Oakland is a giant city, an urban cultural mecca that stretches from the coast to redwood-covered rolling hills. It has a deep, complicated history and culture, its own local slang, absolutely incredible food, and plenty to see and do – which we’ve covered in detail in this post. But all too often, Oakland is overlooked and misunderstood.
I’ve met way too many people not familiar with California or the Bay Area who think Oakland is somewhere near Los Angeles (no) or that it’s horrifyingly dangerous (nope, and yikes) or that it’s actually a neighborhood of San Francisco (absolutely not).
Another common error is to lump Oakland’s story in with San Francisco’s. Although Oakland and San Francisco are neighbors, located just minutes apart across the Bay, the two cities could not be more different. Oakland has its own distinct history, sounds, tastes, its own social movements – but its story has too often been overshadowed by its larger-than-life neighbor, and not given the attention it deserves.
The history and identity of Oakland is deeply rooted in social justice and anti-racism, and so is its present day. While San Francisco’s Gold Rush settlers were Eureka-ing their way to wealth, Oakland’s hardworking Chinese residents were busy literally building its growing industries. While flower children were dreamily Summer of Love-ing all over the place in the Haight, the youth of Oakland were forming the Black Panthers and the Chicanos, declaring that Black is Beautiful and uniting to protect Latinos from being drafted into the Vietnam War. And when the hippies returned home to work for the man, Oakland kept fighting: a handful of Black Panthers can still be seen running drills in Oakland today, their work – protecting people of color from racial injustice and police brutality – not yet finished.
It’s important to us, both as people who call Oakland home and as travel writers, to not only help frame the mindset of visitors who might not be familiar with Oakland, but also to positively impact and shift the dominant narrative about Oakland (here’s why that matters).
We’ve lived in Oakland for about a decade now, and as transplants, we are still learning about Oakland. Although we haven’t earned the right to be considered “experts” about Oakland, or to call ourselves locals, we strive to treat it (and its residents) with the respect it deserves. This post includes a number of things we’ve learned about Oakland over the years.
Psst: Planning a trip to the Bay Area? We have loads more posts to help you plan your trip! Check these out:
- 26 Awesome Things to Do in Oakland, California
- Where to Eat in Oakland, California
- 30 Things Nobody Tells You About San Francisco
Table of Contents
Things Nobody Tells You About Oakland
Oakland is next to San Francisco, just a bridge away.
I’m not sure why this isn’t more common knowledge, but I find that many people don’t actually realize how close Oakland and San Francisco are.
They’re neighbors, separated only by a small span of water and the Bay Bridge. And yet despite the close proximity, the two cities could not be more different. Oakland has its own distinct history, sounds, tastes, culture, and social movements (we cover more of its history in this post).
Oakland has better weather than San Francisco.
At any given moment, you can pretty much guarantee that it’s 10 degrees warmer in Oakland than San Francisco, and chances are it’s a lot sunnier, too. Oakland also rarely gets San Francisco’s famous fog.
So if you’re not into spending your day soaked to the bone from 12 hours of cold and fog in the middle of July, come on over! It’s definitely nicer here.
Oakland’s nickname is The Town.
San Francisco’s nickname is The City, and Oakland’s is The Town. That’s not to imply that it’s actually smaller than San Francisco – in fact, it’s much, much, MUCH larger. Speaking of which …
Oakland is HUGE.
How huge? Oakland is about 78 square miles, almost twice the size of San Francisco.
You can go from ocean to city to Redwood forest in 20 minutes, and stay within Oakland the entire time.
Yep. Hop off the ferry from San Francisco at Jack London – the coastal border of Oakland – hop into a car, and take the 980 to the 580 to Oakland Redwood Regional Park, and boom: 20 minutes later, you’re deep in a quiet redwood forest. In Oakland.
You can hike through the redwoods in the middle of the city.
Think you have to drive an hour north to Muir Woods to get your redwood fix? Think again! Oakland has 2 redwood parks, and the redwoods you’ll find in the are some of the oldest in the Bay Area, dating back to the 1880’s.
Oakland Redwood Regional Park and Joaquin Miller Park are technically two separate parks, but they actually connect, providing a sprawling network of hiking trails criss-crossing through redwood-covered valleys and hills overlooking stunning views of the Bay Area.
Despite being only a few minutes away from downtown Oakland and quite close to civilization, the parks are peaceful and quiet: you’ll feel like you left Oakland, stepped through a wardrobe, and emerged into redwood Narnia.
- Note: Oakland’s redood parks, along with the rest of the East Bay, are stolen Ohlone land. If you enjoy it, please consider paying a Shuumi Land Tax. The Shuumi Land Tax directly supports Sogorea Te’s work of rematriation, returning Indigenous land to Indigenous people, establishing a cemetery to reinter stolen Ohlone ancestral remains and building urban gardens, community centers, and ceremonial spaces so current and future generations of Indigenous people can thrive in the Bay Area. Shuumi means gift in the Ohlone language Chochenyo. Learn more at Sogorea Te’.
There’s a huge lake in the middle of downtown.
It always comes as a surprise to anyone unfamiliar with Oakland that there’s a giant lake in the middle of downtown. Yep, that’s right: Lake Merritt is right smack downtown, and it’s gorgeous.
The 3-mile wide lagoon is home to the oldest designated wildlife refuge in the United States and there are 70 species of native birds surrounding Lake Merritt (and no, they’re not all pigeons). Today the lake feels comfortably urban, with city views from every angle.
Stroll the well-lit 3-mile loop around the lake at sunset, enjoy a drink at Lake Chalet on the historic Oakland Boathouse, or up the romance factor by roughly a zillion on a gondola ride across the lake.
Oakland has an amazing art scene.
Take a walk downtown around 15th Street & Webster and you’ll pass countless independent galleries featuring works of art and crafts made by Oakland locals.
Visit on the first Friday of the month and you’ll be treated to one of Oakland’s best monthly activities, First Fridays out on the street & the Oakland Art Murmur in Oakland’s many galleries. You can also take a self-guided walking tour of Oakland’s public artworks.
There’s street art everywhere.
