Oakland is considered the 41st largest city in the US and the eighth largest city within California, with a population of 446,901. The city is the seat of Alameda County in addition to being a central hub for the sub region of the Bay Area, East Bay. It is situated a mere eight miles east of San Francisco and has the West Coast Port located on the San Francisco Bay. Oakland covers a total of 78.2 square miles, with 22.1 square miles being water and the other 56.1 square miles covering land.
The terrain of Oakland breaks the cities individuals into either "the hills" and "the flatlands", with the flatland residents usually being less rich. Nestled on the hills and foot hills, resides around 1/3 of the populations, while the other 2/3 of the individuals reside in the flat plain of East Bay.
Among the main attractions of Oakland is Lake Merritt, which is located close to downtown. It is the considered to be the largest (urban) salt water lake within the US, even if it is technically an estuary of the San Francisco Bay.
Many people who settle in Oakland are attracted to the cities gorgeous Mediterranean weather, characterized by mild winters and warm summers. Due to its location, it is generally warmer then San Francisco and cooler then San Jose. Every so often, the northern part of the city experiences a cooling maritime fog, but the city is far enough inland so that the fog burns off by mid day.
Over 200,000 jobs within the city are connected to cargo transport because of the Major West Coast Port. Furthermore, there are several corporations situated within Oakland, such as Matson, Kaiser Permanente and Clorox. Other businesses have decided to build their head office here, like for instance Dreyers and Cost Plus World Markets. Oakland was likewise home to the very first London Drugs.
Oakland went through a population surge during the early 21st century. There was a new 10K plan that was implemented, which saw an influx of individuals; precipitated thousands of new multifamily homes were made to be able to accommodate them. This population surge could be attributed to the cities mild weather conditions, and its relatively central location in regards to bigger cities. Oakland offers a reasonable alternative to sky high rents and property prices within San Francisco, and provides stunning views of the San Francisco and the Bay from its hillside neighbourhoods. Due to its expanding population, there has been some shopping districts built and an assortment of restaurants which reflect various worldwide and native cultures.