Downtown Oakland

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Downtown Oakland from Lake Merritt Downtown Oakland .jpg
Downtown Oakland from Lake Merritt
Aerial view of Downtown Oakland and Lake Merritt Closeup aerial view of Downtown Oakland and Lakeside Park.jpg
Aerial view of Downtown Oakland and Lake Merritt
Lionel J. Wilson/Broadway Building at 150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza Titanic Building.JPG
Lionel J. Wilson/Broadway Building at 150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza
Detail of the Romanesque Revival Tribune Tower. The building serves as a quintessential Oakland landmark, timepiece, and navigation aid, as its unique green roof and massive red neon sign and clock can be seen for miles. Oakland tribune tower detail.jpg
Detail of the Romanesque Revival Tribune Tower. The building serves as a quintessential Oakland landmark, timepiece, and navigation aid, as its unique green roof and massive red neon sign and clock can be seen for miles.

Downtown Oakland is the central business district of Oakland, California, United States. It is located roughly bounded by both the Oakland Estuary and Interstate 880 on the southwest, Interstate 980 on the northwest, Grand Avenue on the northeast, and Lake Merritt on the east.

Contents

The Downtown Oakland area is sometimes expanded to refer to the industrial and residential Jack London Square and Jack London warehouse district areas, the Lakeside Apartments District, which are a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lake Merritt, the Civic Center district, Chinatown, and the south end of Oakland's Broadway Auto Row, an area along Broadway which has historically been used by car dealers and automobile repair shops. While many consider these areas outside of downtown proper, they are generally considered more geographically proximate to Downtown Oakland than to East Oakland, North Oakland or to West Oakland and are thus sometimes associated with Downtown Oakland. In the 21st century, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, Downtown Oakland experienced a significant exodus of businesses; [1]

Culture

Black Cowboy Parade

Downtown Oakland view from Lake Merritt Downtown Oakland view from Lake Merritt.jpg
Downtown Oakland view from Lake Merritt

Downtown Oakland hosts the only celebration of its kind in the nation in memory of the black cowboys who helped settle the American West. The annual parade typically begins on an early October weekend at DeFremery Park in West Oakland en route to Frank H. Ogawa Plaza where judging booths are set up. After an awards ceremony, the parade returns to DeFremery Park for a celebration.

Murder of Chauncey Bailey

On August 2, 2007, journalist and editor-in-chief of the Oakland Post , Chauncey Bailey was assassinated by YBMB handyman Devaughdre Broussard as Bailey was walking to work, around 7:30 am at the southeast corner of 14th and Alice streets; across from Lakeside Apartments District.

Land use and points of interest

Downtown Oakland is home to apartment and condominium dwellers, numerous retail businesses, tall modern office buildings, shorter mixed-use historic buildings, the hubs of AC Transit and BART, which has three underground stations, the city's official Entertainment District which includes the historic Paramount and Fox Theatres, nightclubs, and restaurants, the headquarters of Clorox, City Center, a portion of Old Oakland, and a portion of Chinatown.

Downtown includes a portion of the oldest part of the city. The area from the Oakland Estuary inland to 14th Street between West Street and the Lake Merritt Channel was the original site of Oakland, and there are several 19th century houses scattered around the edges of downtown and in Chinatown. [2] The Oakland Museum is located on Oak Street near the southeastern edge of Downtown.

Education

Higher education

Laney College, with more than 12,000 students, is located on Fallon Street near the Lake Merritt BART station. Other educational institutions include Lincoln University, a small business school catering mainly to international students, and a downtown office of Cal State East Bay. Oaksterdam University, a business college which prepares students for medical cannabis work, is located on 15th Street in an area referred to as "Oaksterdam". [3] [4]

The original campus of UC Berkeley was located between Franklin, Harrison, 12th and 14th streets; [2] and the University of California system is currently headquartered in Downtown.

Public primary and secondary education

Lincoln Elementary School, one of the few public elementary schools in the downtown of a major US city[ citation needed ], is on the edge of downtown, near the center of Chinatown. The Oakland School for the Arts, a charter school, is building a new facility surrounding the Fox Oakland Theatre in Oakland's Uptown Oakland.

Transportation

Motor vehicle limitations

City Hall Plaza is a city park and a "pedestrian plaza" which includes what was once the terminus of San Pablo Avenue where it met Broadway at 14th Street. It also includes 15th Street, which once ran through what is now "Kahn's Alley", past the 250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza building, across Clay Street, through what is now a glass windowed lobby of the California State office building, connecting with Jefferson Street on the building's west side entrance. Motor vehicle traffic has also been excluded from where former city streets, Washington street and 13th street, were once aligned through what is now the Oakland City Center development. Today, the area features an outdoor retail mall with pedestrian streets laid out to replicate the original street grid.

