Corazon Del Pueblo

This place has the most beautiful art. My go to spot if I want to get someone something special.

My husband did not want to park on one of the side streets. However, he and I come from very different backgrounds.
You have to be escorted into Corazon Del Pueblo after ringing the bell for the store or the gallery. Soon, a man will come and invite you in and ask if you’re looking for something specific. I was: an embroidered dress. We followed him through the large space containing Mexican folk art, pottery, clay cazuelas, calacas, stationery, a German Shepherd yearling and into a room full of Mexican clothing and fabric.
It was impressive. Plus, his dresses were $ 15-​$ 20 cheaper than what I had just paid in Albany. And dug through some boxes and found my size and in purple! I was infuriated with myself because I had blindly followed my husband into his comfort zone, when this damn barrio isn’t much different than the one I grew up in.
Don’t be scared. It’s worth it if you’re looking for something specific.

I’ve been here three times, the last one on Nov. 1^st. looking for some Papel Picado for day of the dead decorations. You have to wait for them to open the door after you ring the bell. I think they see it as Fort Knox. Yeah, they have a variety of things but people please!!! they are ripping you off! Their prices are sooooo high for things that are so cheap. I’m Mexican and Know what I’m telling you. You can find better deals in the Mission or in Albany Ca. the place its called Casa Oaxaca. I’m not coming back ever! Also, the guy there I guess he was having a bad day because he asked me in a very rude way to not touch their papel picado, when they had it on a table for people to get it. I just said f_​_​k off and left their store. And if you can read the other comments, you can tell they are not «Mexicans» the persons writing them. So… You do the math.

Part community/​cultural museum and part gift shop, this place is bomb. The people are awesome and do it for the love. Just when I was sketched out in Oakland and ready to turn tail, I saw their pretty painted building. I had to ring a bell so the guy (Carlos I believe) could open the gate, then I was in a mini Mexico fortress and far from the Oakland sketch.
He excitedly showed me every nook of the shop and to the back for the grand finale alter viewing. It was all really impressive, and for someone that likes colorful and LOTS of stuff it was awesome. I was like a kid in a candy shop. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not disorganized, it’s just saturated with all sorts of nonuniform items… so of course I had to meticulously scour everything with my eyeballs. Some items were not for sale, so if it doesn’t have a price on it, let it remain with the gallery.
I made off with some sweet Dia De Los Muertos loot for my friend: sugar skull, alter candle, picture frame and papel picado– all handmade. Great selection of books and molds as well. I’ll certainly go back.

If you need items for your Dia De Los Muerto’s altar, visit this store! My bestfriend, her daughter, and I went this past Saturday and absolutely fell in love with the store! We originally went there to attend a sugar skull making class, and we loved it!
We’ll be back to shop for clothes, some art, and a few other things that caught our eye. The staff here is very helpful, and truly love all the items in their store.
Parking can be a bit tricky, so prepare to drive around the block a few times. It’s on International Blvd right as you pass 50^th Ave, if you are coming from San Leandro.

If you can’t get to Mexico or La Mission, and need those Dia de los Muertos supplies, then this is nearly the next best thing.
Worth a trip out E 14^th Street.
Need copal? They’ve got it.
Sugar skull molds. Yep — a variety of shapes.
And they also have workshops on making sugar skulls.
Need Mexican blousas? Yep. And for not a whole lot more than I have paid in Mexico.
Frida Kahlo, Che Guevara and other iconic stuff.
And mostly, a great selection of papel picado, Just had to replace mine. They also have mini ones that can fit in a card to send to friends. Love those.
Don’t be put off by the need to ring a bell to be let it — shop is run by very nice people and no sales pressure. Check it out.

I had a love/​hate experience at this store… the place is beautiful… I brought fabric and a few skeleton boxes and promised myself I’d go back.
I’m a big customer service person and unfortunately theirs sucked. I was left outside for a bit after ringing the bell while the worker just stared at me a bit… and from the moment I entered she was very cold and not helpful at all…
But their inventory was so great that I stayed and spent money there anyway…
I had to take 2 stars off for bad customer service.

