It is not well-known, probably due to its location. Oakland is like an alien land for most people in Bay Area if you don't live there.
Actually, Oakland has a few nice neighborhoods, like Claremont, Montclair, Rockridge, etc. Also, Piedmont is a very nice small town, located inside Oakland. Across the Fwy-24 tunnel is Orinda, another nice town. If house price can be used as an indicator somehow, you can take a look at them in these areas.
BTW, College Prep School is located near the intersection of Fwy-24 and Fwy-13.
