SF Chronicle reports on the effort by Oakland to fold Piedmont back into its clutches (gasp!). Piedmont used to be part of Oakland a century ago, but they annexed themselves out...and ain't no way in hell they are going back to Oakland. Is it sour grapes for Oakland or does Piedmont reek of NIMBY-ism? Probably a little of both.
Piedmont has been the way it is now for 105 years: a wealthy, family-oriented community surrounded by Oakland. It's believed to be the only city in the United States to be located completely within another city. Some refer to it as the Doughnut Hole, or the Vatican City of the East Bay...."Piedmont was an enclave of wealthy people who wanted to divorce themselves from the madness of 1906 Oakland," said East Bay historian and author Dennis Evanosky. "They looked at the traffic, the crime, the people and said, 'You know, let's not be a part of that.' "
