Ecotourism:

Our visit to West Oakland was a true local ecotourist experience: we felt like we had traveled by bike to a different culture far from home. And yet West Oakland is only minutes away. What we saw was a beautiful expression of the urban fabric: the scale of this part of the city is people-oriented and the businesses and activities felt ‘home-grown’. Plus everyone we met seemed genuinely happy to be there. The gardens, City Slickers and OBUGS are a wonderful and essential addition to the community. This is not to say that folks are angling for change and improvement: West Oakland has been redlined by many essential businesses such as food markets. In response to this, people have taken it upon themselves to improve their community.