Downtown Oakland Guide: Classic and Playful Exploration

Outdoor Equipment Store

Lake Merritt in Oakland, California is one of the most unique urban spaces in the United States. Its three mile shoreline in the center of an exceptionally diverse city is a special place where nature and nurture migrates and mingles daily. This tidal lagoon is home to the United States’ oldest designated wildlife refuge dating from 1870. In 2020, we celebrate its 150th anniversary. Lake Merrit is a “tidal lagoon is named after Dr. Samuel Merritt, a medical doctor who came west for the gold rush.” (Lake Merritt Institute) The lake is 3.5 miles around in circumference and 10 feet deep. So you can walk around it in about an hour. It’s also very close to BART, at the Lake Merritt Bart station, or 20th Street station in Uptown.

Pure Barre in Oakland is the spot for a low-impact, high-energy workout that strengthens, tones, and improves flexibility. With expert instructors and four class formats, there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re a beginner or a barre pro, you’ll leave feeling stronger and more energized.

Mad Oak’s kitchen and patio will be open these same hours. The Lumpia Company is back!

Cocktail Bar & Desserts

Bar & Grill

Bar

Bar, Cafe, Rooftop

Sobre Mesa offers a vibrant Afro-Latino kitchen, blending Chef Nelson German’s Dominican roots with flavors from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and beyond. The tapas menu, crafted from fresh, local ingredients, pairs perfectly with their refined cocktails. With lively music and lush surroundings, it’s a place to relax, chat, and savor every bite.

Restaurant

Experience

Great Western Power Company in Uptown Oakland has it all—Yoga, HIIT, and Cardio Boxing, plus 11,000 square feet of world-class rock climbing and bouldering. It’s the perfect spot for fitness and adventure in a vibrant community. If you’re ready to train, climb, and connect, GWPC is the place to be!

Curated by Mistah F.A.B.

Clothing Store

Black, Queer owned shop and creative space!

Oakland’s Paramount Theatre is one of the finest remaining examples of Art Deco design in the United States. Designed by renowned San Francisco architect Timothy L. Pflueger and completed in late 1931, it was one of the first Depression-era buildings to incorporate and integrate the work of numerous creative artists into its architecture and is particularly noteworthy for its successful orchestration of the various artistic disciplines into an original and harmonious whole.After its initial brief blaze of “movie palace” glory in the 1930’s, this remarkable auditorium suffered three decades of neglect and decline until its rescue by the Oakland Symphony, the City of Oakland and numerous private donors. The building was purchased by the Board of Directors of the Oakland Symphony Orchestra Association in 1972. A painstaking and authentic restoration was completed in 1973 and the theatre was entered in the National Register of Historic Places on August 14th of that year.In 1975 the City of Oakland, the present owner, assumed ownership from the Oakland Symphony Orchestra Association. The Paramount Theatre became a California Registered Historic Landmark in 1976, and on May 5, 1977, was declared a National Historic Landmark.Restored to its original splendor, meticulously maintained, and fully upgraded to modern technical standards, the Paramount now serves all the arts. The Paramount Theatre is the home of the Oakland East Bay Symphony and, as one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s premiere performing arts facilities, hosts a year-round schedule of popular music concerts, variety shows, and theatrical plays.

Live music venue

Live music venue

Curated by Mistah F.A.B.

Fall in love with fitness by taking the ultimate mind-body challenge at TITLE Boxing Club Oakland Central! Our boxing-inspired exercise classes give people of all ages the most empowering workout of their lives.

Amusement Park

Occitania is an approachable fine dining concept offering exciting regional cuisine from the Southern French Occitan linguistic region.

Korean restaurant

Gay bar

Bar

Watering hole with a patio offering greyhounds & other cocktails amid funky art & knickknacks.

Painting studio

Mexican Restaurant

Clothing store

Zoo

Oakland Dreams Mural is a vibrant public art installation that celebrates the rich cultural heritage and resilient spirit of the Oakland community. Designed by a collective of local artists, the mural features powerful imagery that reflects social justice, unity, and hope. It serves as both a visual landmark and a source of inspiration for residents and visitors alike.

Outdoor Gym

Oaktown Spice Shop is a joyful stop on the errand routine. Named one of the world’s best spice shops by Food & Wine Magazine, Oaktown Spice Shop offers the freshest, most delicious, high-quality spices and hand-mixed spice blends in the Bay Area. Made locally in Oakland, CA.

Located a stone’s throw from Lake Merritt, Grand Lake Kitchen defies easy categorization. It isn’t a traditional Jewish deli. It isn’t one of those places where every single item is made from scratch in-house. Nevertheless, the place fills at least three different niches for a neighborhood that didn’t have a great sandwich shop, a cozy diner, or a posh grocery store carrying obscure sodas and organic baby food. The house-made pickles are great, and the deli case is stocked with seasonal, mostly vegetarian sides. But Grand Lake Kitchen’s biggest selling point is its sandwiches. Best of all is the “Oyako”: an open-face egg salad sandwich topped with thin shards of crispy chicken skin.