Category — chinatown

The end of March marks five years after I published my first post on this blog – about an invasion of SF-based restaurants into Oakland. The restaurants surging in Uptown, combined with the strength of Old Oakland, were kick-starting a renaissance five years ago: a renaissance which is thriving even after years of recession.

The most popular categories on this blog are: Old Oakland, the original happening hood, and where I used to live; Uptown, downtown’s showcase district; dining, which is one of the key draws to downtown and Oakland in general; and nightlife, of course. This reflects a host of exciting developments in the 160+ years of Oakland’s existence as a city.

Perhaps most significant for downtown was the reopening of the Fox, a long-cherished community dream that was enabled by Redevelopment dollars generated by private investment in Uptown. About five thousand people moved downtown during the last half-decade or so, and despite an oft-repeated myth, there are few empty condos or apartments in the downtown area (in fact, Oakland appears to be experiencing an apartment shortage that may jump-start new housing construction). With all the excitement and investment, what helped downtown improve?

Key factors in downtown’s rebirth

• Broadway Shuttle: The Broadway Shuttle today is just great. A transit investment study, with implementation funds in the upcoming transportation sales tax hike, may provide a major new transportation link throughout greater downtown in the near future.
• Cabaret Ordinance Reform: In 2010 a long-sought change to Oakland’s outdated Cabaret Ordinance legalized DJs at bars, clarified the rules for dance clubs, and created a late-night permit for a few establishments.
• Pop Up Stores: Generous landlords, far-sighted city employees, and the assistance of the Downtown Business Improvement Districts have enlivened downtown with temporary and lower-cost boutiques and art galleries, from Oaklandish to Betti Ono Gallery. The trend culminated in the Pop Up Hood in Old Oakland, which may be leading that district out of recession into retail success.
• Updated zoning: Ten years after Oakland passed a new General Plan, downtown’s zoning was updated to reduce planning headaches for developers, concentrate residential and commercial construction in appropriate areas, and ban surface parking lots as a bane to pedestrians.

Remaining challenges

• Public safety: There are precious few beat cops downtown and the helpful Downtown Ambassadors can only do so much. Considering how light the police presence is, it’s miraculous that downtown has relatively few crimes.
• Infrastructure: Despite almost a decade of city promises to private investors, Uptown is still marred by inadequate sidewalks and and a crumbling Telegraph Ave.
• Capricious public policy: The Oakland City Council is famously myopic, and can swing radically from pro-growth policies as outlined in the Downtown rezoning to the development-last approach of the Lake Merritt Specific Plan. Outdated ordinances like the Amusement Fee continue to bother businesses. But Downtown will get a new City Council Member next year, and no matter who wins, we’ll see a fresh approach to downtown.

Enjoy your downtown weekend, and thanks for reading this blog, and enjoying the heart of our fair city!

A little much-needed rain can’t dampen the DTO’s spirits! This weekend brings art and culture to the forefront – both visual and delicious.

The Oakland Convention and Vistors Bureau, freshly energized by the city’s #5 ranking in the New York Times’ worldwide must-visit list, is hosting the third annual Restaurant Week to celebrate local cultural entrepreneurship of the tasty variety. Participating restaurants are offering price-fixe menus showcasing their specialties, and downtown establishments make up about a third of all the offerings. Go to VisitOakland.com for all the details. Restaurant week runs from today until next Sunday.

The Paramount Theate’s wildly popular classic movie showings kick off for the year with a screening of populist political classic Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. Come early to enjoy a cocktail in one of America’s finest Art Deco treasures! 8pm, 2025 Broadway.

The Asian Resource Gallery in Chinatown is in the final week of its exhibit exploring the concept of Home from artistic and narrative viewpoints. Considering there was undertones of identity-based debates in the recent hearing on rezoning Chinatown, this exhibit may be an opportunity to ponder the question, would a Chinois gate help create a better sense of place? 310 8th St.

The Oakland Museum’s innovative Oakland Standard program continues tomorrow with a demonstration of mural painting set to DJ’d tunes, entitled Living Concrete. And of course offerings from a local restaurant. For more about this series of cultural celebrations, check out the recent East Bay Express article, Setting the Standard. Saturday, 11am-5pm, 1000 Oak St.

See you at a downtown restaurant!