Oakland loves art, and its buildings are covered with colorful murals – over 600 of them, to be specific! Check out the highlights here, but don’t worry – you don’t need to go out of your way to find street art in Oakland. It’s EVERYWHERE. This massive wiki lists every known mural in Oakland. Happy mural hunting!
Oakland takes pride in its sports teams, but the feeling isn’t always mutual.
Just a couple years ago, we would have proudly told you that Oakland has THREE major, incredibly good sports teams: the Warriors, the Raiders, and the A’s (respectively: basketball, football, and baseball).
But now the Warriors and the Raiders are in the process of leaving town. Because Oakland can’t have nice things, apparently.
So now we just have the A’s. And we’re pretty sure they’re not going anywhere. At least, we hope not!
Oakland is just as old as San Francisco, with a complicated, rich history.
OK, sure, San Francisco was the home of the Spanish Mission and is, therefore, technically an older “established city” than Oakland. But in terms of United States history, both cities are equally old.
Oakland and San Francisco were both well-established cities in the 1870s, when the Gold Rush brought hordes of Americans out to explore its newfound western borders.
But unlike San Francisco’s glittering gold rush and Silicon tech boom, Oakland’s growth has always been rooted in hard work. Labor. Docks. Warehouses. Factories. Manufacturing.
Oakland’s hard-working and diverse population grew from Chinese immigrants (Oakland has one of the largest and oldest Chinatowns in the US – read more), Latinos immigrated north from Mexico as part of the Bracero program, and Black communities migrating from the South. Oakland was known as the “Detroit of the West” in the 1920’s, during Ford’s heyday, and the comparison still holds true today.
Oakland is the home of the Black Panthers – and yes, they’re still around.
The Black Panther Party was founded in Oakland in the mid 60’s by two local college students. Contrary to popular belief – and media portrayal – the Black Panther Party’s goal was to protect the unprotected, through community social services (“community survival”) programs like free breakfasts for children and health clinics.
They were not a paramilitary organization hell-bent on wreaking racially motivated havoc; their goal was to project their community, who was being neglected and even persecuted by local law enforcement. For daring to carry guns (legally), they were branded as public enemies and subjected to horrific FBI COINTELPRO raids.
If y’all have ever visited the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee (which we did last year) you may recall the chilling summary of far-too-coincidental steps leading to the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior. Well, there’s no question about whether the government was actively hunting down and killing members of the Black Panther Party. They were.
Today, a few members of the Black Panther party can still be seen in Oakland running drills at the Ashby BART Station during its weekend flea market (which is also home to an EXCELLENT drum circle, FWIW).
You can’t talk about Oakland without talking about race.
You cannot talk about Oakland without talking about race. The history of Oakland is deeply rooted in social justice and anti-racism, and so is its present day. Oakland has been a mecca for people of color for as long as San Francisco has been a mecca for entrepreneurs and inventors.
You also cannot appreciate Oakland without acknowledging the important role it has always played in radical social justice movements. The history of the USA has played out on the streets of Oakland time and time again, and the Oakland you’ll experience today is one that is directly reflective of this exact moment in time. As part of that, the complicated story of Oakland reflects the complicated story of race in the USA.
- Note: If any of that makes you feel uncomfortable, I recommend doing some reflection and reading up on anti-racism before visiting Oakland – the book How to Be an Anti-Racist is a good place to start. Be prepared to face the inner racist you may not have realized you had, and swallow some uncomfortable truths.
You can read more about the history of Oakland in our Oakland guide, as well as in these resources:
- Article on Oakland.ca: Oakland’s history of resistance to racism
- Book: Oakland: The Story of a City (you can purchase this book directly from the Oakland Heritage Alliance)
- Book: Black Against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party
- You can find plenty more book suggestions in the Oakland Local Wiki!
Oakland isn’t as “dangerous” as you probably think it is.
There’s a pretty pervasive narrative about how dangerous and scary Oakland is. When you Google Oakland, a whole bunch of racist questions come up as frequently asked suggestions, like “when did Oakland become ghetto” and “is Oakland really that dangerous?” and “why is Oakland so dangerous?” (For the record: if you’re still wondering those questions, you should read this article which will explain why associating a place full of Black and Brown people with “ghetto” and “danger” is deeply racist.)
One piece of Oakland’s complicated history gives context to where that narrative may have emerged: in the 70’s and 80’s, Oakland was hit hard by the crack epidemic. Along with that was tied an increase in crime and the guillotine response of the War on Drugs.
The effects of those years, and of that swift and harsh response to the drug addiction epidemic that was allegedly tied and even funded by the CIA, can still be seen today.
However: from a tourist’s perspective, Oakland isn’t really any more “dangerous” than visiting San Francisco, or any other major city in any country. Like – y’all: no, you’re not going to get shot. No, every non-white person in a hoodie is NOT a “gangster” or a “hoodlum” (a common racist narrative that’s often used to justify violence against children). No, those beautiful murals weren’t graffitied illegally by hardened criminals hell-bent on widespread social destruction via street art. Yes, those are racist assumptions.
Oakland’s Chinatown is one of the largest and oldest in the country.
Sure, San Francisco’s Chinatown has a well-staked claim to fame for being the largest Chinatown outside of China. And while Oakland’s Chinatown may not be as postcard-perfect as San Francisco’s, Oakland’s Chinatown is one of the oldest in the United States, settled in the 1850s.
Today, this 16-block area is Pan Asian, home to communities of Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese and Japanese immigrants and residents – as well as truly delicious Asian food.
You can see the sights on a self-guided walking tour of Chinatown’s murals. Oh, and just like San Francisco, there’s a Fortune Cookie Factory – except Oakland’s is actually older. And they invented the Fortune Cookie Folding Machine. So.
Oakland’s food scene is arguably better than San Francisco’s.
Oakland’s food scene is INCREDIBLE, and it’s one of the best ways to get to know the city! The flavors of Oakland reflect the complexity and diversity of Oakland’s history, and Oakland has its own food specialties.
In Oakland, you’ll want to eat chicken & waffles, shrimp & grits, street tacos, spongy Ethiopian injera bread, sizzling Korean bulgogi, steamed soup dumplings, deep-fried vegan soul food, smokey BBQ, and bubbling mac & cheese. Is there any better way to get to know a place?
