Located on the other side of the Bay from San Francisco, the city of Oakland is a great place to rent office space at a very affordable price. A majority of the office space is in the downtown area, located east and north of Highways 980 and 880 and south and west of Grand Avenue and Lake Merritt. This office space comes in a variety of sizes, though much of it is in the small and medium range.

Other clusters of offices can be found in the city. There are some smaller spaces on 2nd Avenue near the Oakland Inner Harbor. To the north of downtown, off of Broadway Street, are some slightly larger and slightly more expensive office spaces.

Oakland is one of the larger cities in the Bay Area, and it has a long history. Settled by the Spanish in the 1700s and incorporated as modern-day Oakland in 1852, the city has continued to develop throughout the 20th Century around its ports and shipyards and its thriving automobile industry. Today, it remains one of the key points of transportation and industry in the area. It is also one of the top cities in the entire nation in practicing sustainability and using renewable energy sources.

In terms of attractions, Oakland offers many art museums and an Aviation Museum. The Oakland Zoo is also a huge family favorite. For the young adult crowd, downtown Oakland features an assortment of clubs, restaurants, lounges, and dive bars. The Fox Theater and Paramount Theater attract an eclectic mix of live music, including jam bangs, rock, punk, reggae, blues, and jazz.

The upside to renting in Oakland is that office space is affordable in most areas. Many businesses will prefer to locate themselves downtown. It is a great area for shops and restaurants and bars to set up business. There, they can take advantage of the traffic.

Smaller businesses may choose the areas near the Oakland Inner Harbor, and larger businesses may wish to rent uptown along Broadway Street. These areas are especially good for businesses that do not need or do not wish for high visibility from foot traffic. Outside of these areas, there are very few offices spaces in the rest of Oakland. Businesses should focus on this part of the city when looking for places to rent.