Oakland, California doesn’t have the greatest reputation. Crime, failed redevelopment efforts, and petty politics all contribute to this.
That aside, I’ve been living in Oakland since 2008, and I really do enjoy it here. The weather is better than San Francisco. It has decent public transportation and freeway access. Not to mention, the cost of living is more reasonable than other areas around the Bay.
However, the way Oakland disregards its own history is really sad, as was recently seen by the theft of a monument to the USS Maine.