What other Bay Area towns is Alameda similar to? (San Diego: neighborhoods, living)

[ippi76]

Hi all,
I've lived in Alameda for 6 months now and love it, but can't think of that much it compares to, especially in the South Bay San Jose where I am from. Lots of SJ residents have never heard of it so when I describe it I don't know how to.

What towns are similar? I thought of:

Los Gatos (smaller, much wealthier, but has that own small town feel)

Willow Glen San Jose (not it's own town, but has its own town feel sort of)

Palo Alto/Los Altos (same as Los Gatos)

San Rafael (most similar in Marin I think)

Santa Rosa (bigger version without beach or am I off?)

Walnut Creek (sort of but WC is way suburbanish)

I really like Alameda and I think it is unique in the Bay Area, as it has a beach, a town feel, the Park St. strip, etc. Are there other towns like it?

[mstnghu2]

I can't really think of any other Bay Area cities/towns that feel similar to Alameda. I think it's a unique city. I grew up in the South Bay and have always known about Alameda and pretty much all of my friends/family know about it. I'm surprised people you've encountered in the South Bay would be ignorant about it. The entire Bay Area is very interconnected, so most people from different parts of the region at least have some vague knowledge about other places.

[ccm123]

Alameda reminds me of some Southern California beach towns, such as Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, and El Segundo.
It also reminds me of an East Coast beach town: Provincetown (Cape Cod), in Massachusetts.

It also reminds me of San Diego, especially La Jolla.

But, I don't believe it resembles any Bay Area city. If you go further south, it may have a similar feel to Capitola (Santa Cruz County).

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

I think if you had to describe Alameda, you could say, "Picture the best of Oakland, and that's as close as you can get." It's all of the Victorians that make it so special, to me. I actually love the architecture in Oakland. I love old buildings.

The proximity to the Bay is nothing like you'll find in the South Bay. Well, maybe Alviso...only way nicer and with money...

Mountain View has proximity to the water, but I don't know about the architecture? Maybe Mountain View would be the closest I could come to. Haven't been there in a long time, but seems to me there is some older architecture in town.

Alameda is the best of the East Bay, IMO. Love that little town :-)

[mrazyattic]

I looooove Alameda! Obsessed would be a better word.

[eureka1]

Me too. Only part of the Bay Area I would willingly live in.

[davdaven]

I would compare the residential neighborhoods of Alameda with the Naglee Park or Hensley neighborhoods of San Jose. I would compare the commercial districts with the likes of Willow Glen and San Mateo. That's the best I can do. Alameda is a fabulous place and one of the Bay Area's best-kept secrets.

Re. your other comparisons: I think Los Gatos is too fancy schmancy, as Alameda is very down-to-earth. To the North Bay, I think Petaluma is the best approximation. San Rafael isn't nice enough overall, and Santa Rosa is a little too nondescript.

[04kL4nD]

Alameda is like Crowne Pointe in Pacific Beach (San Diego) or Alki Beach (Seattle). Definitely feels a bit out of place in the Bay Area, but that's what makes it so special imo

[mstnghu2]

Originally Posted by eureka1

Me too. Only part of the Bay Area I would willingly live in.

There are actually many nice parts of the Bay Area to live in.

[ippi76]

Hmm sounds like Alameda really is tht unique in the Bay Area. Sort of a cross with with some towns melded with other towns. Makes me feel even better about living there! There are definitely other great places in the Bay Area to live though.

@ mstnghu2, I've sound some people in the South Bay to be rather ignorant of the East Bay in general. All they know is Oakland is crime-ridden and UC Berkeley, and they know little of Orinda/Alameda/Walnut Creek or other places. I sort of feel Silicon Valley, and I'm not knocking it, can be like its own big world, since it sort of far from Oakland/East Bay. At least SF/Peninsula/Silicon Valley are more interconnected. Or is this a wrong theory everyone?