San Francisco - Alison Bing [197]
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OAKLAND
Scrappy Oakland’s got attitude, and shouts it out at every chance. It’s got the Oakland A’s and deep African American roots that emerge artfully in world-celebrated music, literature and art. It has the USA’s fourth-largest port: arriving ferry passengers are greeted by sky-high cranes plucking freight containers from the ground. But best of all, Oakland has stellar summer weather – it’s usually 10°F warmer than SF. Oaktown has less than half San Francisco’s population, but more urban grit. It also has a lovely downtown: many architectural gems survive from the early 20th century and a little saltwater lake sits right in the heart of downtown. Oakland is a city of neighborhood joints, local groceries and small clusters of clubs and restaurants.
Hop on BART to downtown Oakland (an easy 15-minute ride), or drive over the Bay Bridge. Oakland’s downtown is best visited on a weekday, when it’s lively with action (at night it’s dead). Wander past historic buildings and poke into colorful local shops. With easy access from San Francisco via BART and ferry, you can comfortably spend a half day exploring downtown, nearby Chinatown and Jack London Sq on foot.
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TRANSPORTATION: OAKLAND
Distance from San Francisco 16 miles from downtown to downtown
Direction East
Travel time 25 minutes
Car Bay Bridge to I-880; take the Broadway exit to downtown
BART The Richmond and Pittsburg/Bay Point lines run through downtown Oakland. Get off at the 12th St or 19th St exits. Pittsburg/Bay Point trains stop in Rockridge and on College Ave.
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Information
The Oakland Tribune is Oakland’s daily newspaper. The free weekly East Bay Express has good Oakland and Berkeley listings, though the restaurant reviews are often overrated.
Diesel ( 510-653-9965; 5433 College Ave; Rockridge) One of Oakland’s fine new-and-used bookstores.
Marcus Bookstore ( 510-652-2344; 3900 Martin Luther King Jr Way; MacArthur) Specializes in African American literature and history.
Oakland Convention & Visitors Bureau ( 510-839-9000; www.oaklandcvb.com; 463 11th St; 8:30am-5pm Mon-Fri; Oakland City Center) Near the Oakland Marriott Hotel.
Post office (1446 Franklin St; Oakland City Center) There’s another branch at 201 13th St.
Walden Pond Bookstore ( 510-832-4438; 3316 Grand Ave; 12 AC Transit) An excellent bookstore.
Sights & Activities
The pedestrianized City Center (Broadway & Clay St, 12th & 14th Sts; Oakland City Center) forms the heart of downtown Oakland. The twin towers of the Ronald Dellums Federal Building are on Clay St, just behind it. Highlighting the skyline on 13th and Franklin Sts is the 1923 Tribune Tower, an Oakland icon with a cool red neon clock and home to the Oakland Tribune. The beautiful, refurbished 1914 Beaux Arts City Hall, on 14th and Clay Sts, is another beauty.
Old Oakland (Washington St, btwn 8th & 10th Sts; Oakland City Center), immediately west of Broadway, is lined with historic buildings dating from the 1860s to 1880s. The buildings have been restored and new, upscale restaurants have begun to make this a hub of evening activity. The area also hosts a lively Chinese-influenced farmers market every Friday morning – a great time to visit.
North of the center, where Telegraph Ave angles off Broadway, stands the 1913 flat-iron Cathedral Building. The nearby Paramount Theatre ( 510-465-6400; www.paramounttheatre.com; 2025 Broadway; 19th St) is a restored 1931 art deco masterpiece.
Downtown Oakland has plenty of other buildings adorned with art nouveau or art deco details; unfortunately, many now stand empty and are in need of care, particularly those further out from City Center. One success story is the 1928 Fox Oakland Theatre (www.thefoxoakland.com;