Considering Alameda

76,362

Population

Sunny Days: 259

77100 Affordability

95100 Schools

57100 Diversity

80100 Safety

It doesn’t matter whether you win by an inch or a mile, winning is winning. -
Gino, The Fast and the Furious (Vin Diesel, Alameda native)

The Best Thing About Alameda?

The Happiest Place in the Bay Area?

There is no other city in the Bay Area where the locals are as happy about where they live as in Alameda, aka., “The Isle of Style”. The reasons are several: some of it seems to be the fact it is an island and that gives you a sense of isolation from the intensity of East Bay and San Francisco. It also has a small-town, midwestern kind of vibe that belies all that is available to you just miles away. Old-timey restaurants, pubs, ice cream shops and even indoor putt putt golf fill the city center with stuff for singles, couples and families to do. Bike-riding, strolling, amazing Halloween celebrations and even a beach with a view of San Francisco give this city/town a completely different energy that just feels slower and happier than the rest of the area.

The Worst Thing About Alameda?

Home Prices

It’s hard to ding Alameda too much on prices when it’s less expensive than much of the area but the media price is just around $1.2m for single family homes and believe it or not that’s pretty darn reasonable for the Bay Area. Young families flock here to purchase their first home and it’s damn pricey on a national level but alas not for here.

Lifestyle of Alameda

As noted things slow down in Alameda and locals take the time to enjoy all that’s available here. First of all it’s good to remember that this is an island. As a result one of the top attractions in town is Crown Memorial State Beach, where you can swim in the bay and enjoy all sorts of water sports - boating, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding are just a few. Throughout the island you’ll find families biking (more cruisers than racing bikes), taking walks into town, playing ball at the many parks, enjoying ice cream cones after the little league games, enjoying the arts/wine faires, farmers markets, and just generally living a different lifestyle than the rest of the bay.

To see what locals do for fun check out the Alameda calendar of events:

Worklife of Alameda

Alameda residents historically commute into Oakland or San Francisco or down the freeways to tech-hubs like Fremont. Work from home has for sure changed that and so now you’re just as likely to see locals hanging on the Isle most days of the week and then perhaps taking the ferry to jobs in Oakland or SF on the days they have to head in. Don’t sleep on the ferry option for commuting, it’s an incredible way to get to work and makes living and commuting here a completely different experience.

Why You Should Move Here Now?

When people move from other parts of the country they fear that San Francisco or Oakland are going to be too busy, too fast-paced and dense, relative to where they’re leaving. Alameda blows up that idea by offering a small city experience that rivals that which you can find anywhere. Throw on top of the experience the fact that the housing is at a discount from the rest of the area and you’ll see why Alameda is the happiest place on the Bay.