Oakland, California

Oakland, California
Skyline of Oakland, California
[[Image:|100px|Official flag of Oakland, California]]
Flag
[[Image:|75px|Official seal of Oakland, California]]
Seal
Nickname: ""Oaktown," "Biggity Biggity O," "The Town""
Motto: "'"
Official website: www.oaklandnet.com
Location

Location of Oakland, California
Location in Alameda County and the state of California

Government
Country
State
Counties
United States
California
Alameda
Mayor Jerry Brown (D)
Geographical characteristics
Area
Total 202.4 km²
Land 145.2 km²
Water 57.2 km²
Population
Total (2005) 412,318
Metro area 4,153,870
Density 2,751.4/km²
Density {{{population_density_mi2}}}/mi²
Coordinates 37°47′43″ N
122°13′41″ W
Elevation 1 m
Time zone PST (UTC-8)
Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)

Oakland, founded in 1852, is a major city on the east side (also called East Bay) of San Francisco Bay in Northern California in the United States. To its north lies Berkeley, home to the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. To its west stands San Francisco, across the Bay Bridge. To its south lies the island city of Alameda, and San Leandro lies to the southeast. Along the hills which run from north to east, Oakland borders five of the East Bay Regional Parks. In the center of Oakland, and completely surrounded by it (prompting the common analogy to a doughnut hole), is the wealthy independent city of Piedmont. Oakland is home of the Port of Oakland, one of three major shipping ports on the American West coast.

Economic recovery along with Oakland's weather, location, hillside neighborhoods with views of San Francisco and the Bay, aggressive policies to reduce crime, astronomically high rents and home prices in nearby San Francisco, and a substantial offering of shopping districts and restaurants representing cuisines both homegrown and worldwide have led to an increase of population and of real-estate prices in the past decade.

Oakland is the county seat of Alameda County. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city's population was 399,484, making it the third largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area after San Jose and San Francisco.

The Oakland Tribune published its first newspaper on February 21, 1874. The Tribune Tower, which sports a clock, is one of Oakland's landmarks.

Oakland hosts Oakland International Airport, which serves most of the low-cost air traveler's market to and from the San Francisco Bay Area. Major employers in Oakland include the local, state and federal governments, United States Postal Service, regional transportation and utility authorities, Kaiser Permanente, Clorox, Zhone Technologies, Dreyers Grand Ice Cream, carriers associated with the Port, and commercial bakeries.

Oaklanders are understandably frustrated by the misuse of the most famous quote said about their city. "There's no there there," was uttered by Gertrude Stein upon learning as an adult that her childhood Oakland home had been torn down. Her quote did not have anything to do with the city itself. Modern-day Oakland has turned the quote on its head, with a statue downtown simply titled, "There." Additionally, in 2005 a sculpture called HERETHERE has been installed by the City of Berkeley on the Berkeley-Oakland border at Martin Luther King Jr. Way. The sculpture consists of eight foot high letters spelling out the words "HERE" and "THERE" in front of a ramp that carries the BART rapid transit tracks from its elevated section in Oakland to the underground section in Berkeley.

Contents

History

View over Oakland in 1900.

The earliest recorded inhabitants were the Huchiun tribe [1], belonging to a linguistic grouping later called the Ohlone (a Miwok Indian word meaning "western people"). In Oakland, they were heavily concentrated around Lake Merritt and Temescal Creek, a stream which enters the San Francisco Bay at Emeryville. Temescal is an Aztec word for bath-house, brought north by Spanish colonizers.

Oakland, along with the rest of Northern California was claimed for Spain by visiting Spanish explorers in 1772. During its days under the Spanish Empire in the late 18th to early 19th century, and later under an independent Mexico in the early 19th century, Oakland (along with most of the East Bay), was owned by a wealthy landowner Luís María Peralta who named his area Rancho San Antonio. Upon his death in 1842, Peralta divided his land among his four sons as most of Oakland fell within the shares given to Antonio Maria and Vicente. They would open the land to settlement by American settlers, loggers, European whalers and fur-traders.

Full scale settlement and development occurred following California being conquered by the United States during the Mexican American war, and the California Gold Rush in 1848. Oakland was founded and incorporated in 1852 and grew with the railroads, becoming a major rail terminus in the late 1860s and 1870s. Originally comprising the area west of Lake Merritt (now downtown and Chinatown), it gradually annexed farmlands and settlements to the east and north. Oakland's rise to industrial prominence and its subsequent need for a seaport led to the digging of a shipping and tidal channel in 1902 creating the "island" of nearby town Alameda. In 1906 its population doubled with refugees made homeless after the San Francisco earthquake and fire who had fled to Oakland. By 1920, Oakland was the home of numerous manufacturing industries, including metals, automobiles, and shipbuilding.

