As the city grew, one of its mayors gave it a treasure. In 1869 Samuel Merritt dammed a tidal slough at the heart of downtown, turning brackish marsh into a clean saltwater lagoon. The next year, in 1870, the state declared it a refuge for the migrating birds that crowded its shores — the first official wildlife refuge in the United States. Lake Merritt has been the jewel of Oakland ever since, ringed in 1925 by the Necklace of Lights and still alive with herons, pelicans, and the great autumn flights along the Pacific Flyway. A wild lake in the middle of a working city is a very Oakland kind of idea.
Today Oakland is the anchor of the East Bay — a city of hills and harbor, redwood groves and bay views, looking across the water at San Francisco. Its port, a pioneer of container shipping, is one of the busiest in the country, and the wooded ridges above town still hold stands of coast redwoods, survivors of the forests that once helped build San Francisco. It is a city of neighborhoods and food and art, proud of its diversity and proud of its table. Through every chapter, Oakland has been a crossroads — the western end of the line, where the continent meets the bay.
Why People Visit Oakland
Visitors come to Oakland for a Bay Area city with its own strong character: a wild lake at its center, Art Deco theaters and a historic waterfront, redwood hikes in the hills, and one of the most celebrated food scenes in California. The museums and Jack London Square sit minutes from the lake, and San Francisco is a quick trip across the bay. Equal parts oak-grove heritage and creative energy, Oakland rewards anyone drawn to the heart of the East Bay.
