Neighborhoods

Hipsters and hip hop, passionate activists and grassroots entrepreneurs—it takes time to peel back all of the layers that make up the city. To truly appreciate Oakland’s diverse culture, spend some time exploring its neighborhoods. You’ll find prideful locals around every corner, whether it’s at the farmers market in Chinatown or a theater in Uptown. Don’t settle in one spot for too long—there’s a lot of ground to cover in Oakland. Read on for your cheat sheet to The Town’s best.

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Airport

Oakland’s Airport neighborhood isn’t just a place for arrivals and departures—although it may be famous for one departure in particular, Amelia Earhart’s in 1937.

Chinatown

One of the oldest Chinatowns in the United States, Chinatown Oakland was settled in the 1850s, shortly after the gold rush. No longer just Chinese, this 16-block area is Pan Asian, with Koreans, Vietnamese and Japanese.

Dimond District

This quiet, residential stretch at the base of the Oakland Hills has a strong Latino culture and refreshingly unpretentious vibe, with almost zero craft cocktail bars or bicycle-powered coffee machines.

Downtown Oakland

To say Downtown Oakland is eclectic and diverse would barely skim the surface of this melting pot. You’re just as likely to bump into a scholar, a Federal judge, a tech entrepreneur and a civil rights activist in a one-block...

Fruitvale

This urban stretch at the base of the Oakland Hills that once a land of, you guessed it, fruit trees, became a center for the Chicano Movement in the late 1960s and 70s, including the Brown Berets.

Glenview

A sweet neighborhood of California bungalows in the lower Oakland Hills, Glenview feels more like a very quiet Rockridge with a couple good restaurants and well-manicured gardens

Jack London District

Location. Location. Location. That’s Jack London’s selling point. It’s got Bay views, the call of seabirds, and the ferry as public transit. Enjoy the peace of the waterfront, or head a few paces onshore and down...

Lake Merritt/Grand Lake

This is Visit Oakland’s version of Believe it or Not. But believe this. Lake Merritt was the United States’ first official wildlife refuge (in 1870).

Montclair/Hills

This wealthy outpost, just off Highway 13, contains some of the most coveted real estate in the Bay Area. You won’t find industrial restaurant décor or mustachioed baristas in this pedestrian-friendly village, exuding...

Old Oakland

Though there are Victorians sprinkled throughout Oakland, this slice of preserved late century architecture is brochure-perfect. Many of the buildings within this six-block stretch look fresh off an 1870s remodel.

Piedmont Ave

Not to be confused with Piedmont, a small city in Alameda County, Piedmont Avenue is one long badass sidewalk of restaurants, shops and home bric-a-brac, stacked side by side, with nearly nothing vacant.

Rockridge

At the foot of the Oakland Hills, Rockridge is a lovely burby-like haven where Cal Berkeley grads come to live when they exit their 20s and start yearning for historic cottages, nice gardens, and a 99 walk score.

Temescal

If we were to say that Temescal was first settled by Doña Tomás, that would sound pretty legit, right? Only that’s the name of a Mexican restaurant. While it certainly ignited the food scene here, early origins...

Uptown

Once a shopping district in the early 20th century, Uptown is the hottest neighborhood in Oakland. A new restaurant, indie boutique, or bar seemingly opens every other week, with nearly 125 opened in the past decade.

West Oakland

West Oakland has long been the cool-cat neighborhood of Oakland with strong African American roots that earned it the nickname Harlem of the West. Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday and Big Mama Thornton among others had gigs along...

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