Old Oakland

Old Oakland, once called Old Oakland Historic District, is known today as the historic district of downtown Oakland, California. This area can be found to the north of Broadway between the City Center Complex and Jack London Square district. Located near Chinatown, Old Oakland offers a culturally rich neighborhood that is unlike any other in the city. This neighborhood was the original downtown for Oakland and started to thrive after the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad in the 1860s. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the shopping district began to shift and move toward the north toward 14th Street. Today the Old Oakland area has less prime shopping venues and more bistros, condominiums, and a few unique boutiques.

Old Oakland is still a thriving neighborhood and the residents who live there are partial to the historic appeal of the region. The neighborhood continues to grow due in part because of the condominium construction and increasing housing demand. Gentrification projects are in effect and the city continues to initiate the growth of the area. Some of the most known structures still existing today in the Old Oakland neighborhood include the 1878 Nicholl Block building. Victorian Row is also found in this neighborhood.