To sample as much of Oakland’s incredible food scene as possible, we recommend taking a food tour like this one. We’ve included more food tour recommendations in our Oakland guide.
Oakland also has amazing coffee.
Listen, we love San Francisco’s coffee scene. Jeremy put himself through art school as a barista, and we’re coffee snobs through and through. We even have a guide to the best coffee shops in San Francisco.
But … Oakland has a baller coffee scene. Hello, we’re the home of Blue Bottle, specialty coffee’s answer to Starbucks. (Meanwhile, our northern neighbor Berkeley invented Peet’s. Speaking of which: you won’t find any Starbucks at the Oakland Airport. Just Peet’s!)
And it’s not just us recognizing Oakland’s amazing coffee scene: in 2018, Oakland was ranked the third most popular city in the U.S. for coffee fanatics, after Portland and Seattle.
In Oakland, you’ll find progressive coffee shops like Red Bay Coffee, a roastery and B-corp whose goal is to showcase coffee as a special link for African-Americans to embrace and reclaim. As a champion for people who are usually left out of specialty coffee, the diverse staff earns 10 percent of profits. Red Bay Coffee is at the forefront of what they call the fourth wave of coffee, with a commitment to ensure coffee production is not only high quality and sustainable, but a vehicle for diversity, inclusion, social and economic restoration, entrepreneurship, and environmental sustainability.
Want to sip your way through Oakland? There are 17 local roasters and countless excellent third-wave coffee shops – here’s a guide.
Oakland has an urban wine trail.
Want to know something great about California? There is SO MUCH WINE. There are vineyards all over the place. And in Oakland, local winemakers are bringing their grapes from wine country back home to finish the process here in town, in those large, urban warehouses that Oakland’s got in spades. Learn more about Oakland’s diverse winery scene.
You can do your own DIY tour of The Oakland Urban Wine Trail or try the trail on bike with East Bay Winery Bike Tours!
- Psst: One of our favorite wineries in Paso Robles (just 4 hours south) is owned by an Oakland local! It’s called Indigené Cellars, and yes – they ship.
Oakland also has a craft brewery trail.
Oakland has its own plethora of locally owned, small batch artisanal breweries and taprooms! Get your brew on with the Oakland Ale Trail. Here’s a guide to spending a day drinking your way through the Ale Trail.
You can also book a beer tour so you can drink your way through Oakland safely, responsibly, and with someone else in charge. Check out the Uptown Beer Walk, the Temescal Beers and Bites tour, or The Golden West Beer Tour (which includes some Berkeley spots).
Oakland invented “hella.”
Yes, that’s right: not Macklemore. Not Seattle. Oakland.
And hyphy.
Both the term and the music. And the subculture. And ghost-riding the whip.
And the Popsicle.
In summer 1905, some kid left his lemonade outside with a stick in it. Anywhere else in the country, that would be a recipe for ants. But in Oakland, apparently, it’s a recipe for popsicles.
Either way, Oakland did it first.
And the Wave, fantasy football, and the fortune cookie folding machine…
OK, I literally learned all this while writing this article. But I’m thrilled to know that the A’s are the home of the Wave, the Oakland Tribune is the home of Fantasy Football, and some guy’s basement is the home of the fortune cookie folding machine.
… and the Mai Tai.
This is one of my favorite weird Oakland inventions. Like, Mai Tais are supposed to be Polynesian. They’re served in Tiki Bars. What’s the deal?
Well, oddly enough, Trader Vic’s – the famous Tiki Bar chain – is actually from Oakland. Annnd that’s where the Mai Tai was invented. Random, right?
There’s another city in the middle of Oakland.
It’s a city called Piedmont, and it’s in Oakland. Like, it’s surrounded on all sides by Oakland and the borders of the city are literally drawn through people’s houses.
Why? Chalk it up to a bunch of weird rules that nobody’s bothered to change, as explained here.
Oakland’s hills are criss-crossed with hidden staircases.
There’s a whole network of hidden staircases snaking through the Oakland hills, full of jaw-dropping Bay views. This book is full of step-by-step secret staircase walks, and we’ve been working our way through it for years.
Taking an urban hike through Oakland’s beautiful neighborhoods via hidden staircase is one of the best ways to catch amazing sweeping Bay views while exploring some of Oakland’s oldest and hilliest neighborhoods.
Oakland’s downtown is studded with Art Deco architecture.
Between the 1920’s and 1940’s, during Oakland’s manufacturing heyday, Oakland built tons of Art Deco style buildings – the cool, hip, with-it architecture style of the day. You’ll see plenty of fabulous Art Deco elements throughout Oakland, in all of their gorgeous terra cotta mosaic glory.
There are 3 beautiful historic movie theaters.
The Fox and Paramount Theatres downtown are two of Oakland’s most iconic (and beautiful) buildings, featuring Oakland’s classic Art Deco style. Then there’s also the Grand Lake Theatre next to Lake Merritt.
There used to be a LOT more, but they’ve sadly been torn down.
There are hella famous people from Oakland.
If you grew up listening to West Coast hip hop, you already know about Oakland’s most famous artists, like Tupac, Mac Dre, MC Hammer, Too $hort, and E-40. (If not … read up, listen, and enjoy!) But there are … a LOT more famous people from Oakland.
Some of Oakland’s most famous residents include: Clint Eastwood, who is Clint Eastwood. G-Eazy, the rapper. Mark Hamill, who is Luke Skywalker. Tom Hanks, who has played every white person in every biopic for the past 50 years. Julia Morgan, the famous architect who designed Hearst Castle on the Central Coast. Marshawn Lynch, a football player for the Raiders who sometimes shows up at local schools just to say hi. Mahershala Ali, a famous movie star who’s in everything from Luke Cage to Moonlight. Ryan Coogler, the director of Black Panther, who once came to Jeremy’s classroom to talk about filmmaking (his kids were stoked). Daveed Diggs, who starred in Hamilton and is the director of Blindspotting. Chelsea Peretti, aka Gina from Brooklyn 99. The band Green Day. Zendaya. Gary Payton. Ricky Henderson. Kehlani.
