Local area

Right in Hayward’s hectic downtown is this sanctuary where you can take a minute to reflect. The Japanese Garden was the Bay Area’s first to be designed according to strict traditional guidelines. Typical for this style of garden the beds with 70 different tree and plant species have been meticulously tended to resemble miniature landscapes and on a visit you’ll pass through pavilions, cross a bridge over a koi pond fed by a waterfall and see a Japanese teahouse. The detail is impressive – even

Oakland is a city on the east side of San Francisco Bay, in California. Jack London Square has a statue of the writer, who frequented the area. Nearby, Old Oakland features restored Victorian architecture and boutiques. Near Chinatown, the Oakland Museum of California covers state history, nature and art. Uptown contains the art deco Fox and Paramount theaters, restaurants, bars and galleries.

Fremont is a city in California's San Francisco Bay Area. The Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum traces the early days of filmmaking through artifacts and photos. Mission San José is a 1700s Spanish Mission, with a reconstructed church and a museum. The Ardenwood Historic Farm demonstrates horse-powered farming, and features a Victorian mansion. Central Park is home to Lake Elizabeth and the Aqua Adventure Water Park.

San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 808,988 residents as of 2023, San Francisco is the fourth-most populous city in the U.S. state of California behind Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Jose.

San Jose is a large city surrounded by rolling hills in Silicon Valley, a major technology hub in California's Bay Area. Architectural landmarks, from the 1883 Italianate-style Oddfellows building to Spanish Colonial Revival structures, make up the downtown historic district. The downtown area is also home to the Tech Museum of Innovation, devoted to the exploration of science and technology.

California State University, East Bay is a public university in Hayward, California. The university is part of the California State University system and offers 136 undergraduate and 60 post-baccalaureate areas of study. Founded in 1957, California State University, East Bay has a student body of almost 14,000.

Union City is a city in Alameda County, California, United States in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is located approximately 19 miles south of Oakland, 30 miles from San Francisco, and 20 miles north of San Jose. It was incorporated in 1959, combining the communities of Alvarado and Decoto.

San Lorenzo is a census-designated place located in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area in Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 29,581 at the 2020 census. It is an unincorporated community, located at the banks of San Lorenzo Creek.

Castro Valley is a census-designated place in Alameda County, California, United States. At the 2010 census, it was the fifth most populous unincorporated area in California. The population was 66,441 at the 2020 census.

Anthony Chabot Regional Park is a regional park in Oakland, Alameda County, California in the United States. It is part of the East Bay Regional Park District system, and covers 5,067 acres in the San Leandro Hills adjacent to Oakland, San Leandro and Castro Valley.

Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area is a regional park located in Fremont, California that is part of the East Bay Regional Parks system. Before being converted into a park, the site was used as a gravel quarry.

Dr. Aurelia Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park is a part of the East Bay Regional Parks District in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is located in the hills east of Oakland, California. The park contains the largest remaining natural stand of coast redwood found in the East Bay.

The Oakland Zoo is a zoo located in the Grass Valley neighborhood of Oakland, California, United States. Established on June 6, 1922, it is managed by the Conservation Society of California, a 501 non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of wildlife both locally and globally.