Alameda CountyOakland to the Tri-Valley

An island of Victorians and beaches, reached by two bridges, a tube and three ferries.

Fits a whole city, and one of the state's stronger school districts, into 1.7 square miles.

Splits into hills and flats, and the two halves price nothing alike.

Grew up around the end of the BART line, almost all of it since 1998.

Packs animation studios, biotech and a shopping district into just over a square mile.

Runs from Mission Peak to the Dumbarton approach, with the Tesla plant in the middle.

Sits halfway between San Francisco and San Jose and prices below both.

Grows wine east of the Tri-Valley and runs a national laboratory beside it.

Tucks five square miles between Fremont and the salt marsh, and still prices under Fremont.

Stacks eight BART stations, a working port and hill views into one city.

Keeps its own schools, police and fire inside 1.7 square miles of Oakland.

Kept a working Main Street and built a business park behind it.

Went up for factory workers in the 1950s and still trades on that stock.

Merged two old towns in 1959 and grew where the freeways cross.