BART

BART's 12th Street Station entrance at 1245 Broadway Broadway and 13th SE entrance to 12th Street station, April 2020.jpg
BART's 12th Street Station entrance at 1245 Broadway

Three subway Bay Area Rapid Transit stations serve downtown: 12th Street Oakland City Center station, located at 1245 Broadway, and 19th Street Oakland station, located at 1900 Broadway, are both located on the Broadway subway corridor. The Lake Merritt station is in the eastern area of Chinatown, at 800 Madison Street. All of BART's main services travel through the Oakland Wye, an underground flying wye.

AC Transit

Several routes operated by AC Transit pass through or end in Downtown Oakland. [5] These include:

Local Routes

The 314 formerly made two trips per week through downtown Oakland from the West Oakland Post Office to the Walmart Supercenter at Hegenberger Road and Edgewater Drive in East Oakland, via Santa Clara Avenue (Alameda) and Doolittle Drive. Service has been suspended on this line since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Transbay Routes

All-Nighter Routes (all routes meet near 20th Street and Broadway)

The 1T continues to run at late nights, replacing a segment of line 801 upon the opening of line 1T in August 2020. Passengers may transfer at San Leandro BART to 801 service via International Boulevard, East 14th Street, and Mission Boulevard, approximating the route of BART service from Fremont.

Transit passengers traveling in and out of downtown are serviced by various AC Transit stops near Broadway and 12th Street, loosely connected to 12th Street BART, as well as the Uptown Transit Center bus mall on 20th Street, connected to 19th Street BART. The Uptown Transit Center features multiple bus shelters with seating, NextBus arrival prediction signs, and local and Rapid Bus service to Oakland's streetcar suburbs. These stations host local service, Rapid service, Transbay Express, and All Nighter service. (Some, but not all, other bus stops in downtown Oakland also include shelters and arrival signs.) A Clipper Add Value Machine is located at AC Transit headquarters at 1600 Franklin Street, as well as at all BART stations.

Gondola

The Oakland Athletics made a proposal to have a privately financed gondola lift travel on Washington Street from 10th Street near City Center to Water Street in Jack London Square. It is proposed as a new mode of transportation to the team's future ballpark in Jack London Square. There would be approximately 12-14 gondola cabins, each of which would carry about 35 people, with a projection of 6,000 people transported per hour. This project is estimated to be completed in 2023. [6] [7] [ needs update ]

Community Benefit District

Oakland City Center in 2018 Downtown-oakland-city-center-94612.jpg
Oakland City Center in 2018

The Downtown Oakland [8] and Lake Merritt/Uptown District Associations [9] are community benefit districts that were formed in February 2009. Property owners in both Downtown Oakland and the Lake Merritt/Uptown Districts voted by a margin of almost 8 to 1 to support a voluntary property tax to fund services that would improve the quality of life in their respective communities. The associations meet and function jointly. Services funded by these Districts include maintaining cleanliness and order in the public rights of way, improving district identity and advocating on behalf of the area's property owners, business owners and residents. In June 2013, the districts were recognized by the International Downtown Association (IDA) and named the IDA's June Downtown of the Month. [10]

The district boards have three organizational committees, [11] including the DISI (District Identity and Street Improvement) Committee, the SOBO (Sidewalk Operations, Beautification & Order) Committee and the Joint ORG (Organization) Committee. The DISI Committee promotes the identity of the districts, encourages economic development and works to create a vibrant downtown through public relations, marketing, and special events. The SOBO Committee oversees cleanliness and order in the public rights of way and manages service providers in keeping with the expectations of our organization and the needs of the community. Through diligent planning and thoughtful allocation of resources, the SOBO committee executes projects that effectively beautify and enhance the safety of the districts for the long term, creating vibrant and celebrated public spaces. And lastly, the Joint Organization Committee oversees the general administration of the corporations, ensures the effective operation of the board, acts as the coordinating framework through which the other committees function efficiently, and works to increase involvement and support for the organizations.

The districts have helped fund several neighborhood beautification/improvement projects and initiatives, including The Latham Square pedestrian plaza, [12] back of BART planter boxes, hanging flower baskets and banners, [13] and median landscaping projects, to name a few.