Now I’m just rambling, so I’ll go ahead and link to Oakland’s famous people Wikipedia page. Was that a flex? Maybe.
We’re still learning about Oakland – there’s SO much to discover in this incredible city! Did we miss one of your favorite Oakland facts, or did you learn something new about the Town? Drop us a comment below to let us know!
Psst: Planning a trip to the Bay Area? We have loads more posts to help you plan your trip! Check these out:
- 26 Awesome Things to Do in Oakland, California
- Where to Eat in Oakland, California
- 30 Things Nobody Tells You About San Francisco
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Kia Hamm says
Great article.
Thank you!
Calister Zone says
Le annoying transplant
Divine says
Mac Dre mor e40 are from Oakland. Close but no cigar! A d there was no mention of the Zoo or Robert’s park where they host children’s camping with the PAL program.
Lia Garcia says
That sounds really fun! We have no experience with children here in Oakland so our recommendations are definitely more focused on adults, but we’ve been wanting to visit the Zoo!
Jamie says
also Oakland is one of the most diverse cities in America! check out the section titled “shifting of cultures” in this wiki article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakland,_California. I have heard, although I cannot find a citation for it, that the families of kids in OUSD speak more than 100 languages at home. It’s important to note when talking about this though, the large number of black families that have been pushed out of the city in recent years. Also of note is that the city is arguably the lesbian capital of america (https://oaklandnorth.net/2009/06/24/oakland-a-city-many-women-call-home/) and much of that history has been built by women of color.
Lia Garcia says
Thank you for those links and for educating us, Jamie! Oakland continues to amaze us.
Joe Kaake says
Oakland is definitely still dangerous. I have been here for 14 years. There are currently folks coming into town to rob people. I currently have injuries from being downtown trying to buy a car and having to dive for cover from a shootout. This article does point out a lot of the great and often overlooked parts of Oakland which is great. The whole attempt to say thinking it’s dangerous is racist thing is actually pretty fucking stupid. It’s dangerous to push this narrative because we have had more shootings this year than we have in the past. Google Oakland shootings. Trying to turn the dangers of being in Oakland into a race issue is absurd and borderline racist because of what the author implies. That being said come to Oakland learn about the cities rich history. Enjoy the food scene. Enjoy the decriminalized psychedelics, and legal weed. But know when you’re out you need to keep your butt in an UBER if you don’t know the area. This includes downtown. Be safe out here folks
Yeni says
oh Oakland…love you so much..love the people(2000- 2008) (Gentrifiers please leave) ……love the music…love the grit…love the real history…so much to love…
Important people and places ..
East Bay Dragons..oldest African American motorcycle club in the US
read Soul on Bikes.
Sweets Ballroom and all its history
Reggae, Reggae, Reggae
Historical West Oaklands African American mecca
Guadaloupe restaurant at 3am
Spokenword
the tiny church with the ankh on top
The Best Herb shop on 10th
Garden at Lake Merritt
All night book store on Broadway
The downtown main library
Carijama
Oasis
Luv Fyah
So many memories….on and on
Lia Garcia says
Thank you for sharing some of your memories of Oakland with us, Yeni!
LALEI says
What a uniquely conscious travel post. I appreciate how thoughtful you are about race, privilege and gentrification, as well as your receptivity to native’s feedback. I specifically loved the article from the Inclusion Solution, Unpacking the Conversations that Matter: “That Place Is ‘Dangerous, Shady, Ghetto’ & Paradoxical Perceptions of Our Gentrifying Cities, and the video by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Danger of a Single Story. Looking forward to more of your work.
Roberta Ventura says
Please don’t forget The Piedmont
Movie theater on Piedmont Avenue. It is 102
years old!! A wonderful small theater with 3 screens and it features all of the most current movies (closed during the pandemic! ). I miss it so much .
Lia Garcia says
Oh wow, I didn’t realize how old it was! We’ve seen a few movies there, including a late-night showing of The Room 🙂 It’s a charming little theatre!
Slic Manhoso says
Well, your right…you are a noticeable Outsider; you made too many mistakes and you Omitted others…for example, the Hells Angels and their founder, Sonny Barger are from Oakland ( the club before Sonny Barger based in SoCal is not), the Oakland Raiders were Birthed in Oakland, and so much more, but that’s your issue.
However, let me be Blunt–you, and other Neo-Peckerwoods are the Reason Oakland has become GENTRIFIED, and that is pushed us Out!!! Go Home!!
Lia Garcia says
Thank you for the heads up! We’re still learning and Oakland has a lot of lessons to teach us. I had to look up the term “neo-peckerwoods” but I can assure you that we are not supremacists or in a gang. We are doing the best we can to try and make choices that do not support gentrification in Oakland, while continuously educating ourselves on the impact of gentrification and the ways in which we may be benefiting from and supporting those racist systems without realizing it.
Al says
Pac not from Oakland.
Real perspective says
This article is wrong more than it is right. People in Oakland drive like they’re in gta. They run the red lights because the cameras dont work. Hit and run deaths are common because people here dont care about one another. Everyone looks at each other with hate and anger because crimes ARE that common and we don’t want us to be next. The homeless issue is way out of control and the streets are dirty with trash people are either too lazy or too broke to take to the city dumps. Incase you havent heard , elderly asians have been targeted in the downtown region. Gangs are still a thing and very much a danger. Drug addicts roam the streets at all hours of the day and night. Gun shots are common and in some places if you get shot witness accounts wont be credible because theyre crack neighborhoods. Lake merrit is a hotspot to get your sh*t took if youre not careful. But hey those murals are pretty nice arent they? Who ever wrote this tourist perspective should not try and make a dangerous city look like your next vacation destination. This to me is another load of propaganda. And big FYI , Oakland is one of the most racist cities. I was cleaning a parking lot and a black guy told me to go back to Mexico and then he made mariachi sounds before throwing his trash on the floor i was cleaning and burning tire to get away. Latinos have been victimised by black people so they dont trust them at all. Asians have been targeted alot recently so im sure theyre not to fond of blacks or latinos. Oakland is not a happy place like this article may try and fool you to believe. It is a gritty city with its filth out in the open. And many of us are stuck here because we cant make enough money to leave.
