My fiance and I just bought a condo in Old Oakland and we love it. The new stores and restaurants have made the area so lively and give it a great neighborhood feel. We cannot wait to have and raise kids here. However, I think in order to make downtown more livable, it's necessary to add a grocery store like Trader Joe's or Safeway. Smart n' Final is great for some simple items but doesn't really bring people to the neighborhood. A store like Trader Joe's or Safeway would offer a wider variety of food and would therefore bring more people to shop in the area.

We need to keep working families in Oakland and need to provide apartments and condos that are big enough for 4 people and maybe have outdoor balconies or common areas where kids can play. This is needed downtown as well as in the neighborhoods.

Roads- Oakland's roads are worse than some places in Haiti. I was there last December and I was amazed on the development of its infrastructure.

Filth- Many places in Oakland are a dump, there is trash everywhere. It is embarrassing!

Schools- Unless your kids go to a charter school, private or a school in the hills, you will find that schools are horrible. How can we expect Oakland to change when we are not investing in our kids!

Taxes- Stop stealing money from its citizens, and put the money back into the city!!! Our property taxes have increased tremendously, and I don't see much of an improvement anywhere.

Crime- Hiring more cops and policing is not enough. You have to invest in its citizens!!