That huge, modern glass tower perched on the edge of Lake Merritt is actually the Cathedral of Christ the Light, although it is sometimes known simply as the Oakland Cathedral. This Roman Catholic Cathedral was actually the first built in the 21st Century as a replacement for the Cathedral of Saint Frances de Sales, which was damaged beyond repair in the 1989 earthquake. Among the regular attributes, the Cathedral includes a health services center providing help to those without insurance, a mausoleum for the bishops of Oakland, a cafe, a bookstore and a public garden. The Cathedral often hosts classical and religious concerts and concert series that are free to the public.
The Flintstone House is a unique private house that looks like a set of orange domes. Built in 1976, it was created using frames and shotcrete over inflated balloons. You can easily see this landmark home when you're on the Eugene A. Doran Memorial Bridge on Interstate 280. The house earns its nickname due to its uncanny resemblance to the house in the Hanna-Barbera cartoon show 'The Flintstones'. A private residence, the unusual home is well worth a quick stop.
Conventional wisdom holds that this iconic monument is shaped like a fire-hose nozzle. It is not, at least not by design. The tower is the gift of Lilly Hitchcock Coit, an eccentric heiress who managed to stand out in a city that teems with eccentricity. Lilly's particular passion was for the San Francisco Fire Department. The money she left in her will for the city's beautification was used to construct the Art Deco tower on Telegraph Hill in 1932. The view from here is one of the most impressive in San Francisco, offering unrestricted sights of the scenic Bay, the neighboring bridges, and the Marin Headlands. Inside, the first floor is ornamented with excellent murals, commissioned in 1933, that depict San Francisco's history. The tower's summit can be accessed by taking its elevator for a small fee.
Swan Marketplace is housed in a building that spans an entire area in the Old Oakland neighborhood. The building was constructed in stages at different times between 1917 and 1940. The terra cotta and brick building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many organizations and restaurants call this historic building home, including the historic Housewives Market, which has been operating since the early 20th Century. Today, visitors to the marketplace can wander through the indoor and outdoor spaces, taking in the scenery and the smells coming from the many delicious restaurants housed in the building.
Perhaps not as famous as the Golden Gate Bridge that connects the city with Marin County to the north, the double-decker San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is no less impressive than its more illustrious cousin as an engineering feat. A breathtaking sight, its complex system of steel cable spun onto the bridge's spans like a spider's web spun along its length. The bridge makes an especially captivating spectacle at night when miles of lights outline its graceful body. Another, even more impressive, achievement in the course of its history was when it was repaired and reopened within a month after a part of the span tumbled as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. The bridge underwent a seismic renovation in 2013, adding a brand new single-deck span east of Treasure Island.
Constructed as a temporary attraction for the 1915 Pan-Pacific International Exhibition, Palace of Fine Arts continues to enchant the city. The original plaster, which made up the monument's exterior, has been gradually replaced, with funds raised by the Marina's residents who wanted to preserve a graceful part of their landscape. Swans in the adjoining lagoon glide by the soaring ocher-tinted colonnades and the imposing dome rigged with panels of centaurs and warriors. Stroll inside the dome and marvel at the uncanny acoustics, then enjoy a picnic lunch on one of the park benches to provide an unparalleled view of this gem.