Jack London Square
Encyclopedia
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 Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon, the (re-located) cabin Jack London lived in the Klondike
, and a movie theater. A farmer's market is hosted among the retail shops on Sunday mornings. The former presidential yacht USS Potomac
is moored at an adjacent slip.
Jack London Square is located at the south end of Broadway, across the Oakland Estuary
from Alameda
.
The name has also come to refer to the formerly industrial neighborhood surrounding Jack London Square proper now known as the Jack London District
, which has undergone significant rehabilitation in the last decade, including loft conversions and new construction. Current California Governor (and former Oakland mayor) Jerry Brown
made his home here before moving north to the Uptown neighborhood.
KTVU
(Channel 2), the Bay Area's Fox affiliate, has had studios at the Square since it began broadcasting in April 1958, and the offices of the Port of Oakland
are located there as well. The Square was also the temporary home of the Oakland Tribune from 1989 to 1996 after the newspaper was forced to abandon the landmark downtown Tribune Tower
due to damage it sustained in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake
.
A mainline railroad runs though the middle of the street
, with the train speed limit set at 15 mph (25 km/h). The tracks running through Jack London Square are used by BNSF Railway
, Capitol Corridor
, Coast Starlight
, San Joaquin (Amtrak), and Union Pacific Railroad
. The trains share the road with automobiles, AC Transit
buses, and pedestrians.
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...
. Named after the author Jack London
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
and owned by 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...
, it is the home of stores, restaurants, hotels, an Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
station, a ferry dock
Blue & Gold Fleet
Blue & Gold Fleet is a privately owned company in the United States providing ferry services in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.The company's vessels serve the following communities:* San Francisco* Oakland* Alameda* Vallejo* Sausalito...
, the historic Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon, the (re-located) cabin Jack London lived in the Klondike
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
, and a movie theater. A farmer's market is hosted among the retail shops on Sunday mornings. The former presidential yacht USS Potomac
USS Potomac (AG-25)
USS Potomac , formerly the USCGC Electra, was Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidential yacht from 1936 until his death in 1945. It is one of only three still existing presidential yachts. On August 3, 1941, she played a decoy role while Roosevelt held a secret conference to develop the Atlantic...
is moored at an adjacent slip.
Jack London Square is located at the south end of Broadway, across 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:...
from 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...
.
The name has also come to refer to the formerly industrial neighborhood surrounding Jack London Square proper now known as the Jack London District
Jack London District
The Jack London District is a neighborhood of Oakland, California that occupies the region south of the Nimitz Freeway 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...
, which has undergone significant rehabilitation in the last decade, including loft conversions and new construction. Current California Governor (and former Oakland mayor) Jerry Brown
Jerry 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...
made his home here before moving north to the Uptown neighborhood.
KTVU
KTVU
KTVU, virtual channel 2 , is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the San Francisco Bay Area. Licensed to Oakland, California, the station has been owned by Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises since 1964, making it the largest Fox affiliate by market size that is not owned and operated by the...
(Channel 2), the Bay Area's Fox affiliate, has had studios at the Square since it began broadcasting in April 1958, and the offices of 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...
are located there as well. The Square was also the temporary home of the Oakland Tribune from 1989 to 1996 after the newspaper was forced to abandon the landmark downtown Tribune Tower
Tribune Tower (Oakland)
The Tribune Tower is a 305-ft. , 21-story building located in downtown Oakland, California. Completed in 1923, the 89,251 sq.-ft. building was opened by Joseph R. Knowland on January 1, 1924, as the home of the Oakland Tribune newspaper, and is a symbol of both the Tribune and the city of...
due to damage it sustained in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake
Loma Prieta earthquake
The Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the World Series Earthquake, was a major earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area of California on October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. local time...
.
A mainline railroad runs though the middle of the street
Street running
On-street running or street running is when a railroad track or tramway track runs directly along city streets, without any separation. The rails are embedded in the road....
, with the train speed limit set at 15 mph (25 km/h). The tracks running through Jack London Square are used by BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
, Capitol Corridor
Capitol Corridor
The Capitol Corridor is a 168-mile passenger train route operated by Amtrak in California. Because it is fully supported by the state, the Capitol Corridor operates under Amtrak California. It runs from the San Francisco Bay Area to Sacramento, roughly parallel to Interstate 80...
, Coast Starlight
Coast Starlight
The Coast Starlight is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on the West Coast of the United States. It runs from King Street Station in Seattle, Washington, to Union Station in Los Angeles, California. The train's name was formed as a merging of two of Southern Pacific's train names, the Coast...
, San Joaquin (Amtrak), and Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
. The trains share the road with automobiles, AC Transit
AC Transit
AC Transit is an Oakland-based regional public transit agency serving the western half of Alameda County and parts of western Contra Costa County in the western, Bay-side area of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area...
buses, and pedestrians.