Open Jaw: Where readers write back

Oakland: San Francisco's cooler cousin

This is an insulting account of Oakland's history. How about the shipyards that produced the ships that fought in the Second World War? Or the rise of the Black Panther movement that put Oakland at the centre of the political unrest of the late Sixties and Seventies?

You moored in Jack London Square, a pretty good indication of the rich artistic history here. Rather than become enamoured with the punk-polka scene you heard about, you might have mentioned the decades of great music that came out of Oakland – the fantastic jazz clubs, underground funk, and wide breadth of hip-hop, aside from MC Hammer. It's not all moustaches and farmer's markets.

ScottMorrisUS

I couldn't agree more with this article. Downtown Oakland is great, I live there and love the weather, food, Lake Merritt, the walkable lifestyle and easy access to BART (the SF Bay subway system). West Oakland has a lot going on too, particularly centred around the maker movement – led by instituitions such as The Crucible and American Steel Studios. East Oakland also has Fruitvale, an authentic Mexican neighborhood, with great food and a great Day of the Dead celebration. It's like the Mission in SF but pre-gentrification.

Ryan Bethencourt

The description of Oakland as a "shabby" city along with the bringing up of crime, crack cocaine and the homicide rate, really does Oakland a disservice.

"EG"

After the attacks in Mumbai

It's great to see such an excellent city back in full operation. Mumbai is too wonderful to lose to terrorism.

Earl D

Five way to: ski in Val d'Isère

Great article. Val d'Isère is one of my favourite resorts. In the "budget" section, a great way to keep the cost down is to stay in La Daille, five minutes away. Free buses run until the small hours and it's well-serviced by the funicular and a couple of other lifts.

Luke Rees