Downtown Oakland is on the come up.

Oakland, California has been known for many things but great live shows, attractive night life and luxurious condos have not always been it, but these days the Bay Areas finest seem to be pouring into Oakland for just that. With the reopening of the historic Fox Theatre (1) on February 5th, 2009, the city has been a buzz with street festivals, award winning restaurant openings and stylish night clubs. Oakland has always been a culturally rich city but now more than ever there is a vast selection of places to see and people to know. Places like the Oakland Ice Center (2) offer a indoor winter wonderland anytime of the year, where the courageous can strap on a pair of skates and attempt to not, "break the ice". For the less brave of you who rather stay on dry land the Oakland Walking Tours (3) offers guided tours of downtown Oakland, a great way to view the city without the traffic and the gas money. Like many US cities, Oakland is trying to stay afloat in hard economic times so spend some of your hard earned money in a city that offers you the New York nightlife with out the expensive yellow cabs or the wide eyed tourist.
1) www.thefoxoakland.com
2) www.oaklandice.com
3) http://www.oaklandnet.com/government/cmo/walkingTours/default.html