World War II

During WWII, the East Bay Area was home to a massive Naval shipbuilding industry. The industry attracted a huge amount of laborers from around the country. Many of the new workers were African Americans from the western South (Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas), who enjoyed great prosperity during the war years.

View of downtown Oakland looking west across Lake Merritt.

Post-war years

Soon after the war, the shipbuilding and automobile industries virtually evaporated, as did the jobs that came with it. Many who came to the city did not leave and decided to settle in their new home of Oakland. Meanwhile, many of the city's more affluent white residents fled the city after the war in order to move into newly developing suburbs to the north and south of Oakland's city borders.

By the late 1960s, Oakland, which had been quite prosperous and affluent before the war, found itself with a population that was dominated by a lower income class than had been typical for the city. Much of Oakland's current reputation as a high-crime city can be traced to the transformation that occurred after World War II, especially to the post-1965 era.

1960s and 1970s

Oakland was home to many activist groups during the 1960s and 70s. The Black Panther Party, created in 1966, is one of the better known groups that formed in Oakland. The city was also home to an innovative funk music scene which produced well-known bands like Sly & The Family Stone, Graham Central Station, Tower of Power, Cold Blood, and The Headhunters. Larry Graham, the bass player for both Sly & The Family Stone and GCS, is credited with the creation of the extremely influential "slap & pop" sound still widely used by bassists in many musical idioms today. The latter three bands specialized in "East Bay Grease", which was most common on the Oakland scene. East Bay Grease is quite different from the sounds that come to mind when most people think of funk, which is usually stuff either created or influenced by James Brown, Sly Stone, P-Funk, or the musicians in the places where it all started--New Orleans. No doubt about it, it was influenced by New Orleans, James Brown, and Sly (it proceeded P-Funk), but unlike those relatively laid-back and simple sounds, it moved to a highly syncopated 16th-pulse driven by the linear style of funk drumming pioneered by David Garibaldi and Mike Clark, percussive bass lines, and fattened by staccato horns. To this day, it's the style of music that probably best captures the soulful and working-class Oakland spirit.

It was also during the 1960's when the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club's Oakland Chapter, began to grow into a formidible organization. By the 1980's it was the most feared and respected of all Hells Angels Chapters. Its Oakland Clubhouse still sits at 4019 Foothill Bouelvard in East Oakland.

1980s and 1990s

In the late 1980s and 1990s, Oakland featured prominently in rap music, both as the hometown for such artists as MC Hammer, Digital Underground, Spice 1, Hieroglyphics and Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, The Luniz, Keak Da Sneak and Too $hort, and for its featuring in the lyrics of several songs, such as Baby Got Back, California Love and I Got 5 On It. 2pac, who grew up in Baltimore, New York, and later Marin City, lived in Oakland longer than in any other city and began his career as a roadie and dancer for Digital Underground. Outside of the rap scene, Grammy award winning artists Green Day, En Vogue and Tony! Toni! Tone! (headed by Raphael Saadiq) also emerged from the dynamic city. Currently, a rap movement from the bay, hyphy, is taking the hip hop world by storm.

The Loma Prieta earthquake occurred on October 17, 1989 in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, measuring 7.1 on the Richter magnitude scale. Several structures in Oakland were badly damaged. The double-decker portion of the Cypress freeway structure, located in Oakland, collapsed, killing 42. The Eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge also sustained significant damage and was closed to traffic for one month. Throughout the 1990s, buildings throughout Oakland were retrofited to better withstand earthquakes.

On October 20, 1991, the Oakland Hills firestorm engulfed much of the Oakland hills. 25 were killed and 150 injured and over 2,000 homes were destroyed. The economic loss has been estimated at $1.5 billion. Many homes were rebuilt much larger than they originally were.

In late 1996, Oakland was the center of a controversy surrounding Ebonics, an ethnolect the outgoing Oakland Unified School District board voted to recognize on December 18.

2000s

Jerry Brown, who was elected mayor of Oakland in 1998, initiated a plan to bring an additional 10,000 residents to downtown Oakland. The plan has resulted in several redevelopment projects near Lake Merritt, Jack London Square, and other neighborhoods just outside of downtown. These redevelopment projects have been controversial as many residents see these projects as gentrification, resulting in the loss of lower-income and minority residents in downtown Oakland. Additionally, the weakening of the Bay Area economy in 2000 and 2001 resulted in low occupancy of the new housing and slower growth and economic recovery than expected. As of 2004, the population of Oakland has increased to 409,300.

Additionally, the Oakland Athletics began searching for a site on which to build a new baseball stadium. The Athletics were interested in a site near Telegraph Avenue and 20th Street in downtown Oakland, but the site was instead slated for a housing development. The site was favored by the Athletics for a new stadium as it was accessible by public transit and nearby freeways. As of 2006, the Athletics are pursuing alternative sites for a new stadium outside of downtown Oakland.

