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There Really Is A There There!

Often wrongly dismissed as San Francisco’s ugly stepsister, Oakland boasts interesting neighborhoods, inviting parks, and a restored Art Deco theater.

Gertrude Stein was talking about Oakland when she made her famous remark, "There’s no there there."

Actually, the author was commenting on the fact that her childhood home in Oakland seemingly had vanished when she tried to find it during a lecture tour of the United States in the 1930s.

The Bay Bridge, spanning more than eight miles, connects San Francisco with Oakland. (Photo courtesy of SFCVB, photo by Phil Coblentz)

But, the phrase became linked with the city and contributed to its reputation as a mere adjunct to the glamorous San Francisco and the notorious Berkeley.

Oakland has a great deal to offer, however, and much of it is available without the crowds of San Francisco.

Perhaps in a spirit of "trying harder" than its more famous neighbors, the city of Oakland offers free 90-minute guided tours, which leave every Wednesday and Saturday at 10 a.m. from different downtown locations. Each covers one of these areas or themes: Old Oakland, City Center, Preservation Park, Chinatown, Uptown, Jack London Square; churches and temples; and African-American heritage.

The Old Oakland Historic District is a four-block area of restored Victorian commercial buildings that house shops, galleries, and restaurants. It is between Eighth, 10th, Clay, and Washington streets.

Jack London Square is a waterfront attraction in an area with an appealing mix of produce markets, upscale restaurants, waterfront bars, clubs, and artists’ lofts. Ferries to the square leave San Francisco from Pier 39 of Fisherman’s Wharf and the Ferry Building. A water taxi offers service to nearby Alameda Island and to dockside restaurants. There’s a Farmer’s Market every Sunday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Lake Merritt at Grant and Bellevue avenues is the largest urban saltwater lake in the United States. See it while floating in a gondola, complete with serenading gondolier.

The 122-acre Lakeside Park offers formal gardens, walking trails, and a children’s amusement park. Rotary Nature Center at 552 Bellevue Avenue offers educational programs and a chance to view migratory waterfowl that visit the lake.

Built in 1876, Camron-Stanford House is a restored Victorian-era home open for tours on Lake Merritt at 1418 Lakeside Drive.

The Oakland Museum of California at 1000 Oak Street houses works by such well-known California artists as Richard Diebenkorn and contains permanent exhibitions portraying California’s history and art. The building is a three-tiered blend of galleries, terraces, patios, and ponds. From the sculpture garden, visitors can see views of the Oakland and Berkeley hills.

"Quizzical Eye: The Personal Photography of Rondal Partridge" will be on view until June 22. The exhibition features approximately 100 photographs of Yosemite National Park, the San Francisco Bay Area, and images from rodeos, junkyards, and flea markets.

Oakland has its own zoo in the 525-acre Knowland Park at 9777 Gold Links Road. Highlights include a trip on the Sky Ride to view American bison and elk grazing below. The chair-lift ride also offers a panoramic view of San Francisco Bay. And, as for the animals, there are more than 400 of them, representing 100 species in 58 exhibits.

For an offbeat pleasure, visit the Paramount Theatre at 2025 Broadway. Built in 1931, it is an Art Deco landmark and presents classic films accompanied by live organ music. It is also home to the Oakland Ballet and Oakland East Bay Symphony.

For a more conventional treat, try the Morcom Amphitheater of Roses. Opened in the 1930s, this eight-acre municipal rose garden features more than 6,000 rosebushes of all varieties. Fortunately for APA meeting goers, the bloom season starts in May.

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