music video (1991)

Raw Fusion- Rockin' to the P.M., music video (1991)

Spice 1 Welcome to the Ghetto music video (1992)

Spice 1 East Bay Gangster (Reggae) music video (1992)

Too Short- In The Trunk music video (1992)

Too Short- I Want To Be Free (That's The Truth) music video (1992)

Sneakers (1992)

Made In America (1993)

Too Short I'm A Player music video (1993)

Too Short Money In The Ghetto music video (1993)

Too Short Get in Where You Fit In music video (1993)

the Conscious Daughters Somethin' to Ride (Fonky Expedition) music video (1993)

Poetic Justice (1993)

Seagram The Ville music video (1993)

Seagram Eastside music video (1995)

Dru Down (album) Pimp Of The Year music video (1995) radio-friendly version under the name "Mack of the Year", the video borrowes from the film the Mack, also filmed in Oakland, Ca.

Luniz I Got 5 on It music video (1995)

3X Krazy Sunshine in the O music video (1995)

Too Short Cocktales music video (1995)

Richie Rich (rapper) Do G's Get To Go To Heaven? music video (1996)

Richie Rich (rapper) Let's Ride music video (1996)

Yukmouth music video (1998)

True Crime (1999)

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

Mona Lisa Smile (2003)

Bee Season (2005)

(2005)

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Merritt Restaurant commercials

Keyshia Cole's I Changed My Mind music video (2004)

E-40's Tell Me When To Go music video (2006) various others

the coup

m.c hammer

digital underground

action packed ganstas

Keak da Sneak

Sports

Oakland has teams in three professional sports: Basketball, baseball, and football.

Club	Sport	Founded	League	Venue
Oakland Athletics	Baseball	1901 (in Oakland since 1968)	Major League Baseball: American League	McAfee Coliseum
Oakland Raiders	American Football	1960 (in Los Angeles from 1982–1994)	National Football League: American Conference. AFC West	McAfee Coliseum
Golden State Warriors	Basketball	1948 (In Oakland since 1971)	National Basketball Association: Western Conference.	Oracle Arena
Oakland Slammers	Basketball	2005	International Basketball League (2005-):	Merritt College

Oakland's former sports teams include:

Oakland Oaks, Pacific Coast League of Baseball, 1903–1955. (The Oaks played at Oaks Park in Emeryville after 1912.)

Oakland Oaks, American Basketball League, 1962.

Oakland Oaks, American Basketball Association, 1967–1969.

Oakland Seals, National Hockey League, 1967–1976.

Oakland Clippers, North American Soccer League, 1968.

Oakland Stompers, North American Soccer League, 1978.

Oakland Invaders, United States Football League, 1983–1985.

Oakland Skates, Roller Hockey International, 1993–1996.

Parks and recreation

Joaquin Miller Park

Joseph Knowland State Arboretum and Park, home of the Oakland Zoo

Lake Merritt

Morcom Rose Garden best from July through October

William Joseph McInnes Botanic Garden and Campus Arboretum, located on the Mills College campus Additionally, the following seven East Bay Regional Parks are located entirely or partially in the city of Oakland:

Anthony Chabot Regional Park

Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve

Leona Canyon Regional Open Space Preserve

Redwood Regional Park

Robert Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve

Roberts Regional Recreation Area

Temescal Regional Park

Biology and ecology

The land that Oakland covers was once a mosaic of coastal terrace prairie, oak woodland, and north coastal scrub. Lake Merritt has only recently become a "lake", where it once was a productive estuary linked to the Bay. Oakland is home to many rare and endangered species including the Presidio Clarkia, Pallid Manzanita, Tiburon Buckwheat, Oakland Star-Tulip, Most-Beautiful Jewel Flower, Western Leatherwood, and the Alameda Whipsnake. Many rare species are localized to serpentine soils and bedrock.

Government

Oakland is a mayor-council government. The mayor is elected for a 4-year term. The council has eight council members representing seven districts in Oakland with one member elected at-large; council members serve staggered 4-year terms. The mayor appoints a city administrator, subject to the confirmation by the City Council, who is the chief administrative officer of the city. Other city officers include: city attorney (elected), city auditor (elected), and city clerk (appointed by city administrator).

