Alameda, California

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:

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.

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.