Situated on the eastern shoreline of the San Francisco Bay, next to the Golden Gate Bridge, Albany is ranked among the best places to live in California. Centrally located in a major metropolitan area, Albany manages to maintain a sense of small-town ambiance, which is accentuated by its charming commercial corridor along Solano Avenue with quaint local shops and some of the Bay area’s best eateries.
Albany hosts the annual Solano Stroll, an open-air parade and fair, drawing hundreds of thousands to the city every year. Recreational opportunities abound in Albany, with access to East Shore State Park, the San Francisco Bay Trail, and Golden Gate Fields Racetrack. Neighboring communities like Berkeley, El Cerrito, Kensington, and Richmond offer plenty of amenities and recreational opportunities as well. Convenience to public transportation and major freeways makes getting around from Albany simple.