Lakeside Apartments District, Oakland, California facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Lakeside Apartments District
Neighborhood of Oakland
Nickname(s): "The Lakeside" "Gold Coast"
Lakeside Apartments District Location in Oakland, California
Country	United States
State	California
County	Alameda
Metro Area	Oakland M.S.A
City	Oakland
Elevation	12 ft (4 m)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	94612
Area code	510, 341
AC Transit Centers	Downtown Transit Station, Uptown Transit Center
AC Transit routes	26, 1R, 11, 12, 14, 18, 40, 51A, 58L, 72, 72M, 72R, 88; All Nighter Routes 800, 801, 802, 805, 840, 851
BART Stations	Oakland City Center/12th Street, Lake Merritt, 19th Street/Oakland
BART Lines

The Lakeside Apartments District is a historic neighborhood in Oakland. It's also known as The Gold Coast or The Lakeside. This area is located between Downtown and Lake Merritt.

The City of Oakland has officially recognized most of this neighborhood as a "local historic district." This means it has many important buildings and places that show off its history and unique architecture. The neighborhood includes the official historic district and other nearby areas like Lakeside Drive and parts closer to Downtown.

This district is known for its many apartments and buildings that combine homes with shops. It has always been easy to get around from here, thanks to public transportation. Recently, new apartment buildings have been built or planned, offering different types of housing.

History of the Lakeside Area

This neighborhood was once a forest of Coast Live Oak trees next to the San Antonio Slough. This slough was later turned into Lake Merritt. Long ago, the Ohlone people used the area for fishing and hunting waterfowl.

Later, in 1820, the King of Spain gave this land to Sergeant Luis Maria Peralta. After gold was found in California in 1848, people from other places, led by lawyer Horace W. Carpentier, took control of the East Bay area, including what would become Downtown Oakland.

By 1850, even before Oakland became an official city, Carpentier and two other men leased land from one of Peralta's sons. They hired an engineer, Julius Kellsburger, to create a street map. They started selling land lots, either believing they had the right to, or by tricking Peralta.

The original street map ended at 14th Street, which is now the neighborhood's southern edge. By 1869, the streets of the Lakeside Apartments District were on maps of Oakland. In the same year, the transcontinental railroad ended nearby, bringing many people to the city. Horse-drawn streetcars then helped people travel around Oakland. By the 1890s, the neighborhood had many large homes.

In the 1920s, apartment buildings and fancy hotels started to appear, close to streetcar lines and Downtown Oakland. In the 1960s and 1970s, more apartment buildings were built as the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train lines were planned.

In the early 2000s, the area continued to attract new building projects. This is partly because new bus rapid transit lines are being planned for nearby streets.

Historic Buildings and Landmarks

The Lakeside Apartments District has many important historic buildings. These include old club buildings, luxury apartments, and many buildings in the Art Deco style. Some examples are the Charles Jurgens Co. building and the Elks Hall (now the Malonga Casquelourd Arts Center).

Other notable buildings include the Hill Castle Apartments, The Hotel Harrison, and the Scottish Rite Center by Lake Merritt. The "Ideal Cleaners" shop has a cool neon sign and old-fashioned style. Many of these buildings are protected as official city landmarks.

During a city survey in the 1980s, most of the district was recognized for its important architecture. Other historic places include the Victorian Camron-Stanford house on Lake Merritt, the Municipal Boathouse, and the Greek revival Scottish Rite Center. The eleven-story Bechtel Building, the Alician apartments, and the Regillus condominiums are also historic.

One building that stands out is Tudor Hall, which looks like buildings from the 15th to 17th centuries. The neighborhood also has many three- to eight-story apartment buildings, which give it its unique look.

Parks and Community Spots

Lakeside Park

The district is right next to Lakeside Park, which is east of the neighborhood. Lakeside Park surrounds Lake Merritt and is often called Oakland's "Crown Jewel" of parks. It's famous for being North America's first official wildlife refuge, created in 1870. This means no hunting was allowed, and fishing was only by hook and line.

The park also has a garden center with different types of gardens and the Municipal Boat House. A large restaurant has opened in the Boat House building after it was renovated in 2009.

Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts

The neighborhood is home to the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts on Alice Street. This is a public center run by the City of Oakland. It was renamed in 2004 to honor Malonga Casquelourd, a famous dancer and musician from Congo.

The center opened in 1987 and has a 400-seat theater and studios for art and dance. Many dancers and musicians study and create music and art here. It's a lively place for dance and music, especially African and African-American styles like Congolese, jazz, and hip-hop. The city estimates that 50,000 people use the center each year for classes and shows. The Oakland Ballet has also used the center for offices and rehearsals.

The building also has 74 hotel rooms where artists can live. The ground floor has a retail space that has been home to cafes and shops over the years.

Oakland Main Library

The neighborhood is also a short walk from the Main Branch of the Oakland Public Library on 14th Street.

Oakland Museum of California

The Oakland Museum of California is located nearby at 11th and Oak Streets.

Snow Park

Snow Park is another public city park next to the district. It's about 4.2 acres and is bordered by 19th Street, Harrison Street, and Lakeside Drive. Snow Park was once the site of Oakland's first zoo, the Sidney Snow Zoo, which opened in 1943. Today, it has restrooms, benches, shade trees, a grassy area, and a golf putting green for everyone to enjoy.

Schools and Colleges

Kids in this neighborhood go to schools in the Oakland Unified School District. The local elementary school is Lincoln Elementary School (Kindergarten to 5th grade).

