Uptown Oakland
Coordinates: 37°48′33.76″N 122°16′14.55″W / 37.8093778°N 122.2707083°W
| Uptown | |
|---|---|
| Neighborhood of Oakland | |
  Uptown Location within Oakland | |
| Coordinates: 37°48′34″N 122°16′15″W / 37.809378°N 122.270708°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Alameda |
| City | Oakland |
Uptown Oakland or The Uptown is a neighborhood in Downtown Oakland, California. Its boundaries are ill-defined, but most definitions include the area between 27th Street to the north, San Pablo Avenue to the west, City Center to the south, and Harrison St to the east. The neighborhood has become an important entertainment district in recent years.[1]
History
The area near 20th Street and Broadway had been Oakland's main shopping district in the mid-20th century. Several buildings from that era remain, including the Capwell's department store which closed and became ( Sears which closed and will become [Uber]), Art Deco I. Magnin, The Paramount Theater, and the Fox Oakland Theatre. The Payless Drug Store and Market located at Telegraph Ave. and 20th St, housed the drug store small produce markets and seafood sellers. It included a SAAG's sausage counter and even a USO branch. This structure was demolished in the early 1960s to construct a parking structure for Capwell's Department store. The area was home to one of the original Kwik Way hamburger outlets and also at Broadway and Grand Ave the Oakland branch of Breuners furniture.
West of Telegraph Avenue, the neighborhood was for many years largely made up of parking lots and garages. The area has gone through several failed urban renewal projects and proposals, including proposals for a shopping mall, an entertainment district, high-rise housing, and a professional baseball stadium. The area now contains several attractive high-rise apartment buildings.
Development
During Jerry Brown's time as Mayor (1999-2007) The Uptown District was deemed the Entertainment center of the city. Redevelopment has taken place by large upscale apartments and restaurants, bringing some much needed money and foot traffic into the area. The centerpiece has been the city government's 10K program, an effort to bring 10,000 additional residents to the downtown area. The largest of the new apartment complexes is a five story, three building apartment complex called "The Uptown"[2] built by Forest City Enterprises, including a new dog-friendly park called Fox Square. A new surface street, Rashida Muhammad Street was named after the late community activist who died of lung cancer in 2006. Alice Walker immortalized Rashida Muhammad's (aka Dessie X. Woods) story in her collection of essays, "Living by the Word." The street was built with the stated goal of The Uptown project of enhancing and building a new community in the area. This complex also features the "Remember Them" sculpture by Mario Chiodo, a local artist.[3] The sculpture, when it is complete, will be one of the largest bronze sculptures in the United States.[4] The 25 humanitarians honored in this sculpture include Oskar Schindler, Maya Angelou, Ruby Bridges, Cesar Chavez and Mother Teresa.
Numerous bars and restaurants have opened between 16th St and Grand Avenue. Retail continues to add to the landscape of the Uptown District.
In addition to becoming a nightlife destination for East Bay residents, the area has developed well culturally overall. The area now includes many cafes, bakeries, and galleries, as well as being a central hub for the other bars and restaurants located in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Points of interest
A large Sears department store was located in the center of the Uptown district, between Telegraph Avenue, 20th Street, and Broadway. The store closed in 1993 and the building is currently vacant.
What is commonly called "First Friday" or "Art Murmur" has given way to a vibrant art scene in Oakland which mainly centers around the Uptown District. Some of the first galleries to open in this area included 21 Grand, the defunct Mama Buzz Cafe (now the Telegraph Beer Garden), and Rock Paper Scissors (art collective and store.) More recent notable galleries include Krowswork, Mercury 20 Gallery, Johansson Projects and Creative Growth. In September 2011 Project Bandaloop performed the premier of an aerial dance piece called Bound(less) on The Great Wall of Oakland, and in May 2013 the first annual Oakland Internet Cat Video Festival took place on the Great Wall.
Two Mile Wines has produced wines in the Uptown district since 2009, pushing urban winemaking into the heart of Oakland and First Friday. More recently, Oakland Spirits Company has started producing gins, brandies, and other spirits in the neighborhood, demonstrating that a mix of art, manufacturing, and trades can thrive amidst rapid gentrification.
Uptown is in the so-called Oaksterdam district of medical marijuana clubs which have contributed to a resurgence in retail and pedestrian activity in the area.
Uptown is also the home to the Oakland Ice Center, which houses youth and adult amateur hockey leagues, figure skating lessons, and public skating sessions.
Architectural landmarks
The tallest building in the Uptown district is the Gothic Revival Cathedral Building.
Uptown includes a number of classic Art Deco buildings, although some are now in disrepair. These include:
- The Paramount Theatre is a massive movie theater. When it was built in 1931, it was the largest multi-purpose theater on the West Coast, seating 3,476. Today, the Paramount is the home of the Oakland East Bay Symphony and the Oakland Ballet. It regularly plays host to R&B, jazz, blues, pop, rock, gospel, classical music, as well as ballets, plays, stand-up comedy, lecture series, special events, and re-runs of classical movies from Hollywood's Golden Era.
- The Fox Oakland Theatre is a 3,800-seat movie theater, located at 1807 Telegraph Avenue. The theater was designed by Weeks and Day, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and reopened on February 5, 2009 after extensive renovation .
- The May Bowles Building at 1718 Telegraph Avenue was designed by Douglas Dacre Stone and features a blue-green terracotta frieze, and geometric window screens.
- J. J. Newberry's on Telegraph Avenue at 19th Street features an extensive black and silver terracotta frieze with geometric and floral motifs. The former department store now houses The Uptown nightclub and the Flora restaurant.
The space above Newberrys housed Sweets Ballroom venue which hosted many big bands and jazz greats from the '30s through the '60s. Some of the performers were Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimmie Lunceford and many others. The ballroom was locally owned by the Sweet family for the whole period.
Transportation
The 19th Street/Oakland BART station is in Uptown, in a subway under Broadway. Oakland's Art Moderne Greyhound bus depot is on the other side of the neighborhood, on San Pablo Avenue at Interstate 980. AC Transit operates numerous local buses, and a bus transfer station on 20th Street between Telegraph Avenue and Broadway, including a free weekday shuttle called "The B" that connects the Uptown district with Old Oakland, Chinatown, City Center, Lake Merritt, and Jack London Square.
See also
- Temescal
- Adams Point
- Chinatown
- Jack London Square
- Lakeside Apartments District
- Oakland City Center
- Oaksterdam
- Old Oakland
External links
- "Neighborhood Search Map". Oakland Museum of California. Archived from the original on 2009-04-30. Retrieved 2011-07-29.
- Rebuilding Oaktown - blog generally about the Uptown district.
References
- ↑ http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/print-edition/2011/11/25/moving-ahead-in-oakland-post-occupy.html
- ↑ http://www.theuptown.net/
- ↑ http://remember-them.org/
- ↑ San Francisco Chronicle. January 2, 2010. Carolyn Jones. "Oakland to honor 25 leaders in huge sculpture."
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