Jack London District
Encyclopedia
The Jack London District is a neighborhood of Oakland, California
that occupies the region south of the Nimitz Freeway (Interstate 880) along The Embarcadero between Adeline and Lake Merritt Channel. It includes and surrounds the Jack London Square
shopping and tourist area, as well as the Warehouse District north of the Oakland Amtrak Station
. The area has a long history of industrial and warehouse land use. Since the late 1990s, the area has seen residential redevelopment.
main line along Seventh Street (leading to the immense Oakland Long Wharf
); two passenger depots of the Central Pacific Railroad
(later, Southern Pacific), located at Seventh and Broadway and First and Broadway; the Key System
streetcar line along Broadway; the Oakland Estuary
(early referred to as the "Creek"; a bridge, later replaced by underwater tubes to adjacent Alameda
; and lastly, a public highway utilizing city streets, connecting to points east and south, replaced in the 1950s by today's Nimitz Freeway, (Interstate 880
).
Nearby rail and Oakland's geographic centrality led to early industrial and warehouse development, which quickly spread northwest and southeast, largely along the rail corridors. Rail lines once ran directly alongside warehouse buildings along second, third, and fourth streets, so that freight could be loaded directly from box cars to and from the warehouses. Track is still visible in some areas along the public right of way, many of which lack sidewalks and are currently used to park and store private cars.
. Prior to 2000, housing mainly consisted of the Portbello condominiums and several reused warehouse buildings including the Fourth Street Lofts, the Tower Lofts, the Brick House Lofts, the Pocket Lofts, the Portico Lofts and the Phoenix Lofts. Since 2000, over one thousand new units of housing have been built in the area including The Sierra, the New Market Lofts, the Allegro Condominiums, The Landings, 288 Third, 428 Alice, AquaVia and 200 Second Street. A neighborhood association in the district, The Jack London District Association, attempts to advocate for the interests of the residents and commercial users of the District.
The Jack London District includes Jack London Square
, one of Oakland's largest tourist attractions, which is an area of retail and office buildings that reside on the former heart of Oakland's port operations. With the advent of containerized shipping the Port of Oakland
and most of its operations has moved up the Estuary helping Jack London Square open up to the retail shops and restaurants it now houses, including Yoshi's jazz club
. However, business in the square has been suffering recently. In 2004, a major redevelopment of Jack London Square was approved including a hotel, movie theater, and "harvest hall". , little of this had been built and Jack London Square's influence in the area was quietly waning, as many tenants of the retail area either left or went out of business, due to the reduced consumer activity. The start of 2007 showed a little more promise, with construction of one of the buildings underway. On October 22, construction finally started on harvest hall. This groundbreaking acts as a key addition to many new construction projects, happening in downtown Oakland over the last several months.
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
that occupies the region south of the Nimitz Freeway (Interstate 880) along The Embarcadero between Adeline and Lake Merritt Channel. It includes and surrounds the Jack London Square
Jack London Square
Jack London Square is a popular tourist attraction on the waterfront of Oakland, California. Named after the author Jack London and owned by the Port of Oakland, it is the home of stores, restaurants, hotels, an Amtrak station, a ferry dock, the historic Saloon, the cabin Jack London lived in the...
shopping and tourist area, as well as the Warehouse District north of the Oakland Amtrak Station
Oakland – Jack London Square (Amtrak station)
Oakland is an Amtrak station located in downtown Oakland, California. Opened in 1994, the building is located at 245 Second Street in Oakland, it is served by the Capitol Corridor, Coast Starlight, and San Joaquins trains...
. The area has a long history of industrial and warehouse land use. Since the late 1990s, the area has seen residential redevelopment.
History
The district developed early in Oakland's history as a warehouse and industrial district due to its proximity to major transportation: Broadway, Oakland's main street; the Transcontinental RailroadTranscontinental railroad
A transcontinental railroad is a contiguous network of railroad trackage that crosses a continental land mass with terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single railroad, or over those owned or controlled by multiple railway companies...
main line along Seventh Street (leading to the immense Oakland Long Wharf
Oakland Long Wharf
The Oakland Long Wharf, later known as the Oakland Pier or the SP Mole was a massive railroad wharf and ferry pier in Oakland, California. It was located at the foot of Seventh Street....
