Downtown | Oaktown Life

Mexicali Rose — an Oaktown Classic

Sep 18th

At the periphery of the downtown/Old Oakland neighborhood, right at to the edge of the OPD headquarters and 880 freeway, sits a strange looking pink box of a building, that seems like an odd dimensional portal to another time and place, a time when the urban restaurant bar was one More >

Downtown, Drink, Food, Landmarks, Nightlife, Old Oakland, Taquerias

Luka’s Taproom & Lounge

May 12th

Posted by oaktownman in Hot Spots

1 comment

Longtime Oaklanders will remember the old Hofbrau set firmly on the corner of Grand Avenue and Broadway for decades. Luka’s Taproom & Lounge strives to keep the spirit of that old establishment alive, with a young, fresh, and modern twist that appeals to the new breed of Oaklandites.

The restaurant is a More >

Downtown, Drink, Food, Nightlife, Uptown

The Trappist — Beer Tasting in Old Oakland

Apr 19th

Posted by oaktownman in Hot Spots

1 comment

Enter The Trappist. Easy to miss, this mysterious & dark establishment is a timeless oasis from the bustle and boom of Downtown Oakland. A credit to the Old Oakland area, the building is beautifully restored inside and out and has doubled in size since the impressive transformation to European looking More >

Architecture, Downtown, Drink, Food, Nightlife, Old Oakland

Ice Skating Downtown at Oakland Ice Center

Sep 27th

Posted by oaktownman in Hot Spots

3 comments

Oakland Ice Center is a world-class ice rink, actually two ice rinks, located right between downtown and uptown close to the Fox Theater.

Anytime of year you can come here to relax, gliding around on the ice during their public skating hours.

Seems like a great place to host a birthday party or More >

Activities, Downtown, Kids, Uptown

Cafe Van Kleef, an Oaksterdam Original

Sep 20th

Posted by oaktownman in Hot Spots

No comments

I’ve been riding AC Transit through Downtown Oakland all my life, usually on the 51 Line. For so many years I would stare at the permanently gated-up vacant storefronts on Broadway from the window of the bus, sensing the cultural depression and under-potential of the area. Always the civic and More >

Downtown, Drink, Nightlife, Oaksterdam