As a collector of Day of the Dead swag, I had to visit. This shop has a huge amount of inventory. It’s great for a collector just getting started. That being, said I didn’t find a lot of really interesting, different, or unique items. In my opinion, it’s also a bit on the expensive side.
However, it’s a treat for your eyes and fun to browse.

This place is magical. Alison P. took me here today and it was otherworldly. It’s really insane how much stuff they sell… oh but don’t get discouraged when you try the door and it’s locked, just ring the bell and they’ll come let you in.
The Huichol seed art skull and antlers mounted above the doorway was my favorite piece, but the giant paper mache was a close second.
Although the Frida dolls kinda creeped me out, I made a mental note that I should come back and get one for birthdays of my friends kids.
The prices are definately reasonable.

This place is effing RAD. As a Dia de los Muertos fanatic, I was quite pleased to find what I call the Dia de los Muertos superstore.
Corazon is a place you could spend hours in, I swear. When you walk in you don’t know where to start. It’s got everything you’d need to make an altar, but it’s so much MORE than that. They have classes, in the past I’ve heard about sugar skull and tin stamping classes. I haven’t taken one myself but I really want to. The owner is so sweet, she walked around chatting with me.
There are calaveras (skeletons/​skulls) EVERYWHERE. Tin calaveras, sculpted calaveras, paper calaveras, calavera fabric and so much more. It’s almost like a Dia de los Muertos museum. There’s so much art to look at. I caught myself smiling as I walked around. There’s a huge selection of la virgin de Guadalupe stuff, from paintings to tin candle holders to fabric to greeting cards. I hope to just get gift certificates for this place for Christmas from now on. I wanted to spend all the money I have in the bank there.
I LOVE the fabric. I love how colorful the store is. I love the huge macaw parrot and the chihuahua that live there. I love the reclining char you can sit in and read in the book section. I love the calaveras painted on the walls and doors. Papel picado flags hang all over and they sell them as well.
There’s parking in front. If the spots are taken, the seem to open up fast. I drove around the block and 3 spots opened up by the time I got back.
I can’t wait to go back!

Have you ever tried finding a store in the SF Mission or Oakland’s Fruitvale area that carries items that preserve the Latin American culture? It’s surprisingly hard. Instead you will find lots of stores that carry cheaply made clothes and useless crap. You can still find music, restaurants, and groceries, but forget about clothing, art, or other traditional items.
After spending a few hours in both SF and Oakland, I thought I was going to have to go to some place like Global Exchange or Cost Plus to find items that were a part of the heritage of our neighbors down south. Luckily, a nice woman at one of the music stores on Fruitvale referred me to Corazon del Pueblo.
This place is a true cultural treasure trove of imported items from Latin American countries. In addition, the staff also makes some of the items you will find in the store such as day of the dead sugar skulls and candles. It’s run by a retired teacher from the Oakland school districts — her store is absolutely wonderful and filled with beautiful artwork, clothing, books, jewelry, and on and on. Go and immerse yourself for a little while and help preserve the traditions.

I’ve passed this place and noticed the gorgeous mural painted outside for a year or so now. Finally today the timing was perfect for stopping in. And wow, am I glad I did! This place is glorious.
They’ve got all the mexican and central american art and tschotschkes you could possibly dream of! Lots of Dia de los Muertos themed items, as well as chicken stuff, virgin stuff, aztec stuff, weavings, clothing with embroidery, t-​shirts, statues, wall art, fabric, sequin appliques (it was hard for me to resist the big sequin rooster for only $ 7), greeting cards, jewelry, candles… This place has it all. And there’s a gallery in back with more amazing stuff that isn’t for sale. People, if you are in the neighborhood, you must check this place out.