Historic districts

The Downtown Oakland Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. The listing included 43 contributing buildings, one contributing site and one contributing object. [14] [15]

Other historic districts have been designated in Old Oakland: the Lakeside Apartments district, Preservation Park, and the Waterfront Warehouse district.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack London Square</span> Neighborhood of Oakland in Alameda, California, US

Jack London Square is a neighborhood on the waterfront of Oakland, California, United States. Named after the author Jack London and owned by the Port of Oakland, it is the home of stores, restaurants, hotels, Amtrak's Jack London Square station, a San Francisco Bay Ferry ferry dock, the historic Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon, the (re-located) cabin where Jack London lived in the Klondike, and a movie theater. The former presidential yacht USS Potomac is moored at an adjacent slip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AC Transit</span> Public transit operator in Alameda County and Contra Costa County, California

AC Transit is an Oakland-based public transit agency serving the western portions of Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. AC Transit also operates "Transbay" routes across San Francisco Bay to San Francisco and selected areas in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. AC Transit is constituted as a special district under California law. It is governed by seven elected members. It is not a part of or under the control of Alameda or Contra Costa counties or any local jurisdictions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinatown, Oakland, California</span> Neighborhood of Oakland in Alameda, California, United States

The Chinatown neighborhood in Oakland, California, is traditionally Chinese which reflects Oakland's diverse Chinese American, and more broadly Asian American community. It is frequently referred to as "Oakland Chinatown" in order to distinguish it from nearby San Francisco's Chinatown. It lies at an elevation of 39 feet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Merritt station</span> Rapid transit station in Oakland, California, US

Lake Merritt station is an underground Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station located east of Downtown Oakland near the eponymous Lake Merritt. The station is served by the Orange, Green, and Blue lines. It is the nearest BART station to Chinatown, Laney College, and Jack London Square station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">19th Street Oakland station</span> Metro station in Oakland, California, US

19th Street Oakland station is an underground Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station located under Broadway between 17th Street and 20th Street in the Uptown District of Oakland, California. It is a timed transfer point between northbound trains to Richmond and to Antioch. The station has three underground levels, with tracks on the second and third levels. It is served by the Red Line, Orange Line, and Yellow Line, as well as by AC Transit buses on the surface at the Uptown Transit Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fruitvale station</span> Rapid transit station in San Francisco Bay Area

Fruitvale station is a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station located in the Fruitvale District of Oakland, California. The elevated station has two side platforms. The station is served by the Orange, Green, and Blue lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fruitvale, Oakland, California</span> Neighborhood of Oakland in Alameda, California, United States

Fruitvale is a neighborhood in Oakland, California, United States. It is located approximately 4 miles (6.44 km) southeast of Downtown, and is home to the city's largest Hispanic population, with Hispanics constituting 53.8% of Fruitvale's population. Fruitvale's ZIP code is 94601. It lies at an elevation of 49 feet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Bay Electric Lines</span> Former local railway services in the San Francisco Bay Area

The East Bay Electric Lines were a unit of the Southern Pacific Railroad that operated electric interurban-type trains in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Beginning in 1862, the SP and its predecessors operated local steam-drawn ferry-train passenger service in the East Bay on an expanding system of lines, but in 1902 the Key System started a competing system of electric lines and ferries. The SP then drew up plans to expand and electrify its system of lines and this new service began in 1911. The trains served the cities of Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville, Oakland, Alameda, and San Leandro transporting commuters to and from the large Oakland Pier and SP Alameda Pier. A fleet of ferry boats ran between these piers and the docks of the Ferry Building on the San Francisco Embarcadero.

The Lakeside Apartments District neighborhood, also known as The Gold Coast, and simply as The Lakeside, is one of Oakland's historic residential neighborhoods between the Downtown district and Lake Merritt. In the context of a Cultural Heritage Survey, the City of Oakland officially named most of the blocks of the neighborhood "The Lakeside Apartments District," and designated it as a local historic district with architecturally significant historic places, and Areas of Primary Importance (APIs). The greater neighborhood includes the interior blocks officially designated as a local historic district and the 'Gold Coast' peripheral areas along Lakeside Drive, 20th Street, and the west edge of Lake Merritt, areas closer to 14th Street and the Civic Center district, and blocks adjacent to downtown along Harrison Street.

