Day trips that take you away from the city are great, but some of us crave the feeling that our urban centers offer. The Uptown region of Oakland, just north of downtown, is known for iconic art deco architecture and live music venues. This highly walkable and consumable destination unveils surprising gems around every corner, from high-end fashion to tiny boutiques, restaurants of all kinds, murals and breweries galore. Here’s an itinerary for maximizing your time in Uptown.
Fuel Up
Get fully caffeinated. Uptown is a hotbed for coffee. Make a little extra time for The Crown, specialty green coffee importer Royal Coffee’s lab and tasting room. This is a coffee geek’s heaven, with flights of coffee and espresso and rotating selections of pour-overs. Chat up the baristas — they have a lot of knowledge — and sip on a single-origin roast while you plot the day ahead. Just don’t ask for milk…it is a purist situation here.
Art walk
Uptown has a wildly creative side, starting with the sparkling Oaklandish Tree sculpture that welcomes all visitors in this part of town.
A self-guided art walk is a good way to soak it all in, and there are numerous galleries to use as a jumping-off point. Johansson Projects, a contemporary gallery on Telegraph Ave., is a go-to independent spot for compelling contemporary exhibits by a wide range of both emerging and established artists. The current “Someday Morning” show features dreamy modern paintings inspired by the natural world and runs through Dec. 31.
Rock Paper Scissors Collective, a volunteer-run nonprofit, offers workshops, gallery exhibitions, a retail shop, youth programs and community events. Rock Paper Scissors is one of three community organizations — including Oakland Art Murmur and the Koreatown/Northgate Oakland Community Benefit District — that helped launch the now-famous Oakland First Fridays art events. A visit to the collective’s new location on Martin Luther King Jr. Way promises stunning works by 10 printmakers.
And don’t miss the dozens of inspiring murals and graffiti-style art lining the neighborhood buildings, including the stunning Steph Curry mural on the 2300 Broadway block of Uptown Oakland, just across from The Hive. The Bay Area Mural Program is behind the massive mural, which shows Curry reading to Oakland youth and making a three-pointer with his classic pose.
Rest stop with suds
Ready to lounge for a bit? Head over to the new Two Pitchers Brewing Company, which specializes in small-batch fruity radlers, including lagers, a wheat ale, milk stout and sparkling rosé-style radler. The dog-friendly taproom and beer garden is located in a historic auto repair shop where burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, Schwartz all-beef hot dogs and even soft serve are available, courtesy of Lovely’s.
Up for a show?
Come nighttime, Uptown is abuzz with live music and comedy shows at the major venues like the Paramount Theater and Fox Theater. If you’re looking for a more intimate show, check out The New Parish, a venue showcasing everything from reggae and roots to rock and world music. The outdoor patio is a draw, as is the bar, which churns out stiff drinks at a reasonable price.
If you go
The Crown: 2523 Broadway; https://royalcoffee.com/tasting-room
Johansson Projects: 2300 Telegraph Ave., Oakland; https://johanssonprojects.com
Rock Paper Scissors Collective: 2120 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland; www.rpscollective.org
Two Pitchers Brewing Company: 2344 Webster St., Oakland; www.twopitchers.com
The Parish: 1743 San Pablo Ave., Oakland; https://thenewparish.com
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