DOWNTOWN

Architectural gems, techie culture, and East Bay streetwear. Downtown has it all.

Downtown Oakland is a cultural phenomenon: A blend of Victorians (Preservation Park), a National Historic Landmark (Rotunda Building), an award-winning espresso bar (Awaken Cafe & Roasting), a museum dedicated to gamers (The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment), all kinds of cuisine (Pintoh Thai, Mockingbird, Umami Mart), a streetwear brand (Oaklandish), California art and history (Oakland Museum of California), and more.

Chinatown

SHORT ON TIME?

Grab a baked good at Sweet Bar Bakery; peruse The Hive, a mixed-use space (while you’re there, pick up a loaf of wood-fired bread from Firebrand); order the Greyhound Classic cocktail at Cafe Van Kleef for major honky tonk vibes; and head to the 3.5-acre rooftop park at Kaiser Center

Local Voices

CARL CHAN

President, Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce

“The history of Chinatown is very entwined with Oakland’s [and] continues to play a prominent role in the identity of our city.”

One of the oldest in the United States, Oakland’s Chinatown is a lively area packed with history.

First settled in the 1850s after the Gold Rush, and later evolving after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake as a safe haven for Chinese immigrants, Chinatown is the center of Oakland’s Asian culture, food, and community. Here, you won’t find flocks of tourists taking pictures outside tchotchke shops. Instead, you’ll find family-run stores, phenomenal cuisine, and a hearty celebration of Asian arts and culture.

Taste your way between 8th and 10th streets and Franklin and Webster streets, where you’ll find dim sum at Peony Seafood Restaurant, hand-pulled noodles at Shandong Restaurant,

Local Voices Elisha Greenwell

Founder, Black Joy Parade

“Downtown Oakland is ever-evolving, and it’s exciting to be part of the change. It seems like each time I’m there, a new thing has arrived, or an old thing has revived!” and black garlic ramen at Sobo Ramen. Don’t skip the Oakland Fortune Factory, the Bay Area’s oldest fortune cookie maker.

Lincoln Square and Madison parks are great places to people watch, while the Oakland Asian Cultural Center offers rotating exhibits on Asian arts and culture. Or, brush up on your Asian literature (in eight languages!) at Oakland Public Library Asian Branch

Get Out On the Water