Education

Primary and secondary education

Most public schools in Oakland are operated by the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), which covers the entire city of Oakland; due to financial troubles and administrative failures, it has been in receivership by the state of California since 2002. The Oakland Unified School District (2006-2007) includes 59 elementary schools, 23 middle schools, 19 high schools, with 9 alternative education schools and programs, 4 adult education schools and early childhood education centers at most of the elementary schools There are 46,000 K-12 students, 32,000 adult students, and 6,000 plus employees.
   Overall, OUSD schools have performed poorly for years. In the 2005 results of the STAR testing, over 50 percent of students taking the test performed "below basic," while only 20 percent performed at least "proficient" on the English section of the test. Some individual schools have much better performance than the city-wide average, for instance, in 2005 over half the students at Hillcrest Elementary School performed at the "advanced" level in the English portion of the test, and students at Lincoln Elementary School performed at the "advanced" level in the math portion.
   Several factors have been blamed for poor performance, including an inefficient top-heavy administrative structure and a student body that's often poor or from a background of limited English proficiency.
   Oakland's three largest public high schools are Oakland High School, Oakland Technical High School, and Skyline High School. There are also numerous small high schools within Castlemont Community of Small Schools, Fremont Federation of High Schools, and McClymonds Educational Complex, all of which were once single, larger public high schools (Castlemont High School, Fremont High School, and McClymonds High School, respectively).
   There are 25 public charter schools with 5,887 students which operate outside the domain of OUSD. Lionel Wilson College Prep Academy and Oakland Unity High School have been certified by the California Charter Schools Association (External Link

). Other charter schools include the Oakland Military Academy, Oakland School for the Arts, Bay Area Technology School, and Oakland Charter Academy.
There are several private high schools. Notables include the secular The College Preparatory School and Head-Royce School, both with tuitions around $25,000 per year and the Catholic Bishop O'Dowd High School, Holy Names High School and St. Elizabeth High School. Catholic schools in Oakland are operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland also include 8 K-8 schools (plus 1 in Piedmont on the Oakland city border). Julia Morgan School for Girls is a private middle school for girls housed on the campus of Mills College. Northern Light School is a private nonprofit elementary and middle school.

Colleges and universities

Colleges and universities include:

Peralta Community College District

Pacific Oaks College (Self-paced and Cohort Degree Programs are housed in the historic Downtown Oakland Y.W.C.A. building)

California College of the Arts (formerly the California College of Arts and Crafts)

Holy Names University (formerly Holy Names College)

Lincoln University

Mills College

Patten University

Samuel Merritt College (a health science college)

The University of California, Berkeley campus is located partially within the Oakland city limits.

UCB Extension has classes in the Oakland Professional Development and Conference Center in downtown.

Cal State East Bay's Oakland Professional Development and Conference Center is located in downtown. Oakland is also the home of the headquarters of the University of California system.

Media

Oakland is served by broadcasting out of San Francisco and San Jose mostly. The region's Fox affiliate, KTVU, is based in (and licensed to) Oakland at Jack London Square along with independent station KICU-TV (licensed to San Jose). In addition, the city is served by various and radio stations as well; AM stations KMKY, KNEW and KQKE are licensed to Oakland. The Oakland Tribune published its first newspaper on February 21 1874. The Tribune Tower, which sports a clock, is one of Oakland's landmarks. At key times throughout the day (8:00 am, noon and 5:00 pm), the clock tower carillon plays a variety of classic melodies, which change on a daily basis. In 2007, the Oakland Tribune announced they were leaving the Tribune tower (where they'd actually been a tenant for several years) for a new location in East Oakland outside the downtown core. The East Bay Express, a locally-owned free weekly paper, is based in Emeryville near North Oakland and distributed throughout the East Bay. The OakBook

, a locally owned, free city magazine published six times a year, launched in December 2007.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Freeways, bridges, and tunnels

Oakland is served by several major highways: Interstate 80 (Eastshore Freeway), Interstate 580 (MacArthur Freeway), Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway), Interstate 980, State Route 13 (Warren Freeway) and State Route 24 (Grove Shafter Freeway). A stub of a planned freeway was constructed at the High Street exit from the Nimitz Freeway, but that freeway extension plan was abandoned. In 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake caused the Cypress Street Viaduct double-deck segment of the Nimitz Freeway I-880 to collapse, killing 42 people. The old freeway segment had passed right through the middle of West Oakland, forming a barrier between West Oakland neighborhoods. Following the earthquake, this section of the Nimitz Freeway was rerouted around the perimeter of West Oakland and rebuilt in 1999. The east span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge also suffered damage from the quake when a 50-foot (15-meter) section of the upper deck collapsed onto the lower deck; the damaged section was repaired one month after the earthquake. As a result of the earthquake, a significant seismic retrofit was performed on the western span of the Bay Bridge, and the eastern span is scheduled for replacement, with the new span projected to be completed in 2014.
Two underwater tunnels, the Webster and Posey Tubes, connect the main island of Alameda to Downtown Oakland, coming above ground in Chinatown. In addition, the Park Street, Fruitvale, and High Street Bridges connect Alameda to East Oakland over the Oakland Estuary.
In the hills, the Leimert Bridge crosses Dimond Canyon, connecting the Oakmore neighborhood to Park Boulevard. The Caldecott Tunnel carries Highway 24 through the Oakland Hills, connecting central Contra Costa County to Oakland. The Caldecott has three bores, with a fourth one planned.