In February 2006, the Oakland Ballet closed due to financial problems and the loss of their performance facility, the Calvin Simmons Theater at the Kaiser Convention Center. The Oakland Ballet had been performing in Oakland since 1965. [2]

Geography and climate

Location of Oakland, California

Oakland is located at 37°47'43" North, 122°13'41" West (37.795227, -122.228111)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 78.2 mi² (202.4 km²). 56.1 mi² (145.2 km²) of it is land and 22.1 mi² (57.2 km²) of it is water. The total area is 28.28% water.

Oaklanders most broadly refer to their city's terrain as "the flatlands" and "the hills," which up until recent waves of gentrication have also been a reference to Oakland's deep economic divide, with "the hills" being more affluent communities. About 2/3 of Oakland lies within the flat plain of the San Francisco Bay, with 1/3 rising into the foothills and hills of the East Bay range.

Climate

Oakland's climate has features found in both nearby coastal cities such as San Francisco and inland cities such as San Jose, yet it is warmer than San Francisco and slightly cooler than San Jose. While it is not located on the Pacific Ocean, its position directly inland from the Golden Gate Bridge means that the city gets a significant amount of cold nighttime fog during the summer. It is far enough inland, though, that the fog usually disappears by the morning allowing the city to have stereotypical warm sunny California days.

Oakland's average year-round temperature of 55°F (13°C) is slightly lower than many other California cities. The average high temperature is 62°F (17°C) and the average low temperature is 48°F (9°C), with the warmest month of the year being September, and the coldest month being January. The average annual rainfall is 23 inches, and most rain falls between the months of October and May.

People and culture

Demographics

City of Oakland
Population by year
[3]
1880 34,555
1890 48,682
1900 66,960
1910 150,174
1920 216,261
1930 284,063
1940 302,163
1950 384,575
1960 367,548
1970 361,561
1980 339,337
1990 372,242
2000 399,484
2005 412,318

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there are 399,484 people, 150,790 households, and 86,402 families residing in the city. The population density is 7,126.6/mi² (2,751.4/km²). There are 157,508 housing units at an average density of 2,809.8/mi² (1,084.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 35.66% African American, 31.29% White, 0.66% Native American, 15.23% Asian, 0.50% Pacific Islander, 11.66% from other races, and 4.98% from two or more races. 21.89% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 150,790 households out of which 28.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.0% are married couples living together, 17.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% are non-families. 32.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.60 and the average family size is 3.38.

In the city the population is spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $40,055, and the median income for a family is $44,384. Males have a median income of $37,433 versus $35,088 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,936. 19.4% of the population and 16.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 27.9% of those under the age of 18 and 13.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

See also: Maps of Oakland, California

Crime

Though substantial gains have been made as evidenced from the Uniform Crime Reports published by the FBI, it still ranks among the worst cities in California for most categories of crime. In the 2005 Morgan Quitno crime rankings, Oakland ranked 21st worst in crime nationwide, though it fared better than the California cities of Richmond, Compton and San Bernardino.

Attractions

Alameda County Court House in Oakland

Tourist attractions in Oakland include the Oakland Museum of California, the Chabot Space and Science Center, the Art Deco Paramount Theater, Chinatown, Jack London Square, Lake Merritt, Children's Fairyland and McAfee Coliseum, home to the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League, the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball, and the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association. The city's commercial and residental structures exhibit a great variety of styles, including Art Deco and Craftsman.

Places to see in Oakland include Lake Merritt, Jack London Square, the Dunsmuir House, and Knowland State Park Arboretum, home of the Oakland Zoo. The USS Potomac, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidential yacht, is berthed in Oakland. The William Joseph McInnes Botanic Garden and Campus Arboretum is located on the Mills College campus. Many famous Californians are buried at Mountain View Cemetery, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.

The Oakland California Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was dedicated in 1964, and sits on a hillside overlooking the city. Surrounded by palm trees, gardens and fountains, the temple has an Oriental motif and has a visitor's center for tourists.

Nightlife

In the past few years, new bars and nightclubs have opened in Downtown Oakland, some in the various downtown neighborhoods. The bars range range from punk-rock makeovers of dive bars, such as the Golden Bull (14th & Broadway) and the Ruby Room (14th&Madison) to modern Bistros and Dance Clubs such as Luka's (W. Grand and Broadway), @17(17th&Telegraph) and The Oasis (12th and Madison), to diverse hipster spots such as Radio (13th and Broadway), to eclectic Jazz spots such as Kaffe Van Kleef (16th and Telegraph).

Cruising culture traffic jams now develop late on weekend nights just west of Downtown.