Lia Garcia says
I’m really sorry to hear that you’ve experienced that racism here in Oakland. And I’m appalled by the recent attacks on the residents of Chinatown. You’re right, Oakland is not a perfect place and it has its fair share of problems. In this article, we chose intentionally to feature it in a more positive light, while striving to acknowledge the complexity of those issues, because I think the perception of Oakland in pop culture or in society at large is exactly the way you described. Yes, Oakland has problems – all of those issues you bring up are valid. But it’s also true that Oakland is full of beauty joy, art, culture, and history, and those are also just as valid. We can appreciate highlight the beauty of Oakland at the same time as acknowledging that it has deep, complex issues. When addressing these issues here at home (as well as in other places we visit and write about, as travel writers) I always think back to Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie’s impactful Ted Talk about “The Danger of a Single Story” (watch her talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en) Oakland has a single, dominant narrative – one of pain and suffering and danger, often viewed through a lens of racism and fear, but I personally believe that it’s not fair to Oakland’s depth and complexity and people to leave it at that.
Ashley Combes says
I don’t know what this guy is talking about, I am born and raised Oakland and it is a great place to visit. Danger is in every city.
Pinky says
I agree with this comment. I am an oaklander and it is full of fuckin grit. It’s grimy, it’s shady, it’s ruthless and entertaining at times. I appreciate the author trying to be positive but truth is truth. Just for the simple fact I’m from Oakland, people step back, slightly startled….facts. Why? Because I am the product of Oakland and may have tendencies unlike like Becky. The description of the landscape is very much true. But really tho, it’s bothersome that you felt entitled to write this article and dig so deep as if your were part of any of it is cringey to me. It’s dumb folks that overlook the danger of Oakland that get targeted like, “oh it’s totally cool, I’m anti-racist so I’m a not a target. I can walk home or ride my street bike at 2 am in the hood I’ll be fine.”
I know I sound ignorant but I am really not. It’s just you are the problem and you don’t even know it. I bet you can’t even give me a verse of those music artist you name dropped without fact checking. GTFOH
Lia Garcia says
It’s honestly hard to strike a balance, especially as a transplant. There have been a few iterations of this post, and the first one was a lot more real-talk and honest about some of those gritter truths and the safety of tourists visiting Oakland. But after a lot of valid call-outs, I’ve changed the post to its current format, which may read as overly positive. But truly there is a balance to Oakland – the fact that it’s a little gritty doesn’t invalidate its beauty or its history. They both co-exist. Oakland is a complex place. And that’s a big part why I personally love it and have spent the last decade happily here. I think I’ll forever be coming back to this post to change and update it as my own understanding and appreciation of Oakland changes and evolves, to try to capture its essence better – and I’ll probably always fall short. But I’ll keep trying to do better.
G R says
Thank you for this piece Being from Oakland is something special and I’m thankful you can appreciate just as I do and just the fact that your bringing light to our awesome city is a pleasure so again thank you
Steve says
Old Oakland at 9th & Broadway, midway twixt Jack London Square and City Hall – and directly across from the entrance to Chinatown – is “The most significant collection of post-Civil War commercial architecture west of the Mississippi!”
Lia Garcia says
Oh wow! I had no idea! Thank you for the suggestion, Steve!
Jay says
E-40 and Mac Dre are from Vallejo man
Lia Garcia says
You know, I saw that on Wikipedia while fact-checking for this post, but it seems like Oakland still claims them since they spent quite a bit of time here, so I left them in. Open to debate, perhaps?
Leo says
“I saw that on Wikipedia while fact-checking”
Lia Garcia says
I included a link to that Wikipedia page in the article, but here it is as well: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_from_Oakland,_California
It’s a pretty comprehensive list, and the best resource I could find for that particular section! Would love any suggestions for alternative resources to use. But that particular page clarifies the relationship to Oakland in a lot of cases, so like for Mac Dre, it clarifies as “born in Oakland, raised in Vallejo,” so it makes sense that it’s up for debate!
Remy says
And the Pointer Sisters, the Whispers..All the Funk bands from the 70s, 80s were from Vallejo!
Sai says
FACTS!!! THANK YOU!!
Carlos Ruiz Sr says
Fyi the Carrington stairway you spoke about and on the cover of the article is also known in the neighborhood as the 72 stairs. I grew up on Galindo St. for 40 plus years and we only knew it as 72 stairs and the adjacent Jungle Hill. On a clear day or night you can see downtown S.F. from top of the stairs and it appears to be within arms reach. Born and Raised in Oakland and Proud of It. The Oakland in me will never die.
Lia Garcia says
Thank you for sharing that, Carlos! What a beautiful description. I’ve updated the post to include the local title of the stairs.
Kate O. says
Just because credit is important, I’m writing to say that the beautiful jellyfish mural on the secret stairs was painted by Dan Fontes, who also painted the giraffes under 580. His name should really be included in the caption; he’s painted murals all over Oakland, and he deserves to be acknowledged for his contributions to our fair city.
Lia Garcia says
Thank you for the suggestion! I’ve updated the post to give him credit.
alina says
as someone actually, really from Oakland…this article feels like a backhanded slap. it is so painfully written from clearly an outsider’s perspective it is offensive. i agree with every sentiment the other Oaklander’s mentioned…while there are some few folks far and few between who have been here for decades, who actually do integrate to the culture and community, most folks have opinions like this and it clearly draws a line between you and us. even though you have lived here for so long, you still don’t even recognize many of the issues that arise from living here-even after living here for so long. i wonder, have you spent any time east of the 580 besides the redwoods? if not, you do realize that East Oakland is over half of Oakland? much of the article only references…downtown. i hate articles like this, being all “omg! yeah becky! Oakland is like totally not dangerous at all! let’s move!! we can have a quick commute to sf”–it’s as if you people only see Oakland as a stepping stone, just use it for your benefit then leave and contribute nothing. especially bloggers. what a shame. this and people like you are the reason that many of us from here can’t continue to our families here, or even feel safe/comfortable. when new people move in and start calling cops on US, who have BEEN here…it is just truly a source of separation-making it so easy to other you people. it’s easy to say “go back to kansas/nebraska/oregon/etc.” because it is almost alllways true. i truly hope you take your privilleges to educate yourself on Oakland and it’s *original* inhabitants. you forgot to mention two of the largest pillars in Oakland’s history-Pullman Porters as well as Chinese Railway Workers. once life is back to normal, go to the main OPL and go to the second floor, there are tons of records as well as a rotating history museum.
