Oakland California

West Oakland

Viewed by many as the next "SOMA," affordable West Oakland is fast becoming the "industrial cool" place to live. Converting old factories and warehouses into stylish live/work lofts is all the rage, and eclectic businesses are moving in as well, giving this once gritty, overlooked neighborhood a hip urban edge and caché.

Anchored by the fourth largest container seaport in the United States, West Oakland’s older homes were built in WW1 and WW2, back when the city served as a major shipbuilding center. Many new homebuyers here choose to buy older Victorians and renovate them from the inside out. Others prefer to move into newly converted live/work lofts. The old and the new peacefully coexist side by side, as do artists, young professionals and blue collar families.

West Oakland is situated on the Bay side of Highway 980 and is easily accessible by public transportation including BART and buses. Home to an exciting new 200-acre waterfront development being built on the site of the old Oakland Army Base, this city is bound to become even more of a draw. If you’re an urban pioneer who’s looking to buy somewhere before it really booms, look into West Oakland.