I was idly searching the "Oakland" tag here, and thanks to Estar108 mentioning "Oakland typology" I found this photo. I made an account to tell you that this is indeed North Oakland, Ruby Street at 40th Street. I used to walk by those apartment buildings across the street on my way home from work. Key System trains used to run down 40th Street.

I live in Albuquerque and can tell you the vegetation typically does not look like that here. The housing typology in the background is not characteristic in Albuquerque as far as I know, but it is a familiar typology of Oakland, CA. Sidewalks and power lines also look more like California to me.

I'm pretty sure the Packard's license plate is not from New Mexico or Utah. It has an early 1950s California look to it. The color (light on dark, probably yellow on black) fits 1950s California, but the number looks more like CA's 1940s pattern, except that in the 1940s the word "California" was above the numbers and on this plate it looks like the writing is below the numbers.

To me, the setting looks more like southern California than either Albuquerque or Salt Lake City. Also, from the way they're dressed and the open car door, I'd guess that the girl is going somewhere but the woman isn't.

[You're right, the design is that of the 1951 California plate, used through 1955 with a metal year tab attached at the lower right for renewals. There doesn't seem to be one here, so that would indicate a 1951-2 date for the photo. - tterrace]

Yes, it is a 1941 Packard and it is a model 110 with a 6 cylinder 110 HP motor. You can tell because it has the smaller decorative trim in the center of the front bumper as opposed to the model 120 (8 cylinder - 120 HP)with a larger trim piece. The 160 and 180 models both had same front bumper and it was larger and distinctly different.

Two-tone colors were popular with Packards back in 1941 and the offered six, different combinations that year. And I don't see any taxi trim. I own two 1941 Packards, one a 120 and the other a 160.

What appears to be a flag on the building in the background (white or silver "X" on a black background) is actually a railroad crossing sign suspended on a wire over the street, indicating a track running in the cross street at that location. These signs were common in California cities where street trackage existed, and the buildings look like southern California to me, too. There was also a lot of street trackage in Salt Lake City, much less if any in Albuquerque to my knowledge.

The most obvious car is a 1941 Packard. Given the two-tone paint, perhaps a taxi. The setting looks more like Albuquerque than Salt Lake City to me.