I'm glad to see OAK get it's props. I moved here from SAN 5 years ago and absolutely love it. The "East Bay" is amazing; mild temps with fantastic hiking and outdoor activities of all kinds with probably some of the best biking around. The 6000+ acre Briones Park is in your backyard - Briones Regional Park .30 minutes to downtown SF. 45 minutes brings in Tiburon, Muir Woods Muir Woods National Monument (U.S. National Park Service) and Napa. 60 minutes gets you Stinson Beach, the amazing Pt Reyes National Park http://www.nps.gov/PORE/planyourvisit/index.htm and Santa Cruz/Half Moon Bay. 90 and you're in Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur - and we haven't even headed east to the Sierras for skiing yet Buying a house is hard - as a single person DEFINITELY check out rentals on Alameda Island, just 15 minutes from OAK and very cool. Welcome aboard