Cross one of the three bridges or two tunnels that connect the island of Alameda to Oakland and you might feel you’ve arrived in small town America. The pace is slower, the streets are tree-lined, the parks are manicured, the weather is mild and beautiful old Victorian homes and commercial shops predate the 1906 earthquake. From the beaches on the western side of the island, you can see unobstructed views of San Francisco Bay and the city skyline.

Bay Farm Island, a district of Alameda, is just to the south, accessible by one drawbridge for vehicles and another (the only one in the USA) for pedestrians and bicycles. Once farmland and the site of large oyster beds, the Bay Farm Island peninsula is covered by a residential subdivision known as Harbor Bay Isle and a business park. It also includes a 36-hole golf complex and an 18-court tennis club.

You can catch a fast ferry to San Francisco from the Bay Farm Island Ferry Terminal.