My visit to Oakland, CA Part III

[WesternGulf]

Goodnight

[Talbot]

Great series of photos. Oakland is definately a nice place, atleast to look at.

[Guest danax]

Great pics.

I lived there from my birth in '58 until '70 when Dad decided 4 burglaries within a year or so was too much, and so we moved to Santa Rosa, an hour north. The first house I lived in was one of those Late Victorian row house deals with a Craftsman interior. Between the hippie explosion in SF, the protests next door in Berkeley, and the Black Panther activity in Oakland, it seemed for a while there that I was living at the center of an exploding universe but, as a 10 year old, I was somehow insulated from the excitement and the biggest thrill was getting the A's from Kansas City and the Raiders going to Super Bowl II.

I haven't been back there in so long but I am happy to see some of those formerly sad old houses fixed up. Oakland's so full of historic residential architecture in the form of Arts & Crafts and Moderne stuccoed bungalows, since its building boom took place right after the '06 quake and continued right on through WWII. My grandfather was living in SF and was 3 months old when the quake hit and his family moved to Oakland. My dad bought an Arts and Crafts home in the Avenues in '63 and proceeded to remuddle the heck out of it. I didn't know any better and thought it looked great at the time, blue formica, fake wood paneling, wall to wall carpet and all.

I have heard that gentrification has arrived big time there and am glad to hear it. And knowing how Californians feel about their historic architecture, I'm not worried about too many of those antique storefronts getting bulldozed. That variety of anxiety is something I've picked up only since living in Houston.

[2fatcats]

I haven't been back there in so long but I am happy to see some of those formerly sad old houses fixed up. Oakland's so full of historic residential architecture in the form of Arts & Crafts and Moderne stuccoed bungalows, since its building boom took place right after the '06 quake and continued right on through WWII. <<danax

I used to visit some friends who lived there. They had a huge old victorian built in the 1880's which needed a lot of work but still had all those neat things like high ceilings and pocket doors. Unfortunately it was in a very seedy part of town off San Pedro and right across the street from a charity mission. It was sandwiched between two brick warehouses and with a high fence in front you could disappear into your own world once you stepped off the street. They rented it for the unheard of amount of 500 dollars a month (this was in the mid 80's). I always enjoyed going there, being a native Californian but one thing I did notice is that when you cross the city limit from Oakland into Berkley its like moving to another planet. Oakland back then was pretty run down in places and Berkley was nice and green as I recall. Oakland was also the only place I ever saw a chicken restaurant with bullet proof glass and curb service only.

[Vertigo58]

Great series of photos. Oakland is definately a nice place, atleast to look at.

Oakland was part of my sales territory for about 6 years. I was able to visit there and surrounding Bay Area communites to visit accounts. As like most cities one minute you can be in the ritzy area go 2 blocks over and its skid row. There were really bad fires that ravaged the hillsides around 94 (there was even a TV movie) and we could still see the blakened hills with concrete slabs and just stubs of trees for quite a distance.

I distinctly recall Oakland Airport just right next to the Nimitz Frwy. I crossed over the frwy bridge at I think it was Telegraph Blvd or High St. I am not knocking, but this seemed like the epitome of urban blight. What was so sad was the historical looking buildings and homes were so neglected, faded paint, graffiti and the people hanging around. Street life abounded. My new rental car and I stood out like a sore thumb so I turned around. A friend told me there really is a more upscale touristy area in Oakland but I sure would like to revisit and see it.

[N Judah]

A friend told me there really is a more upscale touristy area in Oakland but I sure would like to revisit and see it.

Emeryville has completely changed in the last ~10 yrs. I hear there were only train tracks where there are now condos and an outdoor mall.

Most interesting to me is the fact that almost none of the new development is designed with the pedstrian in mind -- yet it is actually quite easy to get around on foot.