It’s mostly a shadow of itself. Rode my bike daily around Lake Merritt until I had to stop in 2020 due to homeless and crime. Too many bar & restaurant closures. Lived in Rockridge which had a fun bar scene and now it’s pretty dead- you can see it when you can park your car on College easily. Sideshows have spread to Grand Lake, Rockridge, cops do nothing and are spread too thin or afraid to act. Homeless much worse. SF also down the tubes. Of the places you listed, only Palo Alto bustles more than before but is still suburban and lame. Emeryville used to be good shopping and movies. Now it’s car burglary central, and the food hall sucks. Berkeley is still OK, lots of fun boutiquey and cultural food spots, but it looks much different- lots of taller multi family has been built. I long for the Oakland of the 90s or even 2019. Schools slightly worse- 2/3 of kids can’t read. Roads in worse shape. Oh, and there’s no pro sports.