Oakland Marriott City Center

Old Oakland is a historic district in downtown Oakland, California. The area is located on the northwest side of Broadway, between the City Center complex and the Jack London Square district, and across Broadway from Chinatown. The Old Oakland district was the "original" downtown Oakland during the 1860s after Central Pacific Railroad constructed a terminus on 7th Street. By the 1870s, elegant brick Victorian hotels were being built in the blocks surrounding the railroad station to accommodate travelers. The ground floor of the hotels were designed as series of narrow shops so that pedestrians would pass by many of them just walking down the block. The architectural styles of the time featured tall, cast-iron columns and large plate-glass windows. In the 1970s and 1980s developers carefully rehabilitated and restored a block along 9th Street between Washington Street and Broadway, known as "Victorian Row". Notable structures on Victorian Row include the 1878 Nicholl Block building. Though there are Victorians sprinkled throughout Oakland, this slice of preserved late century architecture is brochure-perfect. Many of the buildings within this six-block stretch look fresh off an 1870s remodel. Back in the day, this was the place to be seen in Oakland, the center of high society, having the best restaurants, shops and hotels on cobble-stoned streets. And it still is—although it took a serious amount of restoring to bring it back from neglect after the 1906 earthquake. Today, indie retail shops are opening. Chefs at informal eateries are cooking up delicious recipes from their old countries, whether that be Mexico, Japan, or China. At the old Swan’s Market, Las Guerrera's Kitchen is cooking up recipes from Guerrero, Mexico specializing in tamales, pozole, and barbacoa. While Michelin-rated, Dela Curo Curry, specializes in Japanese curry, sometimes prepared with fried chicken, tonkatsu or even with a tender omelet in the case of omu. Or head to Huangcheng Noodle House, who are serving authentic Chinese cuisine and handmade noodles made with fresh and natural ingredients. Meanwhile, Super Juiced is a 100-percent organic, fresh-pressed juice bar serving refreshing juices and smoothies. Looking for dessert? Cupcakin' Bakeshop, a cute little bake shop, serving artisan baked goods made from high quality, sustainable ingredients. The Friday Farmers Market is one of The Town’s best, with all the local characters buying their delicious provisions.

Built in 1928, the Fox Theater is an architectural masterpiece and former movie house that underwent a $75 million renovation to reopen its doors in February of 2009 under the direction of Another Planet Entertainment. Featuring jaw-dropping original details, state-of-the-art Meyer sound system and a capacity of up to 2,800, the Fox is continuously recognized as a favorite among touring artists and fans alike. The Fox Theater’s leading presence in Oakland has anchored the long-awaited renaissance of an Uptown entertainment district of theaters, restaurants, and nightspots.

Artifacts & interactive displays in a modern building focusing on state art, history & science. With more than 1.9 million objects, OMCA brings together our multidisciplinary collections of art, history, and natural science, all within our 110,000 square feet of gallery space and seven-acre campus. OMCA is a leading cultural institution of the Bay Area and a resource for the research and understanding of California’s dynamic cultural and environmental heritage for visitors from the region, the state, and around the world. Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid, Oakland’s favorite free weekly block party, resumes April 5! Gather with family, friends, and community every Friday 5—9 pm for live music, hands-on activities, Off the Grid (OTG) food trucks, and late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions, with a Museum ticket.

With close to 60 storybook sets, friendly animals, and 10 acres of gardens, our park is designed to delight visitors of all ages, but especially those under eight years old. Come and stroll through our gates—or run through if you’re a child—and discover all that Fairyland has to offer. The year 1948 was a prehistoric era for children’s entertainment. There was no Disneyland or Nickelodeon TV, and most amusement parks catered to thrill-seeking teenagers. The few “kiddielands” in the U.S. included a simple carousel, pony ride, and cotton-candy stand. Oakland businessman Arthur Navlet had an idea to change all of that. The well-respected nursery owner took his proposal for a storybook theme park, featuring fairy-tale sets, farm animals, and live entertainment, to the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club, a group dedicated to civic betterment (and still in operation today). They loved the idea. With the support of Oakland’s parks superintendent William Penn Mott, Jr., the Breakfast Club and the citizens of Oakland raised $50,000 to build Children’s Fairyland on the shores of Lake Merritt. Children’s Fairyland continues to hold fast to its founding vision — to be a magical fantasy world where young children can create, imagine, play, and learn. We believe that with the support of families, businesses, and community groups who believe in our mission and in the boundless potential of young children, Children’s Fairyland will enjoy many years of “happily ever after.”

Lake Merritt in Oakland, California is one of the most unique urban spaces in the United States. Its three mile Necklace of Lights shoreline in the center of an exceptionally diverse city is a special place where nature and nurture migrate and mingle daily. This tidal lagoon is home to the United States' oldest designated wildlife refuge dating from 1870. Do you know those French impressionist paintings from the turn of the century? Lake Merritt could be a model for a 21st-century version. It has that Saturday-by-the-lake relaxed vibe. Geese quack, joggers loop the perimeter and rowers plunk their oars into the water. Add to that some barbequing, salsa dancing and sun bathing at Lakeside Park. Lake Merritt is perfect for a picnic, a paddle, or a stroll, this is where people come to just hang out. Encircled by art deco buildings and 1950s flats, this saltwater and freshwater lake, fed by the estuary and bay, is the first official wildlife refuge in the United States. Take a gondola ride with Dolce Vita Gondola around the lake, watch some salsa dancing in Lakeside Park, or stroll part of the more than three-mile path at dusk to see the Necklace of Lights — ’20s-era lampposts and thousands of cafe lights — illuminate the water’s edge.

One of the oldest Chinatowns in the United States, Oakland Chinatown was settled in the 1850s, shortly after the gold rush. In 1906, the San Francisco earthquake and fire wrecked San Francisco Chinatown, causing thousands of San Francisco Chinese survivors to move to Oakland to rebuild their lives in the East Bay. Oakland Chinatown nowadays becomes the center of Asian cultures, arts and gourmet cuisine. You can find up to 8 Asian languages of books in the Oakland Public Library Asian Branch; learn Balinese dance at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center; eat Japanese Ramen and Vietnamese banh mi sandwich, and drink Taiwanese boba tea; and buy American Chinese fortune cookies which all can be found in Chinatown!

Location. Location. Location. That’s Jack London’s selling point. It’s got Bay views, the call of seabirds, and the ferry as public transit. Enjoy the peace of the waterfront, or head a few paces onshore and down European styled walkways to a booming bar and restaurant scene, including The Fat Lady, The Night Light and BBQ joint Everett & Jones. Music can be heard almost every night of the week at Yoshi’s, the famed spot in the Bay Area for jazz and dinner. Tucked within these modern-day diversions and loft-style living are serious old-school stops. California’s second oldest bar, Heinold’s First and Last Saloon, opened in 1883 and is still lit by gas (author Jack London wrote here). Or just look for the writer’s Yukon cabin—a replica built from the original boards.

Just a 12 Min BART Ride away...San Francisco, in northern California, is a hilly city on the tip of a peninsula surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. It's known for its year-round fog, iconic Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars and colorful Victorian houses. The Financial District's Transamerica Pyramid is its most distinctive skyscraper. In the bay sits Alcatraz Island, site of the notorious former prison.