The Sierra at Jack London Square

Honesty first: The Sierra is not a conversion. It was purpose-built in 2003 by architect Kava Massih as ten stories of "soft lofts" — around 223 of them, including street-level live/work units — and it was one of Oakland's first big loft-style condo buildings.

What it offers is the loft vocabulary — eighteen-foot ceilings, exposed ductwork, honest concrete columns — with full-building amenities the conversions can't match: pool, gym, media room, and Jack London Square's restaurants at the door. Priced and shopped accordingly, it's the East Bay's best example of the type.