Mass transit

The metropolitan area is served by Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) from eight convenient stations for Oakland commuters. The system has headquarters in Oakland, with major transfer hubs at MacArthur and Oakland City Center/12th Street stations. BART's headquarters was located in a building above the Lake Merritt Station until 2006, when it relocated to the Kaiser Center over seismic safety concerns.
Public bus service is provided by AC Transit, which was created from the old privately owned Key System. The Alameda / Oakland Ferry operates ferry service from Jack London Square to Alameda, San Francisco, and Angel Island.

Air

Oakland is served by the Oakland International Airport, one of three international airports in the San Francisco Bay Area, which is located 4 miles (6 km) south of downtown Oakland. Airlines serving Oakland International provide service to numerous destinations in the United States, as well as Mexico. Serving most low-cost air travelers to other major cities, the airport has proven a popular alternative to San Francisco International, thanks largely to a heavy Southwest Airlines presence, which has been servicing Oakland International since 1989. Right now, it's served by AirBART, which links the airport to the Coliseum BART Station, and a rail connector is tentatively in the works.

Rail

The city has regional and long distance passenger train service provided by Amtrak, with a station located blocks from Jack London Square served by the Amtrak Capitol Corridor, Coast Starlight and San Joaquins train routes. Capitol Corridor trains also stop at a second, newer Oakland Coliseum station. Amtrak's California Zephyr has its western terminus at Emeryville station, just outside of Oakland's borders in the city of the same name.
Freight service, which consists primarily of moving shipping containers to and from the Port of Oakland, is provided today by Union Pacific Railroad (which absorbed the Western Pacific in 1983 and the Southern Pacific in the 1990s), and to a lesser extent by BNSF Railway (which now shares the tracks of the Union Pacific between Richmond and Oakland).
Historically, Oakland was served by several railroads. Besides the transcontinental line (the "overland") of the Southern Pacific, there was also the Santa Fe (whose Oakland terminal was actually in Emeryville), the Western Pacific Railroad (who built a pier adjacent to the SP's), and the Sacramento Northern Railroad (eventually absorbed by the Western Pacific which in turn was absorbed by UP in 1983).

Sea

As one of the three major ports on The American West Coast, the Port of Oakland is the largest seaport on San Francisco Bay and the fourth busiest container port in the United States. It was one of the earliest seaports to switch to containerization and to intermodal container transfer, thereby displacing San Francisco which never modernized its old waterfront. One of the earlier limitations to growth was the inability to transfer containers to rail lines, all cranes historically operating between ocean vessels and trucks. In the 1980s the Port of Oakland began the evaluation of development of an intermodal container transfer capability, for example facilities that now allow trans-loading of containers from vessels to either trucks or rail modes.

Utilities

Water and sewage treatment are provided by East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD).

Natural gas and electricity are provided by PG&E.

Waste management is contracted to Waste Management, Inc. A four-week lockout by WMI left trash piling up on city streets in July 2007.

Telephone service is provided primarily by AT&T.

Cable television is provided by Comcast.

Healthcare

Kaiser Permanente, a HMO started during World War II to provide medical care for Kaiser shipworkers, is based in Oakland and has a large medical center in the Piedmont neighborhood.

Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Oakland (Summit Campus, referred to as "Pill Hill") is a recent merger with the former Alta Bates Medical Center in Berkeley, California; it's part of the Sutter Health network.

Alameda County Medical Center is operated by the county and provides medical services to the medically indigent who don't have health insurance. Highland Hospital in Oakland also is the trauma center for the northern area of the East Bay.

Children's Hospital Oakland is the primary medical center specializing in pediatrics in the East Bay. Despite large tax breaks East Bay nonprofit hospitals receive for community service, public hospitals such as Highland devote a much larger portion of their operating expenses to charity care.

Mergers and closings

Summit Medical Center was a previous merger with Samuel Merritt Medical Center and Providence Medical Center in the 1990s. Peralta Hospital earlier had merged with Samuel Merritt Hospital. Oakland Hospital in the Fruitvale district closed in the 1990s. Naval Hospital Oakland (Oak Knoll Naval Hospital) closed during the military Base Realignment and Closure of 1993.

Sister cities

Oakland, California has eight sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International

- Dalian (China)

- Fukuoka (Japan)

- Nakhodka (Russia)

- Ocho Ríos (Jamaica)

- Sekondi Takoradi (Ghana)

- Santiago de Cuba (Cuba)

- Agadir (Morocco)

- Danang (Vietnam)

Further Information

Get more info on 'Oakland California'.

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