Lia Garcia says
Thank you for those suggestions, and we will definitely visit the museum and read up on that. We continue to learn about our adopted home and its history – it’s a deep, rich, and complex history and we have certainly only scratched the surface of it. To your point, though, we do aim to positively impact the community that we live in. As an educator teaching in Oakland for most of the last decade, Jeremy’s kids all live in East Oakland, so yes – we’re very familiar with it, patronize East Oakland businesses frequently, and although we chose to live elsewhere to avoid directly gentrifying, we try not to stay in a downtown/uptown/North Oakland bubble. In terms of our roles as travel bloggers though, this post is targeted at visitors and tourists who aren’t familiar with Oakland, and we have carefully consider our impact and whether we might be sending tourists into neighborhoods that aren’t seeking them (consider downtown, with its many hotels, Visit Oakland tourism center, and ease of transit access, as an example of an overtly tourist-friendly neighborhood). It does get tricky to find the balance, and we don’t always do it well. We are still learning.
Elijah says
You should learn to be less defensive. It went down hill quick at “as an educator teaching in oakland for…”
I will continue to advocate for my people, and expose ignorance from white “ally’s”
Roz says
How could you forget! Mark Cooper, Keysha Cole, Damian Lillard and the baseball player I can only remember Morgan. Oh Tree Top – Clifford Robinson and so much more.
Elijah says
Alina, thank you for sharing this. My first thought was: this is a great guide for upper middle class white people. this article is mot for poc. Definitely felt cringy to read.
Lia Garcia says
I can see your point Elijah, and it’s something we’ve been mulling over a lot recently. Like as a privileged white person, am I able to or should I try to write about/for/to other people? Or would I be overreaching and extending into areas I have no business writing about and cannot speak to? Are there destinations or subjects that I should consider hiring other writers to cover rather than writing about them myself? My goal with this post and generally with all of the travel articles on our blog has been to write for the people who typically read our posts, and to try to subvert the dominant narrative by writing about important things that aren’t typically written about in the context of travel media/travel blogs. But by writing about certain social issues, I’m also butting up against things that by nature as a privileged white person, I don’t have first-hand experience with. I’m not sure I have answers yet, but it’s something we’re currently thinking about and reading about and thinking over.
Joan says
Thank you. Just like when Jerry Brown was mayor. Neither has any idea that East Oakland exists.
Jacques Doe says
Your cucked and this article is laughable. When the black commenter on this article left you feedback and then tried to correct you because you aren’t black. You replied back and apologized and tried to justify yourself. You were speaking in this article on generalizations and stereotypes (nothing wrong with that as it’s based in truth and many humans have heard the same rhetoric on the city). Stop apologizing for speaking truths and letting people run over you because your not black. This is still America which is based on freedom of speech. Your article was PC which is nothing wrong with that, but when these hate filled people say you can’t make these comments, Ignore them or tell them that facts and personal speech is still legal in America. This idea of race, fragility, and white entitlement is a joke and is based on ideological opinions and not fact. I live in an area where white people work their ass off and can barely can put food on the table. Stand up for yourself and stop letting these hate filled, irrational, and miserable sheep tell you how to write and what you can say. God bless you and may blessings rain on you by the tons.
Lia Garcia says
No idea what cucked means? Is that a misspelling? But I want to point out that there is not always a direct link between what’s legal and what’s morally the right thing to do. Yes, it may be perfectly legal to be an asshole, but that doesn’t mean you should be. My moral compass and my driving purpose of wanting to be a good, decent, understanding, and empathetic human being who is constantly improving myself is not governed by laws or by external sources, they come from within myself.
Also, it’s Black* not black.
Mya says
Black woman living in Seattle here. Considering a job opportunity in San Francisco and came across this when I looked up Oakland. This is a great article! So glad you honored the true legacy of the Black Panthers and didn’t gloss over race. Seems like a unique town with its own rich history and individual charm. Thanks for sharing this.
Lia Garcia says
Oakland is an amazing place! We are still learning about its history and its legacy, but we have deep respect for its impact and activism – a spirit that is very much alive and well here today. It’s exciting that you’re considering moving here! Fwiw, it’s only 20 mins to downtown SF on public transit – that was my commute for years 🙂
Bill Bencze says
Oakland’s Chinatown is fantastic .. the other Chinatown across the bay is more well known and is touristy; the best Chinese food in SF is in the Sunset or Richmond districts .. a few blocks off of 19th. Oakland’s Chinatown is a gem; great food without the pretensions of SF. Homey and worth exploring. GREAT dim sum there!
Peter says
So basically some aspects of Oakland are not as bad as San Francisco’s, which already is one of the worst major US cities? I wasn’t planning on visiting Oakland; I will actively avoid visiting it from now on.
Lia Garcia says
Yes, it certainly sounds like it’s not a good fit for either you or Oakland 🙂
Dianne Nguyen says
Your article has good intentions, but it lacks consideration.
As a PRIVILEGED WHITE PERSON–an outsider on top of that–it’s important that you acknowledge your part as a gentrifier in economically and socially fragile places like Oakland. Additionally, you can’t claim Oakland’s narrative just because you’ve lived here “for almost a decade.” If you are, you should at least learn the history of how it became a “Mecca for people of color” instead of condensing it into two parenthesized comments: (for instance, the crack epidemic in the 80’s hit Oakland HARD) and No, every non-white person in a hoodie is NOT a “gangster” or a “hoodlum” (a common racist narrative that’s often used to justify violence against children).
So you’re going to summarize the Oakland native’s struggle in these two racist sentences?
I understand you make money off of these posts and wouldn’t want to focus too much on “irrelevant” information outside of travel tips, but if that’s the case, then don’t write about a place that you’re not ready to fully comprehend. I get that you’re a travel blogger and not a sociologist, but it doesn’t cost you any money to actually DO RESEARCH on the place you claim you come from. It doesn’t cost you anything to understand the humans behind Oakland’s rich history and culture.
