Temescal, Oakland, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Temescal
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Location of Temescal in Oakland
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Alameda |
| City | Oakland |
Temescal is a historic neighborhood in Oakland, California. It's located in North Oakland, mainly around Telegraph Avenue. The neighborhood gets its name from Temescal Creek. This creek is an important waterway in Oakland.
Contents
Exploring Temescal's Past
Temescal started as a small village. It grew around the large estate of Vicente Peralta. This estate was located near where Telegraph Avenue and Claremont Boulevard meet today. Vicente's land was part of the huge Peralta Grant. This grant covered 44,800 acres in the East Bay.
The name "Temescal" comes from the creek near Peralta's home. The word temescal comes from temescalli or temazcalli. This word means "sweat house" in the Nahuatl language. This was the language of the Mexica (Aztec) people of Mexico. People think the Peraltas or their ranch hands saw local Ohlone structures. These structures along the creek looked like sweat houses from other parts of New Spain.
Joining the City of Oakland
A post office opened in North Temescal in 1877. Its name changed to Alden in 1899. This name honored S.E. Alden, a local farmer. In 1908, the Alden post office became Station E of the Oakland post office.
In 1897, people in Temescal voted to join the City of Oakland. They wanted better public schools and police services. When Oakland took over Temescal, it included all land north of 36th Street. This was between the Emeryville city limit and Broadway.
Transportation and Development
Temescal has always been a key meeting point for roads. These include Telegraph, Claremont, and Shattuck Avenues, and 51st Street.
The first telegraph wire from Oakland to Sacramento passed through Temescal. It went up Claremont Avenue and over the hills. In the 1890s, Temescal was a farming area with cattle and greenhouses. An opera house was built north of the creek at 51st Street. This area grew into Idora Park. It was the first "trolley park" (an amusement park at the end of a streetcar line) in the East Bay.
Idora Park closed in 1929 and was torn down in 1930. A plan for apartment buildings didn't happen. Instead, unique storybook houses were built there from 1930 to 1934. This was one of the first developments in the American West with underground utilities.
Until the early 1900s, a wide wooden bridge crossed Temescal Creek. It carried both Telegraph Avenue and railroad tracks.
Streetcars and Modern Changes
The horsecar line to the University of California used to run along Telegraph Avenue. Its horse barn was at 51st and Telegraph. When electric streetcars replaced horsecars, a carbarn was built. This became the Western Carhouse for the Key System's streetcar division.
Streetcars stopped running in 1947. The carbarn became Vern's market. Vern's closed in the 1970s. The building was later torn down and replaced by a shopping center with a Walgreens store.
Where is Temescal Located?
The boundaries of Temescal have changed over time. Today, the western border is usually the Grove-Shafter Freeway. This freeway creates a clear visual separation. However, some people consider Martin Luther King Jr. Way to be the western border. Broadway is generally the eastern border. The northern border historically ends at Alcatraz Avenue & Shattuck. The southern border is either 36th or 40th Street.
Who Lives in Temescal?
Temescal is mainly a neighborhood where people live. Most houses are early 20th-century bungalows on tree-lined streets. There are also many multi-family homes and apartment buildings.
Temescal was home to many Italian-American families until the late 1960s. In the last 10 years, the neighborhood has changed a lot. New buildings, shops, and restaurants have opened. Many young families have moved to Temescal. This is because homes in nearby Rockridge became too expensive. People from different backgrounds live together in Temescal. It's a diverse neighborhood with many Ethiopian and Eritrean immigrants.
Arts and Culture in Temescal
The main shopping area in Temescal is Telegraph Avenue. This runs between the MacArthur BART Station and 51st Street. This area is famous for popular restaurants like North Light.
Another shopping area is along 40th Street. This is between Broadway and Telegraph. It has a mix of food places and stores.
You can find many Ethiopian restaurants here, especially on Telegraph north of 51st Street. There are also many Korean businesses along Telegraph Avenue. The Temescal Farmers' Market started in 2006. It's held on Sundays in the parking lot of the Department of Motor Vehicles on Claremont Ave.
Studio One, on 45th Street, offers art classes and workshops. Counter Culture Labs is a public lab and hackerspace in Temescal. Royal Nonesuch Gallery is an art and event space on Telegraph and 43rd. Temescal Pool, next door, is open to everyone. The neighborhood also has public and private schools. These include Park Day School and the famous Oakland Technical High School on Broadway.
Oakland Tool Lending Library
Temescal has one of the few tool-lending libraries in the Bay Area and the U.S. (The Berkeley Public Library also has one.) The Temescal branch of the Oakland Public Library runs this service. It lends tools for free to library members. You can use them for repairs and home projects. The Tool Lending Library also has books and videos. It offers "how-to" workshops too.
