Iconic Buildings in our Backyard

"Walking through Downtown Oakland has become routine for many of us.We forget that Oakland has a history- and downtown is no exception. In the school year, everything can fall into endless routine- including walking outside for lunch. But when we dive deeper into the history of the buildings surrounding our walk, and our day, maybe our daily walks at lunch can feel a little more full."
​-Ella Zalon

Walking through Downtown Oakland has become routine for many OSA student. We pass by so many empty buildings, corner stores, offices, hat shops, and occasional restaurants that it may even start to feel bleak—discounting the night life. We forget that Oakland has a history--and downtown is no exception. In the school year, everything can fall into endless routine, including walking outside for lunch. But when we dive deeper into the history of the buildings surrounding our walk, and our day, maybe our daily lunch walks can feel a little more full.

1. The Fox Theater
​1807 Telegraph Avenue

Opened in 1928, the first structure on this list is none other than the very building we reside in. It proudly and warmly houses Oakland School for the Arts (both sentimentally and literally, since we don’t have AC),  along with Rudy’s Can’t Fail Cafe, as well as its own 2,800 seat concert venue. In 1973, the building was supposedly set fire to by the Black Panthers after the building owner refused to hire the panthers and pay for protection. In 1996, the building was restored--it had been a ghost building for forty years! Performers have included Green Day and Bob Dylan, and in 2012 President Obama spoke here as a part of his reelection campaign. Upcoming events include Grimes; Bonnie Raitt; and one of our very own, OSA Vocal: Identity, and OSA graduation.

2. The I. Magnin Building
2001 Broadway Avenue

    Many of us walk by the building that is currently housing Cafe Tierra Mia, or even grab a coffee, smoothie, or croissant from the inside. I’ve always found myself interested in this beautiful building.It’s rare to see a building of that size, art-deco-esque, mint-and-teal-brick-laid with a black marble ground level. It’s entirely unique, one of the more mesmerizing buildings in a neighborhood that can sometimes feel like a ghost town. And with its fresh, almost living exterior in a town full of primarily bleak office buildings, it is hard to believe that it is elder to many of its peers, being built in 1931. ​

3. The Tribune
409 13th St.

    We may not often walk by this building at lunch, but it is an absolute staple of downtown Oakland, and Oakland as a whole. With its iconic red neon lettering and copper-green mansard roof, the iconic building can be seen on postcards and is an essential filler in any Oakland skyline photograph, and seems to be one of the defining structures of Oakland--other than those famous cranes… It started with the base, or the warehouse, of the building, which was built in the 1890s. The rest of the building wasn’t built until 1915, when Joseph Knowland, who owned the Oakland Tribune, decided to move the business into the building. In 1923 the iconic tower was added, making it the tallest building in Oakland at the time and completing the structure we’ve known for nearly a century now.
    The Tribune Tower has temporarily and permanently been the home to many. Harry Houdini himself made a trip to the building to display his escapist skills, hanging upside down from the Tribune’s ninth floor while sporting a straightjacket. The tower may no longer be home to the newspaper that built it to what it is, but it is home to a man. At the top of the building, past where even an elevator can take you, you can find a man named John Law. He actually resides in the Tribune, maintaining the neon sign!
    Other buildings may have surpassed the Tribune in height, but never in memorability.

4. The Rotunda
​300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza

This one may be a hidden gem--I think most of us have walked by this building, but not all of us know how incredible it actually is on the inside. Construction began in 1912 and was added to in 1923--around the same age as the Tribune Tower. It appears to be more elegant and less office-oriented, however it lodges offices by day and rents out as a venue by night. Its exterior is more modest--brown brick with terra cotta ornamentation, hinting at the insides, which are decked out in terra cotta: there are terra cotta archways, cresting, belt, and frieze. Most important is its elliptical rotunda and incredible skylight. With some tables around the inside-side of some of the cafes at home, it is a free and sightly place to sit for lunch.
Oh, and its website opens with an uber dramatic, eagle clad (?!) promotion video with music reminiscent of the Heathers theme song…I’m pretty into that.

5. Frank Ogawa Plaza (Who is He?)
1 Frank Ogawa Plaza

A lot of us eat lunch at Frank Ogawa Plaza. But who is Frank H. Ogawa? He was the first Japanese- American as well as longest serving Oakland City Council member. He was Nisei, second Japanese American, and during World War II was imprisoned in internment camps along with his wife Grace. He later went on to gardening work, and upon saving money opened his own nursery.  He worked for Oakland Parks Commission, San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

6. The Paramount Theatre
2025 Broadway Avenue

    Here is another well-known art deco building to add to the list. It seems like much of the standout structures in downtown Oakland are from that era! The Paramount was one of three of the West Coast Publix Theater chains (now the Paramount chain). It was constructed in 1931 by architect Timothy Pflueger, the largest multi-purpose theatre of its time. Its iridescent mosaic on the exterior stands at 110 feet tall. For long periods the theatre could not compete with other movie theatres and went for long times without showing movies. It was neglected for decades, and closed down similarly to the Fox. But when the Oakland Symphony Orchestra was in need of a new home, it reinvigorated the theater in 1972. Then, two years later, they sold it to the City of Oakland (for only $1, due to bankruptcy). Inside the building, it still looks a lot like the old glory of Old Hollywood. In recent years, you could catch old movies, a Bob Dylan Concert, Harry Belafonte, Earth Wind and Fire, Lionel Richie, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Bjork, Elvis Costello, R. Kelly, and so many more. They’ve also hosted various stand up comedians, like Jamie Foxx, George Lopez, and Katt Williams. Upcoming events will feature the likes of famous Youtubers “Dan and Phil” and the old James Bond flick: Goldfinger. It’s worth a trip if you’re a fan of any musical guests or speakers--but just to catch an old movie there and see the incredible decor is doable and absolutely worth it. ​