Media headlines suggest that tech companies have left the Bay Area, but the truth is that just about everything and anything associated with technology and innovation can still be found in the San Francisco area. Start-ups, funding, IPOs, software, talent, and more, are synonymous with Silicon Valley.
Home to industry pioneers like Google, Apple, Facebook, and more recently, OpenAI, San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood boasts approximately 315,000 square feet of leased office space. This is where promising tech talent is nurtured — and where dreamers and entrepreneurs go to find fame, fortune, and the next big idea. Most of all, it’s where the ecosystem of technology and innovation thrive.
A Welcoming Future
It’s unsurprising that the Bay Area is leading the development in technology that’s promising to change our future, particularly data science, analytics, software development and artificial intelligence (AI). OpenAI, for example, raised $6.5 billion in September 2024 and is now valued at $150 billion, per Bloomberg.
According to research from the International Data Corporation (IDC), “business spending to adopt AI, to use AI in existing business operations, and to deliver better products/services to business and consumer customers will have a cumulative global economic impact of $19.9 trillion through 2030 and drive 3.5% of global GDP in 2030.”
Follow the Jobs
The area dominates in attracting talent, drawing more than half of U.S. venture capital funding, most of the country’s largest start-up companies, and numerous colleges and universities.
In a September 2024 report from CBRE, “The most significant indicators for any market’s potential
growth of AI-specialty talent are the presence of universities with established AI education programs, major technology companies developing AI, and available venture capital funding.”
The Bay Area is what powers much of California’s massive economic engine. A hidden gem that stands out is Emeryville, spanning just two square miles, it’s the city by the bay that’s attracting tenants and employees due to its ideal location and safety.
The Intersection of Locale, Livability and Affordability
South of Berkeley, north of Oakland, and sharing a border on the shore of the San Francisco Bay sits Emeryville. Having a dynamic arts and music community and is home to hundreds of artists and musicians. There are currently over 60 publicly owned art installations in the city and over 100 available to the public in private development with over 600 individual works.
The city is centrally located and accessible, resting at the east landing of the Bay Bridge with easy access to Interstate freeways 80, 880, and 580. Emeryville makes personal transportation easy with its Emery Go-Round system, a free shuttle funded by city businesses and free access to an Oakland BART station just a few blocks outside Emeryville.
Income and Housing
According to the Census Bureau, Emeryville had some 13,000 residents in 2020. It’s not surprising that many households in the epicenter of a massive high-tech corridor are both well-educated and well-paid.
It’s not surprising that many households in the epicenter of a massive high-tech corridor are both well-educated and well-paid.
However, while salaries and perks are on the high side in the Bay Area, so are housing costs. According to Zillow, in August the typical home nationwide was valued at $361,282. Compare that
with San Francisco ($1,258,7010), Oakland ($762,157), or Berkeley ($1,394,566).
And Emeryville? $514,497.
Emeryville’s significantly lower housing costs mean reduced monthly loan payments, smaller property insurance bills, and pared-down property tax assessments when compared with typical costs in nearby cities.
Leisure, Housing, and Jobs
Emeryville is an urban enclave that packs a lot of livability into a small area, space that includes
housing as well as the Bay Street Emeryville shopping center, that offers retail stores, dining, entertainment, and more.
The city is adjacent to McLaughlin Eastshore State Park, a recreation area with more than 1,800 acres along the San Francisco Bay. According to Walk Score, Emeryville — with a score of 89 — is “very walkable,” meaning “most errands can be accomplished on foot.” It’s also a “biker’s paradise” (with a score of 97) because “daily errands can be accomplished on a bike.”
Emeryville, said SFGate last year, is “a surprisingly dynamic place filled with scenic trails, historic architecture, a well-established art scene, unique food options galore and an impressive new park.”
Among the most impressive and welcoming outdoor attractions of the city is Emeryville Greenway, a scenic pedestrian and bicycle pathway that stretches through Emeryville from Berkeley to Oakland. Originally, part of Southern Pacific’s East Bay Electric Lines, the Greenway takes trekkers across the South Bayfront Pedestrian Bicycle Bridge, where they can enjoy the beautiful Horton Landing Park.
Not only does Emeryville have a large variety of leisure and housing options, it also has jobs.
The city includes the headquarters of such well-known American businesses as Pixar Animation Studios, Clif Bar & Co, and the Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. At KBS’ Towers Emeryville you can find Sutter Health, the Berkeley Research Group, LLC (BRG), LeapFrog Enterprises, and other organizations.
Not only does Emeryville have a large variety of leisure and housing options, it also has jobs.
The Towers Emeryville is a landmark high-rise office park located on sixteen waterfront acres across the bay from downtown San Francisco. It features 814,000 square feet of office and retail space in three Class-A high rises. You can drive to San Francisco in just a few minutes or sit back and enjoy views of the city skyline, the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Oakland Hills.
On site at the Towers are an array of attractive amenities, including a fitness center with pickleball court, tenant lounge, conference center, and a bocce ball court. There’s also 24/7 security, free express BART shuttle, car wash, bike storage, easy access to the scenic Bay Trail, food and shopping, ample parking, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, co-working space, Red Bison secure Gigabit Internet throughout the building, and guest Wi-Fi.
The Future is Now
Some experts believe that today’s commercial business districts may become 24-hour, seven-day-a-week zones with homes, stores, entertainment, and Class-A office facilities — all in one place. If that’s what will become of many downtown centers, then Emeryville appears to be evolving into a living, working model of that future. It has a work/life/play balance that appeals to a growing number of people, including many of the very people top employers need and seek.
Emeryville is the little city by the bay that’s fast becoming the future for many entrepreneurs, tech engineers, innovators, and dreamers alike, who want to put down roots.
