Oakland Tourism - Travel to Oakland
Oakland may lack the hippy glamor of Berkeley and the city chic of San Francisco -- and it may have a staggering homicide rate -- but that should not deter you from uncovering its unexpected charm.
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Understand Oakland Tourism
Travel guides to Oakland, by long-standing tradition, must start off with the quote by famous Oakland resident Gertrude Stein, who said of the city, "There is no there there." After a pause for discreet laughter, the guide must go on to insist that there are, in fact, many wonderful things to discover in Oakland, if the traveller approaches it with an open mind.
Although this tradition is noble, it's probably worth noting that Oakland's bad reputation is for the most part justified. It suffers greatly by comparison with its sister cities in the Bay Area, San Francisco and San Jose. It has nowhere near the density of charm and attractions that SF has, nor has it had the kind of economic boom seen by San Jose and other parts of Silicon Valley. Oakland has one of the highest crime rates in the nation and urban poverty is a persistent problem in many areas.
Oakland has a 35% African-American population -- about twice the national average -- and the city's black heritage is an important part of its identity. Oakland was the original home of the Black Panthers -- a radical political organization that fought for the liberation of oppressed peoples in the 1960s and 1970s. Oakland also was one of the breeding grounds of West Coast hiphop, and many stars such as Too Short and Tupac Shakur have made Oakland their home at one time or another. Oakland's demographics are changing, though. There's also a growing community of Latinos and Asians, and people from other parts of the Bay Area are moving to Oakland for its relatively low rent and property prices.
Oakland is a sprawling city of contrasts -- from the working-class neighborhoods of West Oakland, to the affluent hillside tinderbox of the Oakland Hills.
Get into Oakland
Travel to Oakland By Plane
Oakland International Airport is served by many domestic and international carriers, including Southwest Airlines.There are a number of paid shuttles ($10-$25) to hotels in Oakland and San Francisco.
Travel to Oakland By Train
Oakland is served by Amtrak, with the Bay Area's largest Amtrak station located in the neighboring city of Emeryville. Amtrak's Capitol Corridor (San Jose to [[Sacramento|]]), California Zephyr (Emeryville, California to Chicago, Illinois), San Joaquins (Oakland to Bakersfield, California), and Coast Starlight (Seattle, Washington to San Diego, California) all serve the Oakland Amtrak station. The California Zephyr (Emeryville, California to Chicago, Illinois) starts/ends at the nearby Emeryville Amtrak Station.The AirBART is a direct shuttle between the Oakland International Airport and the Oakland Coliseum BART train station. The AirBART costs $2.00 for adults and $0.50 for children, seniors and persons with disabilities. Tickets must be pre-paid before boarding the AirBART bus.
The regional BART train system connect to Oakland from stations in San Francisco, the Peninsula, Contra Costa County, and the eastern half of Silicon Valley. Prices vary by distance, but a one-way ticket to Oakland is usually $2-4.
Travel to Oakland By car
From San Francisco, Highway 80 east over the beautiful Bay Bridge leads to Highways 580, 880, and 980, which go to east, west, and downtown Oakland respectively.
From Contra Costa County, Highway 24 through the Caldecott Tunnel leads to east Oakland.
From the northern part of the East Bay, and from all points east, Highway 80 west leads directly to Oakland.
Almost all entries to Oakland go through the heinous Macarthur Maze, a spaghetti-like mashup of four freeways trying to merge and pass each other. It's got terrible traffic during commute times (7AM-10AM, 4PM-8PM), so you might want to avoid driving on the freeways at these times.
Travel to Oakland By Bus
AC Transit has service from San Francisco's Transbay Terminal to Oakland about once every 15 minutes during the day, and once an hour after midnight.
Greyhound has a terminal conveniently located in downtown Oakland. It's notorious -- be careful.
Get around in Oakland
The AC Transit bus system service is a good way to get around if you're headed for downtown Oakland or Jack London Square. Otherwise, depending on where you're going, it can seem like you're waiting for a long time for the bus to arrive. The AC Transit costs $1.50 for adults. Add $0.25 for transfers.
