Old Oakland

Being a Native of Oakland, this is how I remember Oakland to be in the 70’s and prior to the 90’s and early 2000’s. Oakland in general was always one of the most beautiful cities in Northern California, and frankly all over. The city in itself, is a well kept secret outside of the negativity it has gotten from the media over the years. Oakland originally, and still to date has always been the suburbs of San Francisco.

If you remember Oakland before it started to become hip (OK, it’s always been a cool place, but I mean before the popularity surge it has now), it’ll be in part due to Old Oakland. It has the orginal Trappist — still one of the highest rated beer places in the world (!), Siam Bay, and and oaksy/​boulevard feel that you don’t get in other parks of download.
Sure, it’s kind gritty, and there’s bail bond places, and borders the not-​so-​great-​but-​slowly improving West Oakland, but it’s coming along, and was here long before the uptown revival.
Don’t forget to check out the Friday Farmer’s Market.

Old oaktown has been overshadowed by it’s younger uptown cousin in the past few years in the draw of patrons to it’s businesses
before only ratto’s, pacific brewing, cockadoodle café, tamarindo antojoria,
la borinquerna/​tina tamale, and the farmers market drew people in.
now cosecha, ollie’s, rosamunde sausage, periscope cellars, district, liege, air, the trappist, el gusano, and desco et al. have created more interest/​foot traffic.

Lot’s of great shops around here, where you can walk around and just take a look!

Oakland’s best kept secret. Old Oakland is the perfect mix that makes a neighborhood complete. It’s made up of an amazing selection of great restaurants, boutiques, coffee shops and ambiance. You have restaurants like The District (New American), Borgo Italia (Italian restaurants), Café 817 (coffee shop that serves bicycle coffee), Ratto (historic international grocery stores dating back to 1897), Marion & Rose’s Workshop (Boutique shops also known as Pop Up Hood filled with handcrafted goods) and more. I don’t want to give everything away, but let’s just say Old Oakland also has one of the top beer bars in the country hidden here too. Do yourself a favor and make a trip out this way.

A great place to take a calm walk. Growing with various types of businesses, restaurants and boutiques. Definitely on the come up.

Except for Air and Arsimona causing ruckuses, Old Oakland is amazing. You have so many great places so close to each other, AND I’m super excited about the places that haven’t even opened yet!

i tell my out of town friends that i hang out in Oakland, and they give me that flinching «why. you might get shot!» kind of look. but they don’t know about this revitalized district.
brick lined sidewalks, beautiful lush and leafy trees, nice outdoor cafes and cool restaurants, BART and AC Transit accessible, occasional block parties… visit once and you’ll be hooked.

Old Oakland, it was love at first sight. Bar none, Old Oakland is Oakland’s best kept secret neighborhood by those who live here. There is community, history, transit, shopping, great food spots and all within a walkable distance. It very much reminds me of some of my old neighborhoods in Boston. I look at Old Oakland being like a little village tucked away inside the greater landscape of Oakland itself, and best of all, outsiders haven’t a clue!
My street has not, one, but two churches on it, out of which beautiful gospel music plays throughout the week. Lafayette Park sits as a happy meeting place for some homeless folks chit-​chatting or a backdrop for cute little asian ladies doing their morning calisthenics together.
Sure, parking is a struggle, but we of Old Oakland don’t mind driving around at 8AM on Saturday, #^*@! to ourselves for not finding an un-​metered spot the night before. We don’t mind because this part of town is peaceful and yet totally alive at the same time.
You feel safe like you do in the ‘burbs (actually I feel more welcome here — someone actually offered to help me carry my groceries and I actually KNOW my neighbors names) without the obnoxiousness of living in the ‘burbs (read: we’re very low on snooty factor in Oakland).
Old Oakland is classy, funky, elegant, smart, chic, real, down-​to-​earth, colorful, wonderful and one hell of a place to live. Every evening when I get off the freeway at 11^th Street, I can honestly say, «It’s good to be home.»
(And shhh! Don’t tell anyone in Lakeshore about this place or they’ll move and drive up my rent! ;)

I never knew this part of the O existed. I just thought Downtown consisted of a stretch of Broadway. aha.

How can you NOT like this quaint little area filled with good eats and cool bars. If you are ever in the area for dinner stop by Le Cheval for good eats and pop over to Levende East for drinks. This place has it all. Cool vibe and great atmosphere. It doesn’t fit the typical Oakland Stereotype… yes people there are good areas in Oakland that don’t ever get mentioned in the news. The deli market here is great and offers different cuts of meat. Friday’s this area becomes a farmer’s market with good food stands. In addition, the summers also has the Block party which has good music and good drinks. Definitely worth giving it a look.

besides my bleloved fruitvale district i really love old oakland probably because of it’s history being the birthplace of oakland i love the old buildings and some of the older homes in the area also many people don’t know that old oakland was where most of the first mexican familys in oakland used to live back in the 20s 30s and 40s just ask tina tamale about her familys history in the neighborhood there are also a few buissneses that have been here for many years and are still going strong like la bouriquena 1944 mexicali rose 1927 and rattos 1889 also i like that the old swans and housewives market is still here, also if you need some good shoes check out gus shoe spot old oakland has gone trough it’s good and bad times altough it’s getting really gentrified i still like taking strolls trough old oakland see ya there …
ps one thing i miss about old oakland is mi rancho they used to sell some bomb ass burritos and quesadillas…

Gentrification is evil, but because of it I got to appreciate the beautiful architecture, leafy tree-​lined streets filled with diversity, and wonderful restaurants. Oopsy.

It’s beautiful~ I’m so glad that at least some of old Oakland exsist. Among the towering modern business buildings is a little oasis of lovely Victorian architecture, sweet shops and good food.

Old Oakland reminds me of the «revitalized» Shaw/​U St/​Cardozo section of DC.
Except better
Maybe
OK — I love them the same but different.
While U St is home to my beloved Busboys and Poets and the great funky (but slightly overpriced shops), Old Oakland has much cooler buildings, better shopping, and better food. And while Levende East and B are no Busboys or Mocha Hut — I’ll take ‘em. Plus as cool as Old Oakland is — it’s not overhyped yet (thank God) so I can feel like I’ve found this great gem that no one knows about yet. Now — if we open a few more cool boutiques (that carry my size, please and cute house stuff) I will be in HEAVEN!
Plus Old Oakland has Tina Tamale. What more is needed?

«How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…»
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 – 1861)
with side notes by Tina Tamale R.
Old Oakland,
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
1. History 2. Shops 3. Food 4. Entertainment
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
of the lovingly restored Victorian buildings and the new old world charm
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
with shopping at quaint boutiques like Mignonne, Bartertown Framing, The Shoe Spot and Verse
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday’s
meal with food shopping at Swan’s Marketplace & the Old Oakland Farmers Market
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-​light
for lunch and dinner options at La Borinquena, Kai’s, Ratto’s, Tamarindo & Levende East
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise
in the sound of music at Air Lounge & the Home Grown Blues series
in art at Caffe 817 & Cockadoodle Café
in film at the Old Oakland Outdoor Cinema
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith
at Old St. Mary’s Church, the site of my baptism as an infant & of my father’s funeral last year
at the parks, Jefferson Square & Layfayette Square
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, — I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life! —
and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death
the place where I live, work & play
the «New» Old Oakland
My Unilocal List of these places

ditto!