Another note–the only time you mentioned Asians or any other ethnicity is Chinatown and trendy food.
Basically, Oakland don’t need your white validation and white man’s burden approach. Thanks.
Lia Garcia says
Thank you for your points! We definitely do acknowledge our part as gentrifiers in Oakland, but it didn’t seem terribly relevant to address it in this post (gentrification is something we to address head-on in our Where to Stay in San Francisco post, and if we were to write a similar style guide to Oakland, we’d include it there).
My intention for this post was centered around framing the mindset of visitors to Oakland and what they’d need to know. When writing this piece, I did do research on Oakland’s history, and did my best to condense it into the “need to know” bits that would be most relevant for tourists visiting. I wanted to combat the primary narratives we tend to hear when it comes to folks who aren’t familiar with Oakland, which is (unfortunately) a narrative about Oakland as a dangerous place. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told somebody I live in Oakland, CA and I get some BS about how I must be dodging bullets all day or how I must be so scared all the time (those people also tend to have no idea where Oakland is located on a map – they’ve just heard about it on the news and decided it was scary). It’s a racist single-story narrative and I wanted to combat it by showcasing the complexity and beauty of Oakland, which is why I specifically addressed Oakland’s struggle with race in an attempt to approach it head-on. I covered the history of Oakland in much more detail in my “things to do in Oakland” post, which came first – I’ve edited my post to refer to that post for more details on Oakland’s history.
I do think the history of Oakland is relevant, as contextual history is for every place that we visit. I don’t want anybody visiting Oakland without having at least some frame of mind to understand the city, and to visit with a mindset to learn more about it during their stay here.
To your point about the lack of discussion of Oakland’s many ethnicities, that’s a good point. We do talk more about the many ethnicities of Oakland, as well as cover the history in much more detail, in our “things to do in Oakland” post, but we could do a better job integrating that here.
Thank you for your feedback, and I’d really love to hear more suggestions about what else we can include that would do more justice to our beloved adopted home!
Elijah says
Bingo. And something about the writer seems disingenuous. I don’t believe she’ll let my comments post.
Lia Garcia says
Hey Elijah, we have comments on all of our posts filtered through a comment approval process. This post in particular unfortunately attracts a lot of unproductive and disgusting racist comments, so our team goes through & deletes those and filters comments which are an important piece of dialogue and conversation that we believe should be public, like yours.
Ry says
I agree with you Ayanna, I am really from Oakland, and though I appreciate the positive vibes, it does not sit well with me being a native. This article is from an outsiders point of view. The article would be better without all of the “we” and “our”. I also think diversity should be stressed more, that is the most beautiful and important part about Oakland. The areas where non white people are mentioned, it gives back handed compliments like “theyre not all criminals” and why when famous people are mentioned, the first four people named are white?? Where is Gary Payton, Ricky Henderson, Too Short, and Kehlani, Also, the Hispanic and Asian communities are extremely important in Oakland. Its Okay to appreciate something from an Outsiders point of view. There are hardships that people born and raised in Oakland have endured, that you will not ever understand. Please pay homage to the people that were here before you in a respectable way. Oakland is special to us. Thank you.
Lia Garcia says
Thanks for your feedback! I’m actually not familiar with the people you mentioned so I’ll have to do some research on them. I appreciate the suggestion to include more background on the Hispanic & Asian communities, that’s really helpful and a great point! My goal is certainly to pay homage to Oakland in a respectable way – Oakland is special to us too, although it may be in a very different way.
I’ve updated my post to include the people you mentioned, to clarify that we aren’t “FROM” Oakland, and to point to our other post for more historical context – I think it does a much better job of covering the history of Oakland in detail. Would love your feedback on that post as well.
These comments have all been fantastic discussion points in Jeremy’s classroom in downtown Oakland, where his kids (all born & raised Oakland natives) agreed that if you didn’t go to high school in Oakland, then you’re not a native and can’t claim to be “from” Oakland. It does hurt our hearts – especially Jeremy, because he’s lived in Oakland longer than he’s lived anywhere else, and he doesn’t have any kind of childhood home to speak of, so not being able to consider Oakland home means that he doesn’t have any place in the world he can call home or say that he’s “from”. His kids didn’t have an answer to that. They said they’d never thought of it that way.
We’d love to continue the conversation here!
Jac says
Check your arrogance and entitlement! Laying claims to a city (with your pervasive use of “We” and “Our”, as also noted by Ry) that only a few years ago you denied, is so disrespectful and yet another violation the people who were born and raised in Oakland have to suffer. Your whole article — despite your superficial references to Oakland’s rich history (as also noted by Dianne), is hella fucking shallow. Your air of ownership — the colonizer mentality — is the reason gentrification gets equated with white people. Being devoid of culture makes you only able to appreciate the cosmetics, and unable to experience the rich tapestry that diversity brings. It only adds further insult to the injury of displacement; the fucked up reality of white privilege and abuse by ignorance.
Your story of the youth not having an answer for Jeremy’s hurt feelings about not being able to call Oakland home is stunningly inconsiderate. It’s as if *you* have never thought of what it must be like for so many families who have lived here for generations — who are the real fabric of this city (and what compels others to be attracted to it in the first place) — that have experienced any number of exploitations (from economic insecurity to mortgage fraud and developer speculation), who now must listen to white people whining about the injustices they’re experiencing. And now you want them to comfort you and make you feel at home here?! That self-importance is why some people want you to go the fuck back to where you came from!
https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/the-east-bays-changing-demographics/Content?oid=13262928
https://www.tenantstogether.org/sites/tenantstogether.org/files/California%20Wall%20St%20Landlords%20in%202019.pdf
Lia Garcia says
Thank you for sharing your perspective, and I definitely see your points. Know what we appreciate your feedback and we are taking it all in and thinking about our place here and our role in this community both as people who live here as well as our role as travel media.
