"
Poplar grove" (
Spanish). Alameda is an
island in the
San Francisco Bay, with a population of about 80,000. It has less
traffic than most other
Bay Area cities, since it has no
freeway. But it's just a short
tunnel or
bridge away from
I-880, so it's easy commuting. Luckily, though, it doesn't seem to have turned into too much of a
Silicon Valley bedroom community, retaining its gorgeous and ornate
Victorian houses. Seriously, if you like the style, take a little drive through the city sometime. Some of the houses are truly magnificent, and they are among the only
relics of the California coastal style that was largely destroyed during the
Great Quake of
1906.
Points of interest to come as I find them. Local companies include:
Manex Visual Effects and
MicroProse.