Westlake Middle School and Oakland Technical High School are the middle and high schools for the area.

Laney College is a public community college located nearby. Cal State East Bay also has a professional development center in the area, offering classes for adults.

Neighborhood Development

The Lakeside Apartments District is a popular spot for new buildings because it's between Lake Merritt and Downtown Oakland. In recent years, developers have suggested building many new residential buildings, some as tall as five to forty-two stories.

People living in the neighborhood have shared their opinions and concerns about these plans. Some have asked developers to include benefits for the community, like improving public spaces. City planners in Oakland have approved some of these projects because they are considered "infill" projects. This means they are built on empty or underused land in an already developed city area.

However, some people worry about the impact of constant construction, including dust, noise, and diesel fumes from trucks. They argue that the neighborhood has already experienced many years of building work.

Mid-Rise Apartment Buildings

One example is a building at 1401 Jackson Street. It was planned as "Jackson Courtyard Condominiums" but was unfinished for years, earning the nickname "Trojan Tower" because it was wrapped in white plastic. It was finally completed in 2009 and now offers apartments for rent. This building is designed for people who use public transportation, with shops on the ground floor and a bike parking room.

In 2008, a non-profit group called "Affordable Housing Associates" finished a seven-story apartment building with 76 units. This building provides affordable housing and has shops on the ground floor. It has fewer parking spaces than usual, encouraging residents to use public transit. This project's modern design was a topic of discussion because it looked very different from the historic mosque next door.

Proposed Tall Buildings

Developers have also proposed very tall condominium buildings. One project, called "Emerald Views" or "222 19th Street," would be a 42-story skyscraper. It's planned for the historic Schilling Gardens parcel, which has beautiful old trees and a Japanese garden. This garden is considered a very important landmark by the city.

If built, this skyscraper would be one of the tallest buildings in Oakland. However, building it would mean destroying the historic trees and garden. People are concerned that such a tall building would cast long shadows over Lakeside Park, Lake Merritt, and the bird sanctuary, especially in the afternoons.

Another proposed project is a 37-story condominium skyscraper at 1439 Alice Street. This building would be across from the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts. It would keep the first two floors of an existing parking garage and add a modern glass tower above it. Some people worry that new residents might not like the music and drumming from the Arts Center across the street.

Political Representation

The fancy entrance to the Regillus apartment building

The Hill-Castle Apartment Hotel

The entire neighborhood is in Oakland City Council District 3. This district is represented by Carroll Fife, who won the election in 2020.

At the county level, the neighborhood is in Alameda County Board of Supervisors District 5, represented by Supervisor Keith Carson.

At the state level, the neighborhood is in Assembly District 18 and Senate District 9.

Local Shops and Restaurants

A neighborhood sidewalk cafe on 17th Street

Most of the restaurants, shops, and services in the neighborhood are locally owned. They have good relationships with the residents who often walk to them. You can find grocery stores, laundry services, a fabric shop, a tattoo parlor, a gym, a sidewalk cafe, a pet shop, a diner, a sandwich shop, and two bars. More retail spaces have become available in new buildings on 14th Street.

Getting Around (Transportation)

History of Public Transit

In 1871, Oakland's first horse-drawn streetcar line was only three years old when Hiram Tubbs opened his fancy "Tubbs Hotel." Tubbs, who had made a lot of money, wanted his hotel to be the best. He paid to have his own horse-drawn streetcar line, the "Tubbs Line," built to bring passengers from the train station to his hotel. This line later became part of the Key System of electric streetcars. Today, the 12th Street area is used by AC Transit buses, and a new bus rapid transit line is being planned there.

In the 1960s, the BART train system was planned and built. It opened in 1972 with three stations near the neighborhood.

Modern Public Transit

Many people in this neighborhood don't own cars. They walk to public transit like the Oakland City Center/12th Street, 19th Street, and Lake Merritt BART stations.

A Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train leaving the nearby Lake Merritt station

Within the neighborhood, AC Transit's 26 bus line runs along 14th Street, connecting directly to BART stations. The Uptown Regional Transit Center on Thomas L. Berkeley Way (20th Street) is a bus hub with shelters and signs showing when buses will arrive. It offers local, Rapid Bus (faster), and express bus services. The number 1 bus line on 12th Street is being planned for a full bus rapid transit system. This system might use longer buses with many doors, special bus-only lanes, and ways for buses to change traffic lights in their favor.

Biking and Walking Paths

Many residents also use bikes. There are bike routes like 14th Street, and bicycle lockers at nearby BART stations. You can also find many city-installed bike racks to lock bikes. A bike rental business is also nearby.

Oakland's plan for parks and bikes includes adding bike lanes to Lakeside Drive and Madison Street. It also calls for a separate bike path around Lake Merritt and bike lanes on other streets around the lake.

Taxis and Car Sharing

There's a special spot for taxis at 19th and Harrison Streets, next to Snow Park. You can find regular taxis and even bicycle pedicabs during the day.

Car-sharing services like City CarShare and Zipcar have cars available in the neighborhood. This allows people to rent a car for a few hours when they need one, without owning a car themselves.

Parking for Private Cars

Because many people live and work in the neighborhood, parking can be tricky. Some streets are part of Oakland's Residential Permit Parking (RPP) zone. This program allows residents to buy a sticker each year that lets them park their car on the street for up to three days without moving it, helping to reduce traffic and pollution.