Marin County & the Bay Area - Coastal California - page 238

Downtown
Oakland's downtown is full of historic buildings and a growing number of colorful local
businesses. With such easy access from San Francisco via BART and the ferry, it's worth
spending part of a day exploring here - and nearby Chinatown and Jack London Sq - on
foot or by bicycle.
The pedestrianized City Center , between Broadway and Clay St, 12th and 14th Sts,
forms the heart of downtown Oakland. The twin towers of the Ronald Dellums Federal
Building ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) are on Clay St, just behind it. City Hall ( MAP
GOOGLE MAP ) , at 14th & Clay Sts, is a beautifully refurbished 1914 beaux arts hall.
Old Oakland , along Washington St between 8th and 10th Sts, is lined with historic
buildings dating from the 1860s to the 1880s. The buildings have been restored and the
area has a lively restaurant and after-work scene. The area also hosts a lively farmers
market every Friday morning.
East of Broadway and bustling with commerce, Chinatown centers on Franklin and
Webster Sts, as it has since the 1870s. It's much smaller than the San Francisco version.
Uptown
Continuing north of Oakland's City Center, the Uptown district contains many of the city's
art-deco beauties and a proliferating arts and restaurant scene. The area stretches roughly
between Telegraph and Broadway, bounded by Grand Ave to the north.
Great Western Power Company CLIMBING, GYM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 510-452-2022; www.touchstoneclimbing.com ; 520 20th St; day pass
$15-20; 6am-10pm Mon-Thu, to 11pm Tue & Thu, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun)
Work up a sweat in the belly of this former power plant - you can't miss the smokestack -
where climbers can scale a 48-foot-high wall (full gear rental $5), conquer their problems
in the 1500-square-foot bouldering area, take yoga classes or use the gym.