Sports

The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex, which was built in the 1960s and inclues a stadium and arena, houses all three of Oakland's professional teams.

Oakland is currently home to four professional sports teams:

Former teams:

Neighborhoods

The city of Oakland stretches from the San Francisco Bay up into the East Bay Hills. The character of these neighborhoods continues to change as waves of emigrants from within the United States and other countries relocate here. Also, the changing economy lures more technically skilled workers to Oakland.

Oakland is commonly divided into broad regions in two different ways:

  • "The Hills" and "The Flats" (or "The Flatlands"); with the Flatlands being the historically working-class neighborhoods located in the relatively flat areas closer to San Francisco Bay, and the Hills being the mainly upper-class hillside neighborhoods along the east side of the city. This hills/flats division is found throughout much of the western part of the East Bay, especially in Berkeley and El Cerrito.
  • The other common method is to divide the city into "Downtown Oakland," "East Oakland," "North Oakland," and "West Oakland". East Oakland is the largest of these areas, stretching from Lake Merritt southeast to San Leandro. North Oakland encompasses the neighborhoods spread between Downtown and Berkeley. West Oakland is the area between Downtown and the bay, partially surrounded by the Port of Oakland. Both North and East Oakland include neighborhoods in both the Flatlands and hills, while West Oakland and Downtown are entirely within the Flatlands.

There are many neighborhoods which don't fit neatly into one or both of these schemes. The Hills/Flats division ignores the middle-class neighborhoods which run along the base of the hills, as well as the reality that parts of "The Flatlands" can be as hilly as much of "The Hills." The East/North/West division ignores the neighborhoods which are northeast of Lake Merritt, and the areas along Highway 13 in the hills behind Piedmont.

Downtown Oakland

East Oakland

North Oakland

West Oakland

Other neighborhoods

Adams Point
Adams Point

Near Lake Merritt

View of Lake Merritt looking toward downtown Oakland and the Alameda County Court House
View of Lake Merritt looking toward downtown Oakland and the Alameda County Court House

In the hills

Education

Primary and secondary education

Public schools in Oakland are operated by the Oakland Unified School District but due to financial troubles, it has been in receivership by the state of California since 2002. There are several private high schools, most notably: Bishop O'Dowd High School, The College Preparatory School, the Head Royce School, and the Bentley School.

Famous Oakland Public School graduates include Hollywood actors Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, and NBA basketball all-stars Gary Payton and Paul Pierce. Hanks, having started acting at Skyline High School, thanked his acting teacher Rawley T. Farnsworth in his speech at the Oscars for winning the Best Actor award.

Oakland public schools have overall performed poorly for years. In the 2005 results of the STAR testing, over 50% of students taking the test performed "below basic", while only 20% performed at least "proficient" on the English section of the test.[4] Several factors have been blamed for performance, including an inefficient top-heavy administrative structure and a collective student body that is often poor or from a background of limited English proficiency. Teachers went on month-long strikes in 1986 and 1996.

Ebonics controversy

In December 1996, the Oakland school board made nationwide news when it passed a resolution declaring "Ebonics", also known as African American Vernacular English, a language of its own, "genetically based" and not a dialect of English.[5]. The move was lambasted by critics, based largely on the misconception that schools would be "teaching" ebonics rather than standard English[6].

Colleges and universities

Colleges and universities include:


Oakland is also the home of the headquarters of the University of California system.

Transportation

Aerial view looking west over downtown Oakland, Lake Merritt and the Port of Oakland.
Aerial view looking west over downtown Oakland, Lake Merritt and the Port of Oakland.

Oakland is served by these major highways: Interstate 80, Interstate 580, Interstate 880, Interstate 980, California State Route 13 and California State Route 24. The Loma Prieta earthquake caused the Cypress Freeway double-decker segment of I-880 to collapse, killing 42 people. The old freeway segment had passed right through the middle of West Oakland, forming a psychological barrier; following the earthquake, the freeway was rerouted away from West Oakland and rebuilt in 1997. The east span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge also suffered damage from the quake when a 50-foot section of the upper deck collapsed onto the lower deck; that span is scheduled for replacement, with a new span to be completed in 2011. Public transportation is provided by bus system AC Transit and metrorail system Bay Area Rapid Transit, of which is headquartered in Oakland near the Lake Merritt Station with a major transfer hub at MacArthur Station. Oakland is served by Oakland International Airport which offers affordable airflight rates out of the three Bay Area airports. The city has train service provided by Amtrak, with a station located blocks from Jack London Square served by the Amtrak Capitol Corridor, Coast Starlight and San Joaquin train routes.

Sister Cities

Oakland, California has seven sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:

See also

External links

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Current news, fires and other information about the Oakland Fire Department and the Fruitvale District


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