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Eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area, California, US
Photo: Staeiou, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Lying across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco, the East Bay consists of Contra Costa County and Alameda County. It has a unique culture, more laid back and with less tech industry presence than its neighbors to the west. Oakland, the area's largest city, is famous for its somewhat smaller Chinatown and its beautiful waterfront Jack London Square, as well as its large port and eucalyptus-spotted hills. Berkeley, just north of Oakland, is home to the University of California and tens of thousands of students.
The densely populated area west of the Berkeley Hills, home to the many parks and museums of Oakland, the counter-cultural hub that is Berkeley, and even a historic aircraft carrier in Alameda. Experience dozens of immigrant communities, particularly in Fremont.
Primarily residential, with a vast array of food, shopping, and lodging options for Bay Area visitors. The landscape is dominated by Mount Diablo, a peak that provides excellent hiking opportunities and, on clear days, summit views that stretch for well over 100 mi in all directions. Other attractions include the John Muir Historic Site in Martinez and the estate of Nobel winning playwright Eugene O'Neill in Danville. Much of the area is rural, with the windmills and rolling hills surrounding Livermore offering opportunities for outdoor activities.
By car
Bridges connect the East Bay with Marin County, San Francisco, and the Peninsula. Also, the I-580 connects the Central Valley with the East Bay via Altamont Pass in the east.
By public transportation
BART connects the East Bay with San Francisco, and Amtrak serves this region as well.
By public transportation
BART lines in the East Bay radiate out from Oakland after crossing the Bay from San Francisco; this means they're very useful for getting around the cities along the bay, but their convenience starts…
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Oakland · International · OAK
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An island community separated from Oakland by a narrow channel
Fairly large city on the shoreline of the Delta
Home to the world famous University of California, Berkeley
Birthplace of jazz legend Dave Brubeck
East Bay's 2nd largest city with one of the largest Afghan communities in the U.S. and the northern edge of Silicon Valley
California State University, East Bay
The East Bay's largest city, with enough cultural diversity to rival SF
One of America's wealthiest mid-size cities, with a (somewhat) historic district and numerous upscale restaurants
The best shopping in the Bay Area behind San Francisco
This East Bay Regional Park District park surrounds Lake Del Valle, and includes wilderness areas with canyons, woodlands, grasslands, and some quite dramatic rock formations.
This 20,000-acre (80 km2) park provides great hiking opportunities on a mountain that dominates the landscape for most of central and eastern Contra Costa County. It offers an incredible viewshed, with views on clear days stretching 181 mi to Mount Lassen.
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