Living in the Bay Area
Oakland, one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the nation, is a vibrant cultural hub with a rich history of advocacy. UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland is centrally located in the Temescal neighborhood in North Oakland, adjacent to the city of Berkeley and 10 miles across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco. Most residents and fellows live in nearby distinctive neighborhoods of Oakland. Many residents bike to work and our local public transportation system BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) connects Oakland to San Francisco and other areas.
Oakland's mild climate (a comfortable 60-70 F most days and consistently sunnier than other parts of the Bay Area) allows for year-round enjoyment of the outdoors - residents often hang out by Lake Merrit, hike in nearby regional parks with access to 500 miles of trails, and visit weekly farmer's markets (one is held next to our primary care clinic every Sunday!). Adjacent to the San Francisco Bay, you can paddle board, kayak, walk along the waterfront in the Jack London Square neighborhood, or travel to San Francisco by ferry. There are multiple live music venues including the Fox Theater and Paramount Theater for concert attendees and once a month First Fridays is a street festival promoting local artists with food and music. Resident sports fans love to cheer on the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center in San Francisco (Go Dubs!) and attend Oakland Roots soccer games and Oakland Ballers baseball games as a group.
There are endless culinary options in Oakland including many local pop-up restaurants and regionally-specific foods. Within blocks of the hospital are Ethiopian/Eritrean, Burmese, Cuban, Japanese, Korean, and Thai restaurants. Residents love to order boba or coffee while on the wards. For home chefs, nearby Berkeley Bowl grocery store is famous for its expansive produce selection.
For those looking for a day trip, Oakland is just hours away from wine tasting in Napa or Sonoma, Lake Tahoe (site of skiing/snowboarding in the winter and lake activities in the summer), Yosemite National Park, and scenic coastal areas such as Big Sur, the Monterey Peninsula, and Mendocino.
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