CALIFORNIA LOVE:
OAKLAND CITY GUIDE
We know it’s hard, but don’t just leave your heart in San Francisco. Take it over the bay to our beautiful sister city of Oakland. If you visit (or live in) the Bay Area, step outside your San Francisco comfort zone and give Oakland a try. The lake. The amazing weather. What’s not to love? These are our fave spots to hit up:
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Shop local Every Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm you can stock up on fresh produce (and get free yummy samples while you shop). Walk away with some homemade ravioli and a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Best Saturday ever. Where to go: Grand Lake-Oakland Farmers Market, Lake Park Ave |
| Walk to works of art Taking place the first Friday of every month, streets shut down and food trucks, vendors and musicians roll in for the ultimate street festival. Hop from gallery to gallery with your friends and family for the perfect night out. Where to go: Oakland First Fridays, Telegraph Ave from W. Grant to 27th St |
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Feel like a kid again A theme park for kids to play, laugh and have a blast with their parent, relative or friend. Yes, grown-ups can’t go to Fairyland without one. So be it your son, daughter, niece, nephew or anything in between…take them out for a grand time riding the train and playing with goats. Where to go: Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave |
| Be the ultimate hostess Housing eight different food and flower shops, this market has everything you need under one adorable roof. Hosting a party soon? You’ll definitely want to go here for your prep work. Where to go: Rockridge Market Hall, 5655 College Ave #201 |
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Rock out to some sweet tunes Live music makes us want to dance. The smaller the venue, the better. This theater sets the perfect stage. Check out their upcoming acts and get your groove on. Where to go: Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave (Photo by Ian Abbott, license) |
| Soak it all in (under the stars) Don’t you wish you had a hot tub? Well, now you can rent one by the hour. Did we mention it’s outside under the stars? Jackpot. Where to go: Piedmont Springs, 3939 Piedmont Ave |
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Take it to the water Be it kayaking, pedal boating or sailing, you can rent whatever floats your boat on the beautiful Lake Merritt. Don’t want to do any work? Rent a gondola with your very own gondolier. You can even get a cheese plate and bubbly for the ride. No, really. Where to go: Lake Merritt Boating Center, 568 Bellevue Ave and Gondola Servizio, 1520 Lakeside Dr |
| Climb to new heights This rock climbing gym will be your new best friend. Not only do they have 12,000 square feet of climbing and bouldering, they also have an assortment of classes to get your fitness on. Where to go: Great Western Power Co., 520 20th St |
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Go to Sunday School School. Remember those days? Well being an adult means you can learn about adult things. Like wine. This new-ish and super approachable wine shop has Sunday School every week. L.O.V.E. Check out their calendar and let the learning (and drinking) begin. Where to go: Bay Grape, 376 Grand Ave |
Watch a movie in style
This historic movie palace (deemed one of the top ten vintage theaters in the country) opened in 1926 and is the best place to see the latest movies, in a beyond-cool setting. Bright marquee lights, columns and chandeliers, coming right up. Where to go: Grand Lake Theatre, 3200 Grand Ave