Guidebook for Oakland
Food Scene
Classic neighborhood hang, great service, basic diner/southern food. Always a fun mix of people.
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Lois the Pie Queen
851 60th StClassic neighborhood hang, great service, basic diner/southern food. Always a fun mix of people.
Hefty baked goods, pretty good coffee. Pleasantly hipster-ish environment. Nice place to sit and do internet.
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Sweet Adeline Bakeshop
3350 Adeline StHefty baked goods, pretty good coffee. Pleasantly hipster-ish environment. Nice place to sit and do internet.
Peet's Coffee
2124 Vine StIt's Peet's. Very strong coffee. Good morning!
Chicken sandwiches that people line up around the block for. They really are good!
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Bakesale Betty
5098 Telegraph AveChicken sandwiches that people line up around the block for. They really are good!
Unbelievably good Burmese food. Always popular -- I'd recommend making a reservation.
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Burma Superstar
309 Clement StUnbelievably good Burmese food. Always popular -- I'd recommend making a reservation.
Excellent CA/Eur cuisine, including fancy-ass pizzas. Substantial. Not cheap.
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Pizzaiolo
5008 Telegraph AveExcellent CA/Eur cuisine, including fancy-ass pizzas. Substantial. Not cheap.
Fresh, festive, CA-inspired Mexican. Good! Cheap! Try the big salad.
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La Calaca Loca Taqueria
5199 Telegraph AveFresh, festive, CA-inspired Mexican. Good! Cheap! Try the big salad.
Koryo Sushi
4390 Telegraph AveGood sushi! Open late! A local treasure.
Take-out tamales just a few blocks away -- they look awesome. Why have I not tried this place? Let me know how it is.
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Tamales Unicos de Cuernavaca
5751 Market StTake-out tamales just a few blocks away -- they look awesome. Why have I not tried this place? Let me know how it is.
Nothing remarkable about this place except that they've managed to stay in business despite the noisy traffic outside. But they do have good strong coffee, and it's very close by.
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Earthly Coffee and Tea
5506 Martin Luther King Jr WayNothing remarkable about this place except that they've managed to stay in business despite the noisy traffic outside. But they do have good strong coffee, and it's very close by.
Shopping
Tons of weird leftover stuff you didn't realize you needed. Art supplies, frames, boxes, chachkas, scraps of cloth, toilet paper tubes, that sort of thing.
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East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse
4695 Telegraph AveTons of weird leftover stuff you didn't realize you needed. Art supplies, frames, boxes, chachkas, scraps of cloth, toilet paper tubes, that sort of thing.
Shop here for your groceries! You'll be amazed. It is wonderful, especially the produce.
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Berkeley Bowl
2020 Oregon StShop here for your groceries! You'll be amazed. It is wonderful, especially the produce.
This is like totally the neighborhood hang on Sunday mornings. Great local produce, breads and hot food stands.
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Temescal Farmer's Market
5300 Claremont AveThis is like totally the neighborhood hang on Sunday mornings. Great local produce, breads and hot food stands.
Closest place for reasonable produce (though not always fresh) and enlightened grocery selection -- gluten free stuff and that kind of thing. Friendly staff.
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Temescal Produce Market
4001 BroadwayClosest place for reasonable produce (though not always fresh) and enlightened grocery selection -- gluten free stuff and that kind of thing. Friendly staff.
If you're up for something further afield, it's a 30-minute walk (10-minute bike) to the Rockridge neighborhood -- lots of upscale shops and restaurants. A Rockridge centerpiece is Market Hall, a collection of specialty food shops (bakery, gourmet foods, wines, meat/fish, produce). Fun to wander through and sample the cheeses.
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Rockridge Market Hall
5655 College AveIf you're up for something further afield, it's a 30-minute walk (10-minute bike) to the Rockridge neighborhood -- lots of upscale shops and restaurants. A Rockridge centerpiece is Market Hall, a collection of specialty food shops (bakery, gourmet foods, wines, meat/fish, produce). Fun to wander through and sample the cheeses.
Capitalism in action! This strange little adjunct to Oakland went from a bunch of empty fields and industrial buildings to major chain-store-condo-land in front of our eyes. Plenty of useful stuff -- the Bay Street mall is typically mally, across from it is Trader Joe's and Ross and the like. Then further west there's Big Box Heaven: Home Depot and Target and Office Stuff, etc. And there is Ikea. Right in front of Ikea is the start to the trail across the eastern span of the Bay Bridge.
