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For longtime residents and visitors alike, twenty self-guided walking tours celebrate Oakland's awe-inspiring architecture, history, and natural beauty.
Bold, beautiful, and endlessly surprising, Oakland is a city rich with history, art, and activism, where every neighborhood has a story to tell. Oakland Walks invites you to experience the remarkable character of this place—known affectionately to locals as the Town—one step at a time.
Created by the authors of the much-admired Berkeley Walks, this engaging guide draws on decades of research and local expertise leading walking tours and studying Oakland's history. Twenty self-guided walks—plus special sections for destination spots such as Lake Merritt—lead you through grand civic landmarks, hidden stairways, lively commercial districts, and historic neighborhoods. Fall in love with Julia Morgan's iconic architecture, trace the legacy of the Black Panther Party in West Oakland, step back in time to the Peralta family's nineteenth-century hacienda in Fruitvale, and wander the leafy paths and secret lanes of Rockridge and Montclair.
Along the way, you'll encounter Oakland's extraordinary architectural heritage, from downtown Beaux-Arts and Art Deco masterpieces to the Victorian homes, Tudor revivals, and Craftsman bungalows that stretch from the flatlands to the hills. Each walk includes a detailed map, historical insights, and archival photographs that bring the Town's stories to life. A treasure trove for curious longtime residents, and a perfect introduction for visitors, Oakland Walks is an indispensable companion for exploring the people, places, and stories that have shaped this dynamic and deeply loved city.
Janet L. Byron is coauthor, with Robert E. Johnson, of Berkeley Walks. She was previously a reporter for the Oakland Tribune, as well as a science writer and editor for Kaiser Permanente. Now an independent writer and editor, she and Johnson have led urban walks together in the East Bay for over 30 years. Born in New York City, she lives in El Cerrito.
Robert E. Johnson served on the board of the Oakland-based nonprofit Greenbelt Alliance for over 30 years. He met coauthor Janet Byron when they developed an urban outing to showcase smart growth in downtown Oakland. Johnson has worked with Steve Price of Urban Advantage, helping create photorealistic images of better urban design. He was born in St. Louis and lives in Berkeley.
DOWNTOWN AND NEARBY NEIGHBORHOODS
- Downtown: City Hall, Rotunda Building, Tribune Tower, and numerous historic commercial and office buildings alongside new residential towers, and many murals
- Old Oakland and Chinatown: Preservation Park, African American Museum and Library of Oakland, historic churches, Old Oakland, and lively pan-Asian Chinatown
- Uptown: Fox Oakland and Paramount theaters, Art Deco treasures, a modern cathedral on Lake Merritt, and vibrant retail around Telegraph and Grand avenues
- Lake Merritt West: Historic Oakland public buildings and Lakeside Apartments District alongside Lake Merritt—Oakland’s jewel and the first U.S. wildlife sanctuary
- Jack London Square and Brooklyn Basin: Historic warehouse district, Jack London’s cabin, new neighborhood at old 9th Avenue Terminal, Oakland Estuary trail, and many murals
- Prescott: An amazing collection of early Italianate and Victorian homes, Mandela Parkway, Prescott Market, and Black Panther history sites
- Oak Center: Across Mandela Parkway from Prescott, a fine collection of landmarked homes, churches, shredded-wheat factory, and De Fremery Mansion and Park
NORTH OAKLAND
- Above the Claremont Hotel: Rebuilt 1991 Oakland Hills fire area with architecturally significant pre- and postfire homes, and public paths in-between homes
- Rockridge: Lively College Avenue retail district, Craftsman bungalows and stately mansions, rebuilt 1991 Oakland Hills fire area, public paths, and panoramic views
- Temescal: Lively commercial Telegraph Avenue, Studio One Arts Center, Oakland Tech, Julia Morgan’s King’s Daughters Home, and diverse residential architecture
- Morcom Rose Garden: Oakland’s lovely public rose garden, thriving commercial Piedmont Avenue, historic homes and apartments, and Glen Echo Creek
EAST OAKLAND
- Old Brooklyn: A separate city before merging with Oakland, with an historic downtown and neighborhoods full of spectacular Italianate, Victorian, and Colonial Revival homes
- Fruitvale: Fruitvale Transit Village, historic Peralta hacienda and Cohen-Bray House, and the center of Oakland’s Latino and urban Native culture
- Laurel and Redwood Heights: Laurel Business District, Home of Peace, Craftsman homes, hidden paths, numerous murals, and Oakland Hills and bay views
OAKLAND HILLS
- Lakeshore Highlands: Lakeshore, Crocker Highlands, and Trestle Glen neighborhoods, Period Revival houses, numerous hidden paths, and the site of historic trestle
- Montclair: Montclair Village and Montclair Park, historic library and firehouse, multiuse trail on former Sacramento Northern route, hidden public stairway paths
- Glenview and Dimond Canyon: Dimond Park, Sausal Creek, Craftsman homes, Leimert Bridge, Glenview and Dimond retail districts, and historic churches
- Piedmont: A separate city encircled by Oakland, with stately mansions by leading architects, and loops featuring Piedmont and Dracena Quarry parks