I do want to point out that the context of Jeremy’s conversation with his kids wasn’t presented as “hey y’all I got a mean comment on the internet, please make me feel better as a white Latino person who feels like an outsider without clear ties to my culture or my home,” but it was in the context of a wider discussion about racial and cultural identity – the kinds of discussions that often come up in his art class in regards to thinking about messaging, storytelling, representation, cultural impact, and so on. In those discussions, it’s really helpful and important for the teacher, as a figure of authority, to be vulnerable and honest in order to set the tone – it’s hard to get a room full of 18-year-olds to open up about their feelings if you aren’t willing to bare your soul, too! When it comes to tackling and attempting to answer difficult questions about racial identity, colonization, responsibility, privilege, and the specific demographics of Oakland, we’re fortunate that his school is founded and focused on anti-racist teaching pedagogy and includes those conversations as part of their Professional Development with paid experts who lead those conversations – and as paid experts, it is their job to, on occasion, make white people feel better/sit with their discomfort, usually within racial affinity circles. We also understand that this is challenging emotional labor that should always be compensated, consented to/volunteered, and productive – and as such, incredibly inappropriate to ask for from children.
On my side of things, as a small business owner without access to those kinds of resources, hearing feedback from readers like you who are willing to share their thoughts and resources like you’ve done here is extremely helpful, and I’m grateful for all who have taken the time to comment and to continue to help me to shift my perspective as well as make my content more inclusive and educational for other folks who come across it.
Ayanna says
I like the article and appreciate all the positives about my home, Oakland. It gives people a small glimpse of certain parts of Oakland life. There is one thing about natives of Oakland (born and raised). Please don’t say you are “from” Oakland because you live here.
Lia Garcia says
Thanks for pointing that out, Ayanna! It’s a weird nuance I have noticed about Oakland having lived here for almost a decade … it doesn’t matter how long you live in Oakland, you’ll never really be “from” Oakland. Whereas if you moved to say, my hometown in Kentucky, you can say you’re “from” there after you’ve lived there for a couple years. It actually makes us feel weird … like we’ll never be fully integrated into the community, which sucks and makes us feel like outsiders in our (adopted) home. But on the other hand, we get it because there are things about being born and raised in Oakland that we will never understand as transplants. In any case, we love our adopted home and we’re passionate about representing Oakland as honestly and lovingly as we can!
Sarah says
Lia, this Guide is perfect. Where was this four weeks ago, before we headed to San Francisco? *sigh* Needless to say, we didn’t cross the Bay Bridge during our visit (although I did think about it, but only so I could take a great photo of the ferry building from the water tbh). But now I wish we did. Oakland looks great and I had no idea.
For sure on the itinerary for next time we make it to California.
Sierra says
I live just one hour north yet never knew there was a redwood forest in Oakland! Thanks for the fun post and new ideas!
Zaneta P Baran says
I never been in Oakland and it looks pretty amazing. To be honest, I never really heard about this place earlier. I was in San Francisco a few years ago an dreaming about coming back to the US. I will definitely put Oakland on my list.
Riley says
This was a very interesting read. When I saw the title, I realized I didn’t really know anything about Oakland. I had always heard it was dangerous, but other than that, basically nothing. My dad even had his car broken into there and a bunch of his stuff was stolen. I’m happy to see this isn’t always the case though!
Roz Irish Nomads says
Insider insights into people’s home cities are the best! I can’t believe we missed visiting Oakland when we were in California last year! Now I really want to go and drink all of the coffee and eat all of the popsicles there – loved this post 🙂
April says
I admit it, I’ve only been to Oakland once and that was only as it was cheaper hotels than SF and I was going to explore the redwoods and Point Reyes. I did nothing in Oakland. I had no idea it had such wonderful places as you always tend to hear negative things about the city (sorry). Thanks for setting me straight. And next time I’m up that way, I’ll be sure to save some time to explore Oakland.
Dylan says
I really enjoyed reading about Oakland’s (recent) history– thank you for sharing it! I’d love to spend some time in Oakland…maybe that’ll be the push I need to take the West Coast trip I’ve been kicking around for the last few years 🙂
Flora Baker says
This is such a lovely article! I spent a year living in San Francisco on study abroad but I barely made it over to Oakland – just for a couple of concerts. I’ve always regretted it and now I’ve got even more reason to head back there again! Gorgeous photos too 🙂
Craig W Rimer JD says
Anyone who goes to Oakland has to be out of their mind. I am a working detective from Sacramento and my family is from Oakland. This city is trashed and is one of the most dangerous places on the planet! The residents of the Chinatown area are being openly assaulted by others from outside of their community. Robbery is widespread. Businesses are boarded up and the city looks much like Beirut. And now the OPD is being defunded “as a political statement” by the city council. If you want to go on a day trip or an evening out in Oakland, it will be like Dodge City. Make certain to pack if you have a concealed weapon’s permit, and don’t carry lots of cash. Otherwise, you may end the evening looking like the turkey three days after thanksgiving. Ciao Bene.
Lia Garcia says
The attacks on the residents in Chinatown are horrible. But I disagree with your characterization of Oakland as “one of the most dangerous places on the planet.” Oakland has its problems and it’s not a perfect place, but I feel both as safe and as cautious here in Oakland as I do in any other major city in either the USA or abroad. In terms of defunding OPD, my understanding (based on resources like https://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/) is that the intention is to remove bloat from the OPD budget and redirect it (more like re-investing than defunding) to other social services that have been proven to help positively affect communities and reduce crime, such as “housing, jobs, youth programs, restorative justice, mental health workers and other services … Instead of police, we want to hire more social workers, mental health workers, EMTs, teachers, and other civilian positions.” It would also help to support mental health workers as first responders in incidents of mental health crises, “including, but not limited to, psychiatric emergencies, substance use support, and domestic violence situations that require victim extraction.” This is actually a program that has been operating in your home city of Sacramento since January 2020 – learn more here: https://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/mh-first-sac
Pedro Oliveros says
The gold rush did not start in the 1870’s. It started in 1848.
Otherwise, anyone who defends my city is a fan of mine. All of the negative comments have me perplexed.
Lia Garcia says
We’ve made a lot of changes to this post in response to the (valid) comments and call-outs letting us know how our words were hurtful, and I’m very happy that the current version of this post seems to better reflect our love, appreciation, and respect for our adopted home city!