Thursday, December 6, 2012

Uptown Neighborhood in Oakland

When people outside of Oakland speak of Oakland they often speak of the highly touted “Oakland revival.” Well, they may not know it, but a big revival is going on right now near downtown, only we call it Uptown.

Uptown occupies the north end of downtown Oakland, between the city center and Grand Avenue along the diverging thoroughfares of Broadway and Telegraph. From the 1920s to the 1950s, this area was the main commercial district in Oakland, and you can tell by the impressive and well-preserved art deco buildings.

The best evidence of the Uptown revival is the nightlife, especially the newly renovated Fox Theatre and the venerable Paramount Theatre. Don’t miss smaller clubs like the eponymously named The Uptown or The Den. There is also a gourmet renaissance in the neighborhood, with hot spots Luka’s Tap Room and Café Van Kleef alongside longtime favorites like Pho 84. We could do a whole article just on great new restaurants! Uptown has become a nexus for the arts in the East Bay, with many art galleries and studios popping up in the district, such as The Crucible’s showroom and the Rock Paper Scissors Collective.
 
With so much to do, Uptown is also becoming a great place to call home. The neighborhood is dominated by several new condo projects, like The Uptown and the Broadway Grand. Don’t worry, there are normal things in the neighborhood, too, in addition to the hip nightclubs and restaurants. Whole Foods is nearby, there is even the wonderful Oakland Ice Center and Lake Merritt is just a few blocks away. And, commuting couldn’t be easier with the 19th Street BART station right there under your feet.

Now that Uptown has been unveiled and the world knows how vibrant Oakland can be, Uptown is the place to be!