Uptown 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.

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 former H.C. Capwell department store, which later became Sears and is currently being developed into a mixed-use retail and office building called "Uptown Station;" the I. Magnin department store; 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 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" 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 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. The sculpture, when it is complete, will be one of the largest bronze sculptures in the United States. The 25 humanitarians honored in this sculpture include Oskar Schindler, Maya Angelou, Ruby Bridges, Cesar Chavez, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Mother Teresa.
Numerous bars and restaurants have opened between 16th Street 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

Architectural landmarks

The tallest building in the Uptown district is the 34-floor high-rise apartment building, "17th & Broadway." The second tallest is the Gothic Revival Cathedral Building.
Uptown includes a number of classic Art Deco buildings, although some are now in disrepair. These include:
Uptown Oakland has many murals. These include:
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 the Uptown Transit Center and numerous local buses, including a free weekday shuttle called that connects the Uptown district with Old Oakland, Chinatown, City Center, Lake Merritt, and Jack London Square.