West Oakland, Oakland, California facts for kids
West Oakland is a cool neighborhood in the city of Oakland, California. It's in the northwest part of the city. You can find it west of Downtown Oakland, south of Emeryville, and north of Alameda. This area is right by the water at the Port of Oakland. It's also at the east end of the famous San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge. West Oakland is about 13 feet (4 meters) above sea level.
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History of West Oakland
The land that is now West Oakland was given to Luis Maria Peralta in 1820. In the 1850s, some men started selling small farm plots. They were leasing the land from Peralta's son. One of these men, Horace Carpentier, became Oakland's first mayor in 1854.
More people moved here after 1863. That's when a railroad connected central Oakland to the San Francisco bay ferries. In 1869, West Oakland became the end point of the transcontinental railroad. This brought even more people, especially railroad workers, to live in the neighborhood.
Growing Community and New Buildings
In the 1880s and 1890s, many homes and shops were built. These were for the new people moving in. People came from all over, including Europe, Africa, Portugal, Ireland, Mexico, Japan, and China. Many African Americans worked as porters for the Pullman Palace Car Company. Their union's main office was right here in West Oakland.
The famous writer Jack London lived in West Oakland in the late 1800s. His book Valley of the Moon is even set in this area. Many of the old houses built back then are still standing today. They give the neighborhood a special, charming look. Oakland's baseball team, the Oakland Oaks, played in West Oakland in 1879.
After the big 1906 San Francisco earthquake, many people who lost their homes moved to West Oakland. The old wooden train station was replaced in 1912. A beautiful new building was put up. It's still there, but it was badly damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
Changes in the 20th Century
World War I brought new jobs in shipyards. This meant more workers and businesses came to West Oakland. By 1930, it was a busy neighborhood. Most of its 2,800 residents were African American. Seventh Street was famous for its jazz and blues clubs. The Universal Negro Improvement Association had its West Coast office here.
West Oakland faced tough times during the Depression in the late 1930s. Some homes became run down. In the 1940s and 1950s, many blocks were torn down. They were replaced with public housing projects. The 1940s and World War II brought more workers. They came for the shipbuilding industry and new military bases.
As railroads became less popular in the 1950s, many workers moved away. The Cypress Freeway was built over Cypress Street. This big, double-decker freeway split the neighborhood in half. It also cut West Oakland off from downtown Oakland.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, more areas were cleared. Thousands of residents had to move. This was for new projects like the Oakland Main Post Office and the West Oakland BART Station. These changes happened during a time when jobs were scarce and poverty was high.
Latino Community and Resistance
West Oakland was also home to Oakland's first Mexican and Latino community. Many Mexicans came in the 1910s, escaping the Mexican Revolution. Mexicans and Puerto Ricans also settled here for jobs on the railroads and at the port. They opened many local businesses. During World War II, the Latino community grew even more. People from the Southwestern United States came for wartime jobs. About 5,000 Braceros also came to work on the Southern Pacific Railroad.
In the 1950s and 1960s, new construction forced most of the Latino community to move. They settled in areas like Fruitvale and East Oakland. West Oakland then became mostly an African American neighborhood.
African American residents in West Oakland worked together to fight these "urban renewal" projects. The Black Panthers grew from this resistance. West Oakland became their main center in the late 1960s. Their office was on Peralta Street. They even gave free breakfasts to children at St. Augustine's church. DeFremery Park was a place for Black Panther rallies and community programs.
West Oakland Today
In the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989, the Cypress Freeway collapsed. Forty-two people died, but West Oakland residents helped with rescue efforts. Locals successfully stopped the freeway from being rebuilt in the same spot.
With the freeway gone, West Oakland started to change. Cypress Street was renamed Mandela Parkway. It's a wide road now with a walking path and green space. There's even a park remembering the 1989 earthquake. New homes and businesses line the parkway. Many old warehouses are now artist studios.
The Mandela Gateway project is near the West Oakland BART station. It has shops and homes. Old Victorian houses are being fixed up, and new buildings are going up. New housing projects like Zephyr Gate and Pacific Cannery Lofts have also been built. West Oakland is close to San Francisco by bridge and BART. Its more affordable prices have attracted many new residents.
Environment and Community Action
Sometimes, certain groups of people, often minorities, face unfair exposure to pollution. This is called environmental racism. In West Oakland, studies showed that mostly African American and Latino neighborhoods were exposed to a lot of diesel exhaust. This came from thousands of trucks going to and from the Port of Oakland.
Air pollution from trucks can cause health problems like asthma in children. One study found that a lot of diesel pollution was released into the air every day in West Oakland. Residents often found diesel soot on their windows. People in these neighborhoods could be exposed to much more pollution than other areas.
After this information came out, community groups took action. They pushed for a new rule to move truck routes away from homes. Now, the community is more involved in decisions about their environment. They want to protect their families' health.
Neighborhoods in West Oakland
West Oakland includes these neighborhoods:
- Acorn Industrial
- Acorn Projects
- Campbell Village Court
- Cypress Village
- Clawson
- Desert Yard
- Dogtown
- Ghostown
- Hoover/Foster
- Lower Bottoms
- McClymonds
- Oak Center
- Oakland Naval Supply Depot
- Oakland Point
- Prescott
- Port of Oakland
- Ralph Bunche
- South Prescott
Non-Profit Organizations
Many amazing non-profit groups help the West Oakland community:
- City Slicker Farms helps people grow their own healthy food. They have community farms and teach urban farming.
- Urban Releaf plants trees and adds greenery to neighborhoods. They focus on areas that don't have many trees.
- The Crucible is a cool place for industrial arts. They teach things like metalworking, glass blowing, and welding to kids and adults.
- Prescott-Joseph Center for Community Enhancement offers family support, art programs, and health care. They also have youth programs.
- Mandela Marketplace works with local farmers and businesses. They help bring healthy food to communities and create wealth.
- Seminary of the Street works for peace and helps the community. They have programs like the West Oakland Reconciliation and Social Healing Project.
- Zoo Labs helps artists learn about the business side of music. They have a special music residency program.
- Saint Vincent's Day Home provides early learning programs for young children. They also have kindergarten and after-school care.
- Oakland Black Cowboy Association hosts the annual Oakland Black Cowboy Parade and Festival. It happens every October in DeFremery Park.