); two passenger depots of the Central Pacific Railroad
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
(later, Southern Pacific), located at Seventh and Broadway and First and Broadway; the Key System
Key System
The Key System was a privately owned company which provided mass transit in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Richmond, Albany and El Cerrito in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area from 1903 until 1960, when the system was sold to a newly formed public...
streetcar line along Broadway; the Oakland Estuary
Oakland Estuary
The Oakland Estuary is the body of water separating the cities of Oakland and Alameda, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. On its western end it connects to San Francisco Bay, while its eastern end connects to San Leandro Bay.-Crossings:...
(early referred to as the "Creek"; a bridge, later replaced by underwater tubes to adjacent Alameda
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
; and lastly, a public highway utilizing city streets, connecting to points east and south, replaced in the 1950s by today's Nimitz Freeway, (Interstate 880
Interstate 880
Interstate 880 is an Interstate Highway in the San Francisco Bay Area connecting San Jose and Oakland, running parallel to the southeastern shore of San Francisco Bay...
).
Nearby rail and Oakland's geographic centrality led to early industrial and warehouse development, which quickly spread northwest and southeast, largely along the rail corridors. Rail lines once ran directly alongside warehouse buildings along second, third, and fourth streets, so that freight could be loaded directly from box cars to and from the warehouses. Track is still visible in some areas along the public right of way, many of which lack sidewalks and are currently used to park and store private cars.
Today
The Jack London District encompasses more than 70 blocks and a significant stretch of the Oakland waterfront which had been a prime development project for Oakland's mayor, Jerry BrownJerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
. Prior to 2000, housing mainly consisted of the Portbello condominiums and several reused warehouse buildings including the Fourth Street Lofts, the Tower Lofts, the Brick House Lofts, the Pocket Lofts, the Portico Lofts and the Phoenix Lofts. Since 2000, over one thousand new units of housing have been built in the area including The Sierra, the New Market Lofts, the Allegro Condominiums, The Landings, 288 Third, 428 Alice, AquaVia and 200 Second Street. A neighborhood association in the district, The Jack London District Association, attempts to advocate for the interests of the residents and commercial users of the District.
The Jack London District includes Jack London Square
Jack London Square
Jack London Square is a popular tourist attraction on the waterfront of Oakland, California. Named after the author Jack London and owned by the Port of Oakland, it is the home of stores, restaurants, hotels, an Amtrak station, a ferry dock, the historic Saloon, the cabin Jack London lived in the...
, one of Oakland's largest tourist attractions, which is an area of retail and office buildings that reside on the former heart of Oakland's port operations. With the advent of containerized shipping the Port of Oakland
Port of Oakland
The Port of Oakland was the first major port on the Pacific Coast of the United States to build terminals for container ships. It is now the fifth busiest container port in the United States, behind Long Beach, Los Angeles, Newark, and Savannah...
and most of its operations has moved up the Estuary helping Jack London Square open up to the retail shops and restaurants it now houses, including Yoshi's jazz club
Jazz club
A jazz club is a venue where the primary entertainment is the performance of live jazz music. Jazz clubs have been in large rooms in the eras of Orchestral jazz and big band jazz and when its popularity as a dance music was common...
. However, business in the square has been suffering recently. In 2004, a major redevelopment of Jack London Square was approved including a hotel, movie theater, and "harvest hall". , little of this had been built and Jack London Square's influence in the area was quietly waning, as many tenants of the retail area either left or went out of business, due to the reduced consumer activity. The start of 2007 showed a little more promise, with construction of one of the buildings underway. On October 22, construction finally started on harvest hall. This groundbreaking acts as a key addition to many new construction projects, happening in downtown Oakland over the last several months.