My latest for KQED - and Old Oakland Tour

Lately, I've been on a roll about Oakland because, frankly, I love my city.

San Francisco may have my heart, but Oakland has my soul, and that may well be the more important of the two.

Oakland is in the midst of a renaissance. I mean, why buy a $500K studio in the city, when you can get a great loft or even a house for that much in the East Bay, especially with BART as an option for transport? The truth is, I get downtown faster than my friends who live in the Avenues, or even Noe or Cole Valleys, sometimes.

Anyway, every time I'm driving through downtown on Broadway or Telegraph, I'm blown away by the Art Deco architecture that surrounds me; a few blocks east, and the fourth largest Chinatown in the country beckons; a few blocks west and Old Oakland beckons.

It's the latter that I write about this week on KQED -- go ahead, check it out. I hope you'll be inspired to spend a lazy afternoon in this charming enclave of the jewel of the East Bay.

Comments

[Rachael]

(OK, before I go any further, I just realized I have been giving the wrong url to people for weeks. LOL!)

HI,
I love Oakland, and I love that you have such a passion for it. I hope more people check it out (but the prices still stay reasonable)

Terrific entry!

Rachael

[Fatemeh]

The wrong URL for KQED? It's kind of a long one... :-)

I love Oakland, too... I moved here kicking and screaming, but now I wouldn't trade it for the world.

...
...

OK, I lied. I'd trade it for a house in Sonoma and a cute little pied-a-terre in the city, but since that's not happening ANY time soon...

[Kat]

Thanks for writing about our wonderful city... That particular part of Oakland has housed some great restaurants: Toutatis, a Breton crepe place at 7th/Washington, closed ~2 years ago and the Old Oakland Cafe (name?) at 8th/Washington, LMNO (taken over by an inconsistent, overpriced restaurant, the Rex), as well as the spots mentioned in your article. It is too bad that some of these stellar spots did not receive the attention or crowd they deserved. I hope that the revival of downtown Oakland continues... And that we patronize restaurants in our own neck of the woods..

[Marianne]

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I now live in the Central Valley - Lodi (the other Wine Country) but I grew up in Oakland. There really are some great nuggets of history and design there that not many appreciate unless you're a native. I enjoy your blog and have it bookmarked!

[Fatemeh]

Thanks for visiting, Marianne! I do adore Oakland... I come to love it a little more every day, if you want to know the truth.