Oakland spreads itself in a gentle crescent between the San Francisco Bay system to the west and wooded foothills sloping up to the east. But a five-mile drive into the Oakland hills takes you into thick, rolling redwood forestland, with trees so tall you can hardly see their tops without getting out of your car. For one, Oakland's public officials can be spectacularly bad. The city has a nasty habit of giving away chunks of real estate to inept developers every few years, leaving city residents holding the bag. This is how the city ended up as part owner in an ice skating rink, of all things.
Officials can also make decisions so bad that they can become national jokes.
And that, of course, ended the problem of drugs and prostitution on East 14th Street. Which brings us to the other bad thing about Oakland. It's streets can be as mean as any in the nation. Don't forget to duck.