See Oakland
- City of Oakland Walking Tours, (510) 238-3234. 90-minute tours of downtown Oakland (including Chinatown) offered Wednesdays & Saturdays, May through October. Reservations are recommended but not required. Free. http://www.oaklandnet.com/community/community2.html
- African American Museum & Library at Oakland, at 14th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Check the AAMLO web site for information on special exhibits, programs and events, such as an African American walking tour of downtown Oakland. http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/AAMLO/
- Jack London Square, west end of Broadway. Open 24 hours. Oakland's principle tourist destination, Jack London Square has seen serious renovation over the years. Named after writer Jack London, the city's favorite son, the area was the original wharf district of Oakland and retains some of its maritime feel. The main attractions today are shopping and restaurants, though, and you may find yourself wondering how exactly JLS differs from a large waterfront mall. http://www.jacklondonsquare.com/
- Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak Street (at 10th; Lake Merritt BART station), (510) 238-2200. W-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 12PM-5PM. A startlingly good museum dedicated to the art, history, and culture of California. The building itself is an admirable piece of architecture, and the exhibits are almost uniformly excellent and engaging. Well worth a visit. $8 ($5 for seniors and students; free second Su each month). http://www.museumca.org/
- Joaquin Miller Park, Joaquin Miller Road (entrance about 1 mile from highway 13), (510) 238-3481. A beautiful park in the Oakland hills, made up in part of "The Hights", the old estate of California poet Joaquin Miller. The park has some of the few remaining old-growth redwood groves in the East Bay. Lots of hiking and bike-riding opportunities. Free. http://www.oaklandnet.com/parks/facilities/parks_joaquin_miller.asp
Do Oakland
Oakland has some fabulous venues for the movie buff.
- Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Ave, Oakland (near MacArthur Blvd and 580). This beautiful Art Deco theater (built in 1926) shows first-run movies. It has a spectacular sign which they don't light every night, but when it's on, it's worth seeiing. http://www.renaissancerialto.com/current/grandlake.htm
- Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway (downtown, near 19th Street), 510-465-6400. This gorgeous Depression-era theater, completed in 1931, has been completely restored and is maintained in almost mint condition. It's worth just looking at the sculpture, the paintings, even the carpets. Shows include classic movies, concerts, and other live performances. http://www.paramounttheatre.com/
- Parkway Theater, 1834 Park Boulevard (near Lake Merritt), (510) 814-2400. Su-Fri 6PM-12AM, Sa 3PM-12PM. An absolutely fabulous repertory movie theater, the Parkway has two huge screens with large comfy couches to sit on. Best of all, they serve pizza, salads, and beer that you can eat and drink while you watch the movie. A funky, laid-back staff and good karma all around. Why aren't all movie theaters like this? $5 ($3 Sa matinee, food and drink not included). http://www.picturepubpizza.com/
Buy
- The Hat Guys, 1764 Broadway, (510) 834-6868. The type of classic men's hat store you can't find anymore -- except here. First-class service and a contagious passion for hats. The largest inventory of hats on the West Coast -- hats in all sizes and hats for women and children, too. http://www.hatguys.com/
Eat - Travel to Oakland
Old Oakland
- Par Toutatis, 719 Washington Street. Lunch & dinner; brunch on weekends. A gem of a crepe restaurant -- still largely undiscovered. Exquisite Brittany-style crepes prepared lovingly by owner-proprietor and relished by local Francophiles in-the-know.
- Le Cheval, 1007 Clay Street, (510) 763-8957. Dinner nightly, lunch on weekdays. Outstanding yet very affordable Vietnamese cuisine makes this currently one of Oakland's trendiest restaurants.
- Caffe 817, 817 Washington Street (in the Ratto's building), (510) 271-7965. Mo-Sa breakfast & lunch. Stylish Italian caffe where patrons line up patiently for capuccini, chorizo & eggs, polenta, fresh fruit granola, panini sandwiches & salads.
- New World Vegetarian, 464 8th Street (off Broadway), (510) 444-2891. Lunch & dinner daily. Completely renovated in spring 2003, New World Vegetarian offers an eclectic and broad array of sumptuous and satisfying vegan dishes -- Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Chinese, American, even Brazilian.
- TJ's Gingerbread House, 741 5th Street (a few blocks from Old Oakland), (510) 444-7373. Tu-Sat breakfast, lunch & dinner. TJ's calls itself "a fairytale come true" -- and chef/owner/diva TJ Robinson's Cajun/Creole specialty dishes will not disappoint. If you're headed for TJ's for dinner, call ahead for reservations and order your entree at least a day in advance if you're going to have the cherry duck, sauteed quail, pheasant bon temps, squab cassoulet, rabbit piquante, or Dungeness stuffed crab in seashell. Be sure to try TJ's world-famous sassy cornbread and leave room for dessert! http://www.tjsgingerbread.com/
Drink
- Eli's Mile High Club, 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, (510) 655-6161. Drink, dance, eat and enjoy live blues music in one of America's last true juke joints. A little out of the way, but worth it. Check the calendar for show information. http://www.elisblues.com/
External Links for Oakland Tourism
