Emeryville, the East Bay Technology Hub

Everyday I’m amazed about all of the stories I read about all of the cool companies coming to Emeryville, or adding additional offices here.  Employers just love it here, and it makes total sense when you look at the location.  I mean, there is easy access to all of the major “bay area” freeways (I-80, I-880, and I-580) as well as easy access to BART.  Being located very close to UC Berkeley is a magnet for brain power.

The tech industry seems to be at the forefront of the job opportunities for Emeryville’s residents, with more innovative companies ready to join the ranks of the already impressive list of Emeryville companies like Pixar, Leapfrog, and Novartis.

I just heard that LeapFrog and Pixar have both recently expanded, and video game maker Electronic Arts is also taking on another big office space.  So it seems like there is “profit” in the water over here, because I haven’t heard of too many other expansions going on elsewhere these days.

This “tech hub” has been a real asset to Emeryville in many ways, and right behind OakWalk is a great example.  The companies that have set up shop here have actually helped to open a new, multi-million dollar elementary school.  Anna Yates Elementary School is beautiful, and both students and parents have told me that they are really enjoying the facility and staff there.   The entire school was recently re-modeled adding much needed state of the art classroom space and a new outdoor play field.  I don’t think I know a kid around from the age of 5-10 that doesn’t wish they could walk to school (I know my kids would love to be able to do that).   It’s so rare to find that these days, so it’s great to see OakWalk bring some of that nostalgic feel amidst the new age of high tech in the area.