10. Berkeley Bowl --This place made me feel like I could actually be a gourmet chef. The fact that they had every exotic fruit and veggie known to man under one roof made me feel cool to shop there. I will NOT miss the parking lot and the circling 3 to 4 times to find a too tight spot where I know my car doors would be dented in upon my return.
9. Jeremy's--Where else could you find Tory Burch"reva" flats for $60, or a full length J.Crew pea coat for $50, or better yet, J.Crew cargo capri pants for $1.50 (no kidding). I love that place and will miss it dearly!
8. College Ave. -- When we first moved, I used to ride the 51 bus from Oakland to campus. The bus route takes you straight down College Avenue. It is one of my most favorite streets in the East Bay. It's full of small novelty shops, clothing stores, salons, and restaurants. It's broken into sections by beautiful bungalows and cottages. With this combo, you feel the urban pulse of the city but the charm and history of a small town.
7. Zachary's Pizza -- Hands down, the best pizza EVER! Part of the mystic is when you dine in you have to squeeze past the other 100 people or so who have decided to eat there too. You put your name on the wait-list and then sit for like an hour, salivating until your seat is ready. I've convinced myself that this process makes you enjoy the pizza that much more.
6. Knowing the 7 different routes one could take to get to the Grocery Store Outlet on Broadway.
5. The fact that most of our friends have no idea what my maiden name is.
4. Driving through Piedmont and fantasizing about which house we would purchase once we collected our lottery winnings. We used to look in the Montclarion Real Estate section on Sunday and pick a few $1 and $2 million home open houses to check out. In that area of the Bay, that price tag on average only got you a 3/2 at about 1700 sq. ft. and at times, it would still need some TLC. I will not miss the Bay Area's inflated housing prices
3. Running Lake Merritt
2. Running the hills of Lake Chabot. This place was seriously a majestic oasis in the middle of the city. It was amazing. I would run there any chance I could. There is no way one could run there and not feel the presence of our God. I have had some wonderful times of prayer while running --I will miss that part the most.
1. Our wonderful, amazing friends who were really like family. When I think of Oakland and the time we lived in the Bay Area, my heart is filled with love and I reflect on the genuine, loving relationships we developed. As I get older, I am realizing that relationships like those should not be taken for granted. I thank the Lord for them and know He has plans for us to develop and strengthen our relationships here in Fresno too.
Runner-ups:
Volvo station wagons --they're everywhere
BART
Getting on the freeway to simply go to the grocery store...3 miles away
East Oakland side shows (not really)
the weather--I have become accustomed to wearing scarfs in the middle of July
oh yes- so many great things about oakland! when you get too hot in fresno, come visit :)
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