About Old Oakland

Old Oakland is one of the city's oldest and most storied commercial districts — a place where history is written into the very fabric of the streets. Stretching along 9th Street in the heart of Downtown Oakland, the neighborhood is home to some of the finest examples of Victorian commercial architecture in the American West, with ornate facades and cast-iron details that have stood since the late 1800s. Walking through Old Oakland is, in every sense, a walk through Oakland's past.

Today, that same historic character provides the backdrop for a richly layered neighborhood experience. Independent restaurants, art galleries, museums, and one-of-a-kind shops fill the ground floors of those landmark buildings, each adding its own voice to a neighborhood that feels both rooted and alive. It's a place where you can discover something new on every visit — a hidden gem of a café, a gallery opening, a shop unlike anything else in the Bay Area.

What truly sets Old Oakland apart, though, is its people. Merchants, neighbors, artists, and visitors share a genuine sense of belonging here — a collective pride in a neighborhood that has endured, evolved, and continued to welcome everyone who walks its sidewalks. Old Oakland isn't just a destination; it's a community, and it's always glad to have you.