A quote from Gertrude Stein in reference to Oakland California. Gertrude Stein grew up in Oakland. Her famous quote, "There is no there there," haunted the city for decades.What she was referring to was that after thirty years in Paris she came back to find her house was no longer there, her school was no longer there,her park was no longer there, her synagogue was no longer there. So for her, there was no longer a there there.