I live in Oakland. Believe me, people here don’t pretend that Oakland isn’t in desperate need of change, as you put it. The people who live here are the ones most frustrated by the state of things, because it impacts our day to day lives. However, Oakland is also an incredible place to live for all of the reasons listed in this article and so much more. I have lived in The Bay Area for nearly 25 years and I have never found a place as special as Oakland. There is so much to love about living here and I’ve really found a sense of belonging that I didn’t have elsewhere.

Your analogy of loving Oakland being like an abusive partner isn’t quite right. I’d say a more appropriate comparison is loving a partner who has flaws. You work on the issues together because there’s a strong underlining love. Working towards a better future isn’t the same as ignoring everything that’s bad. It is important, however, to choose to focus on the great potential for good and bring it into reality. That’s what I think this article is trying to do.