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Emeryville
Capitalism in action! This strange little adjunct to Oakland went from a bunch of empty fields and industrial buildings to major chain-store-condo-land in front of our eyes. Plenty of useful stuff -- the Bay Street mall is typically mally, across from it is Trader Joe's and Ross and the like. Then further west there's Big Box Heaven: Home Depot and Target and Office Stuff, etc. And there is Ikea. Right in front of Ikea is the start to the trail across the eastern span of the Bay Bridge.
Sightseeing
Want to see a neighborhood in transition? Here you can find $300 shirts next to cheap Chinese food, hipsters next to folks wondering what on earth happened to their 'hood. Fun to walk around, lots of good eats. Don't miss Temescal Alley, where there are gourmet donuts, snobby books and upscale vintage.
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Temescal
Want to see a neighborhood in transition? Here you can find $300 shirts next to cheap Chinese food, hipsters next to folks wondering what on earth happened to their 'hood. Fun to walk around, lots of good eats. Don't miss Temescal Alley, where there are gourmet donuts, snobby books and upscale vintage.
Essentials
Drug store that also sells some version of whatever you need (food, hardware, underwear, etc.). Open 24 hours.
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Walgreens
2801 Adeline StDrug store that also sells some version of whatever you need (food, hardware, underwear, etc.). Open 24 hours.
Parks & Nature
It's not a lie-around-on-the-sand beach but a rocky gazing-at-the-sunset beach. Pretty, quiet, never crowded, and surprisingly close. You can bike the Frontage Road along the water.
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Safe Harbor Emeryville
3310 Powell StIt's not a lie-around-on-the-sand beach but a rocky gazing-at-the-sunset beach. Pretty, quiet, never crowded, and surprisingly close. You can bike the Frontage Road along the water.
Not exactly nature or hiking trail but I couldn't find the right category for this. What's fun is to BIKE the eastern span of the Bay Bridge. The trail starts in front of Ikea in Emeryville, then there's a 2-1/2-mile lead-up to the actual bridge, then you go another 2.2 miles before you have to turn around. It's uphill, then, of course, downhill on the the way back, with nifty views. A fun, pointless ride -- about 14 miles round trip from my house.
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San Francisco Bay Bridge
San Francisco – Oakland Bay BridgeNot exactly nature or hiking trail but I couldn't find the right category for this. What's fun is to BIKE the eastern span of the Bay Bridge. The trail starts in front of Ikea in Emeryville, then there's a 2-1/2-mile lead-up to the actual bridge, then you go another 2.2 miles before you have to turn around. It's uphill, then, of course, downhill on the the way back, with nifty views. A fun, pointless ride -- about 14 miles round trip from my house.
It's 3 miles around the lake -- fun to walk, run or bike -- and you can stop to check out the bird sanctuary, visit Children's Fairyland, or rent a paddleboat.
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Lake Merritt Amphitheater
Lake Merritt BoulevardIt's 3 miles around the lake -- fun to walk, run or bike -- and you can stop to check out the bird sanctuary, visit Children's Fairyland, or rent a paddleboat.
Arts & Culture
Renovated historical buildings, weird juxtapositions of old and new, recently revitalized and full of good restaurants, clubs and art galleries. First Friday of every month there's a big art & music fair from 5 to 9 PM.
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Downtown Oakland
Renovated historical buildings, weird juxtapositions of old and new, recently revitalized and full of good restaurants, clubs and art galleries. First Friday of every month there's a big art & music fair from 5 to 9 PM.
I love this museum -- always something funky and interesting on exhibit, and it gives you a real sense of California-ness. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. A block from Lake Merritt BART station.
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I-Oakland Museum of California
1000 Oak StI love this museum -- always something funky and interesting on exhibit, and it gives you a real sense of California-ness. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. A block from Lake Merritt BART station.
Getting Around
It's a 20-minute walk from my house, and a hub where several lines meet so the trains into SF come fairly often. Not the world's prettiest walk but generally well-lit and safe.
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MacArthur Station
555 40th StIt's a 20-minute walk from my house, and a hub where several lines meet so the trains into SF come fairly often. Not the world's prettiest walk but generally well-lit and safe.
This station is about an 18-minute walk from my house, and a more interesting/attractive one than the Macarthur walk.... but only the Richmond line comes through so trains come less often. For trips to SF I recommend Macarthur.
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Ashby station
3100 Adeline StThis station is about an 18-minute walk from my house, and a more interesting/attractive one than the Macarthur walk.... but only the Richmond line comes through so trains come less often. For trips to SF I recommend Macarthur.