Uptown

photo by mk30

Uptown is a neighborhood in the downtown area of Oakland. It has experienced significant revitalization. The Oakland Redevelopment Agency specifically planned an ambitious development program to create the Uptown neighborhood as an entertainment/retail district. It purchased parcels and properties in the area and contracted with private developers to formulate and enact a development plan and recruit retail and entertainment businesses to the site.

According to the Oakland City Planning Commission "the "Uptown" district is characterized by small scale ground floor commercial spaces under upper story residential units, as well as freestanding modern buildings such as the Broadway/Grand mixed-use building, small restaurants, and automotive service businesses. Residential buildings along and behind the commercial area include two-story Victorian houses and apartments, as well as newer condominium buildings. Construction materials in the area include primarily stucco buildings with glass transoms and tile roof details; brick with wood details, wood shiplap and shingle walls with composite roofs, and other early-to-mid-20th Century materials." ¹

Some long-time Oaklanders say "there's no uptown in Oakland -- it's all downtown." Which is mostly true, because while the term was used in the early 1900s as Oakland grew to refer to things past 14th Street versus towards the waterfront, the term didn't wasn't used much in recent times until Jerry Brown's 10K Plan began pushing development in the area. ^3,4