San Francisco Real Estate - Janice Lee

Once considered San Francisco’s ugly stepsister, Oakland is now the Cinderella of the East Bay. Last year, The New York Times shocked many by ranking the city no. 5 on its list of “The 45 Places to Go in 2012” (in between heavyweights London and Tokyo), beating out traditional California hotspots San Diego (no. 14) and Lake Tahoe (no. 30).  “New restaurants and bars beckon amid the grit,” touted the article, which was invariably followed up with a San Francisco Bay Guardian cover asking, “Is Oakland cooler than San Francisco?” and The Globe and Mail article calling it “the Brooklyn of the West.” “Oakland has everything that San Francisco has—diversity, art and history, music, folksy neighborhoods, new and happening restaurants, night life, sports teams and venues, outstanding architecture, outdoor recreation and park lands, a world class science center just to name a few—but with better weather, at a fraction of the cost, lower density and a central location for ...

It’s June…the month for moving  residencies–but also for moving, period. In honor of all things exercise, we took a look at a recent survey conducted by Men’s Health , who ranked 100 American cities from most to least active, by  analyzing local habits  in each area, including amount of exercise at home and at gyms, TV watching, video game popularity, as well as CDC data. You might be a little surprised to know that the Golden State’s awesome year-round weather has apparently not turned Californians into hyperactive, spandex and pedometer-wearing workout fiends. In fact, only one California city made the Top 10…and we gotta be honest… we were surprised! Oakland? We knew the city was “ the Brooklyn of the West ” with an active social scene, but we had no idea it was active in terms of raising a new generation of joggers, cyclists and Ironmans! Bravo! MOST ACTIVE 1.     Portland, OR 2.     Boise, ID 3.    ...