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Best Oakland Nightlife

September 9, 2011 in $10 or less, Bay Area basics, Guest blogger, Things to do, Weekend Update by Ruth Miller | Comments closed

If you find that you’ve already exhausted the supply of Berkeley bars, and don’t want to risk a $30+ cab fare to escape San Francisco after the last BART train, look no further than Oakland.

Sure, Oakland has its share of a reputation, but it also has its share of nightlife. Take it from a resident of Downtown Oakland – 94612 has something for everyone, and it’s a lot closer (and cheaper) than San Francisco.

Cheap

Radio. Radio is a dark, cheap and loud dive bar about 50 feet from both 12th Street BART and a taxi stand in Downtown Oakland. Its proximity to transportation is fortunate, because this is an easy place to lose track of time. Outside, they have an entire board of happy hour specials (note that all of Tuesday is happy, too), but the full prices are good enough for almost any student budget.

435 13th Street, Oakland.

Ruby Room. Ruby Room is a darker, cheaper version of Radio. Literally, it’s so dark, you’ll go blind every time the door opens during the day. But on the plus side, this will keep you for going for your phone. The drinks are cheap, the staff are friendly enough, and they have very unique special events on the occasional Sunday. You’ll cherish your gold medal for Beer Pong in the Ruby Room’s Beer Olympics more than your loved ones.

132 14th Street, Oakland.

Somar Bar. Looking for something a little more… well lit? Somar has cheap drinks, but it also has huge windows and carefully curated art. Happy hour includes $2 bottled drinks before 8 pm (until 9 on Saturdays). This is another bar that prides itself on its music, with live DJs most nights. The staff is especially friendly, and the managers really make you feel welcomed.

1727 Telegraph, Oakland.

Fancy

Dogwood. So far this year, Dogwood’s three most outstanding accomplishments are:

  • Opening – it poured its first drinks in February.
  • Winning a commendation from the Oakland Heritage Alliance for preserving the historic character of its building.
  • Its cocktail menu.

Dogwood is a classy joint, and has the menu and charcuterie to match. They won’t turn you away at the door if you show up in socks and sandals, but consider this a good place to take a date.

Don’t miss the fried pork skins ($4) for melt-in-your mouth flavor. Literally, they melt in your mouth. Do not consume these if you’re going to feel bad about it later.

1644 Telegraph, Oakland.

Make Westing. A nod to Oakland author Jack London, Make Westing is the newest bar in Uptown Oakland. It’s cocktails are imaginative and diverse enough to cover any taste, plus they’re $6 from 4 to 6. But the real draw is the two, full-length bocce ball courts inside. The vibe is Speakeasy, but without the hassle of Prohibition.

1741 Telegraph, Oakland.

The Den at the Fox. If you happen to snag tickets to TV on the Radio later this month, good for you. You’ll get to explore the inside of a beautiful Art Deco theater, built in 1929 and only restored and reopened in 2009. If you aren’t one of the lucky ones, you can always try winning tickets in trivia at the Den at the Fox. The Den plays trivia on Tuesdays, but it’s not winner take all – teams win raffle tickets for correctly answered questions, but also for ordering drinks. Take it from me – you can come in at the bottom of trivia, but order enough shots to walk out with four floor seats to Chromeo. Follow the Den on Twitter to find out the theme of the bonus round in advance. The Den doesn’t have a large menu, but the fabulous Five Ten Burger truck operates close by.

1807 Telegraph, Oakland.

Tasty

Cosecha. This Mexican café opened over the summer, and offers delicious tacos and other fare in a breezy market space. They also have a bar, pouring Firehouse IPA and local Trumer Pils. At happy hour, which runs from 2 – 6, bottled beer is $2.50 (draught is $3.50). The regular prices are respectable, too. Stop by on Friday during the Old Oakland Farmer’s Market (10-2). Cosecha is nestled in Swan’s Market, an anchor of the historic Old Oakland neighborhood that’s definitely worth exploring.

907 Washington Street, Oakland.


Rudy’s Can’t Fail Café. If you were on campus earlier this year and heard a collective spasm of energy from the south, it wasn’t an earthquake, it was Rudy’s Can’t Fail Café opening its doors and a ton of people freaking out. Rightfully so, of course. Like its parent in Emeryville, Rudy’s is as close to a diner as you’ll get in the East Bay, but with alcohol, a punk aesthetic, and a high caliber of food.

1805 Telegraph, Oakland.


Berkeley’s Proposed Downtown Area Plan

September 6, 2011 in Bay Area basics, Guest blogger, In the news by Ruth Miller | 1 comment


Especially to those new to Berkeley, Telegraph and Bancroft definitely seem like the heart of the city. People weave in and out of shops with big shopping bags, squeeze into window cafes to chat over lunch (or happy hour), and otherwise fill the street and sidewalks with life. As a city planner, that’s how you know you that you’re on to something.

This isn’t to say that Berkeley’s actual downtown, west of campus along Shattuck, is deserted. In fact, it’s definitely worth checking out. There are several small restaurants, a growing number of good bars (“Revival”, indeed), and many buses, cars, bikes, and trains. But what downtown doesn’t have is the same sense of place. When you accidentally wander into Upper Telegraph for the first time, you know you’ve found something special. Downtown Berkeley, with buildings of a similar height but set much farther apart, seems almost anti-climatic for what it is and should be.

In 2010, 64% of Berkeley residents voted to change that. By passing Measure R, almost two thirds of Berkeley voters agreed to a new Downtown Area Plan that would allow downtown Berkeley to grow.

Currently, the two tallest buildings in Downtown Berkeley are the 173-foot Wells Fargo and 180-foot Great Western buildings. When flanked on sides by one, three, and five story buildings, these two really stick out. The Downtown Area Plan would allow property owners on those closest blocks to build new buildings higher and help smooth the skyline. These new, larger buildings would help foster a more vibrant arts district while creating new condos, apartments, retail and office space. The rest of the plan adds more open space, tree-lined streets and plazas, especially along Center Street.

The western block of Center Street, which connects Berkeley’s campus to the Downtown Berkeley BART station, is highlighted in the plan as an opportunity to create an all-pedestrian street. Not only that, but the City would “daylight” a portion of Strawberry Creek, which currently runs under Center Street on its way underneath the city. A generous canopy of new trees and seating would turn an endured and unconsidered passageway into an attractive destination.

Being Berkeley, the plan also includes state of the art integrated stormwater filtration systems, gold LEED certification or higher, wider sidewalks, preservation of historic features, and every effort to provide safe access to people of all abilities.

Of course, some people disagree with the entire idea of putting more people in Downtown, simply because “Berkeley is already dense enough”.

New residents should be forgiven for thinking Berkeley residents are as progressive with their own backyards as they are in the national papers. Inviting prisoners of Guantanamo to live in Berkeley is great, but want to open a Trader Joe’s on University? Sorry, it will cause too much traffic, so we’re going to tie that up in committee for almost a decade.

Even though a majority of every precinct endorsed Measure R, including over 70% from Downtown Berkeley residents, the modest zoning increases could still end up stalled forever. When the plan goes before City Council later this year, expect some of Berkeley’s notorious NIMBY’s to show up. Only in Berkeley do a few vitriolic speakers at a City Council meeting outweigh the wishes of the majority as expressed by ballot measure.

Will Berkeley’s minority of NIMBYs triumph? We’ll have to wait and see. Meanwhile, Berkeley’s Downtown remains oppressed. Have fun in Upper Telegraph, San Francisco, and Oakland.

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