Oaksterdam is a cultural district on the north end of Downtown Oakland, California, where medical cannabis is available for purchase in cafés, clubs, and patient dispensaries. Oaksterdam is located between downtown proper, the Lakeside, and the financial district. It is roughly bordered by 14th Street on the southwest, Harrison Street on the southeast, 19th Street on the northeast, and Telegraph Avenue on the northwest. The name is a portmanteau of "Oakland" and "Amsterdam," due to the Dutch city's cannabis coffee shops and the drug policy of the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland Coliseum station</span> Rail station in Oakland, California, US

The station complex of Amtrak's Oakland Coliseum station and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)'s Coliseum station is located in the East Oakland area of Oakland, California, United States. The two stations, located about 600 feet (180 m) apart, are connected to each other and to the Oakland Coliseum/Oakland Arena sports complex with an accessible pedestrian bridge. The BART station is served by the Orange, Green, and Blue lines; the Amtrak station is served by the Capitol Corridor service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uptown Oakland</span> Neighborhood of Oakland in Alameda, California, United States

Uptown Oakland is a neighborhood in Oakland, California, located in the northern end of Downtown. It is located roughly between West Grand Avenue to the north, Interstate 980 to the west, City Center and 14th Street to the south, and Broadway to the east. The neighborhood has become an important entertainment district in recent years.

International Boulevard, East 14th Street, and Mission Boulevard is a major road in Alameda County, California, United States. The section now known as International Boulevard was also named East 14th Street until 1996, owing to its position in the East Oakland grid plan; though fully deprecated within the city of Oakland today, this name is still commonly used, especially in casual speech. Mission Boulevard is so named as number 43300 is the location of Mission San José.

San Antonio is a large district in Oakland, California, encompassing the land east of Lake Merritt to Sausal Creek. It is one of the most diverse areas of the city. It takes its name from Rancho San Antonio, the name of the land as granted to Luís María Peralta by the last Spanish governor of California.

Oakland's Civic Center neighborhood is a residential and public building district on the east side of Oakland's Central Business District. Its borders are roughly Downtown and Harrison Street to the west, the East Lake Neighborhood and Lakeshore Avenue to the east, the Lakeside Apartments District and 14th Street to the North, and Chinatown and 11th Street to the South.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Oakland, California</span>

The history of Oakland, a city in the county of Alameda, California, can be traced back to the founding of a settlement by Horace Carpentier, Edson Adams, and Andrew Moon in the 19th century. The area now known as Oakland had seen human occupation for thousands of years, but significant growth in the settlements that are now incorporated into the city did not occur until the Industrial Revolution. Oakland was first incorporated as a town in 1852.

The Oakland Wye is an underground flying wye junction in downtown Oakland, California which serves the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system. Trains can switch between (a) the northbound Richmond or Antioch lines, (b) the westbound San Francisco lines, and (c) the southbound Berryessa or Dublin/Pleasanton lines. The Oakland Wye is the center of the BART system, and is a bottleneck for the whole system because every regularly scheduled BART train passes through it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tempo (bus rapid transit)</span> Bus rapid transit in Oakland and San Leandro, California

Tempo is a bus rapid transit (BRT) service in Oakland and San Leandro in California. It is operated by AC Transit as Line 1T. The route has dedicated lanes and center-boarding stations along much of the corridor, prepaid fares, signal preemption, and all-door boarding. It is AC Transit's busiest bus route, with an average of 13,615 riders boarding each weekday in Fall 2022.

References

  1. ↑ Laura Waxmann (March 27, 2024). "Oakland's downtown is struggling—and experts say the outlook could be worse than in SF". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Bagwell, Beth (1982). Oakland, The Story of a City. Oakland Heritage Alliance. ISBN   0-9640087-1-8.
  3. ↑ "News Segment". KTVU Television, Oakland, California. January 2007. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15.
  4. ↑ Lisa Leff (2008-02-26). "Higher education: Oakland class teaches pot growing Weekend trade school course teaching students to grow, cook pot booked through May". The Associated Press; Oakland Tribune. Archived from the original on March 2, 2008.
  5. ↑ "Maps & Schedules | Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District".
  6. ↑ Gallegos, Martin (January 26, 2019). "Dave Kaval lays out vision for gondolas to new A's ballpark". www.mercurynews.com. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Oakland Ballpark: Gondola FAQs". www.mlb.com. 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  8. ↑ http://www.downtownoakland.org
  9. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-09-23. Retrieved 2013-09-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ↑ "Home".
  11. ↑ "女子大生があえて利用してみた！Smart（スマート）ツケ払いが現金化できる仕組みを実体験".
  12. ↑ Jones, Carolyn (August 8, 2013). "Oakland's Latham Square becomes pedestrian plaza". SFGate.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Newsletter Archives > National > Affordable Housing > Mon, August 23".
  14. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  15. ↑ Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey (January 23, 1998). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Downtown Oakland Historic District". National Park Service. and accompanying photos

37°48′16″N122°16′16″W / 37.80436°N 122.27114°W / 37.80436; -122.27114

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