UPTOWN DOWNTOWN

News on Oaklands Expanding Uptown and Downtown Districts

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BOUNDLESS OPPORTUNITIES IN OAKLAND

Project Bandaloop Calls Oakland Home

FALL 2011

CONVERSATION:
DEBORAH BOYER
PRESIDENT, LAKE MERRITT/UPTOWN DISTRICT ASSOCIATION

Oakland Proud

Oaklands Economy Strengthened by Workforce

According to a recent article in the Oakland Tribune by George Avalos, Pandora Media, BrightSource Energy, Sungevity, iParadigms, First Solar, Lucid Design Group and Livescribe are among the cutting-edge companies that have large operations in Oakland, all of which have headquarters in the city except for First Solar Oakland city ofcials have made a strong push to encourage companies similar to these to set up shop in town, Mayor Jean Quan said. These companies are also starting to change the perception of Oakland, long in the shadow of San Francisco and San Jose. Source: http://www.insidebayarea.com/top-stories/ci_18538378
Photos: Top, Chad Ziemendorf. Inset, OCBD.

did you know

The Daily Beast Names Oakland #2 as Americas 20 Can-Do Capitals in its September issue.

The YMCA of the East Bay will celebrate their outstanding volunteers in October at their recognition ceremony in Oakland.

More sourdough bread is produced in Oakland than any other city in the world. Oakland is the eighth largest city in California.

Theres a tremendous opportunity in Uptown for retailers, small and large.

Pop-up stores and new galleries are doing very well. Add in the restaurants and drinking establishments that are continuing to pop up, and its clear the critical mass is forming - Deborah Boyer One of the most important objectives of business district management is to enhance the appeal of urban neighborhoods for entrepreneurial investment in new businesses. Oaklands Uptown and Downtown districts have spent Deborah Boyer the last few years establishing several successful state-of-the-art strategies targeted toward doing just that. We talked with Lake Merritt/Uptown Board President Deborah Boyer about the most recent ideas to lure in new businesses, including pop-up galleries.
The look and feel of Oaklands Uptown and Downtown streets has been undergoing some colorful changes lately. We understand you have been actively connecting artists with building owners?

Even though we are just getting started, the art in every window approach is definitely adding an interesting new dimension. People are beginning to regularly congregate around these new businesses and displays. Having people enjoy the streets in both the daylight and evening hours is the ultimate goal. Some of these efforts involve educational opportunities built around an emerging fashion industry.
The art gallery scene is also creating quite a stir as well...

Absolutely! There are a number of new galleries that have a strong following. The critical mass is forming, and they have joined the restaurants and drinking establishments in becoming the real underpinning of the turnaround that continues to build.
Do you think that the pop-up stores have a real chance of converting to permanent retail stores?

HAPPENING
Uptown Oakland Restaurants/Bars Celebrated Paramount Theater Premiere with Moneyball Specials - Brad Pitt Sightings Needed Fuel Fans that planned to stargaze at the Moneyball premiere in Oakland on September 19, at the Paramount Theatre, may not have had tickets to attend the screening or post party, but they sure did not go home hungry. Some of the most popular local restaurants and bars in the Lake Merritt/ Uptown community benefit district came to the rescue of hungry Brad Pitt fans by offering a number of special dishes and drinks. Lake Merritt/Uptown Safety Ambassadors maintained a strong street presence, making sure the area remained welcoming and inviting. Project Bandaloop Returned to the Great Wall of Oakland to Premiere Bound(less) Project Bandaloop, who now calls Oakland home, performed the world premiere of their new dance, Bound(less,) at the Great Wall of Oakland on September 15, 16, and 17. The hour-long performances were held at 9pm each night and were free to the public.

Two high prole premieres brought large, enthusiastic audiences and great PR to Oakland!
Broadway and Telegraph were closed to traffic, and the crowds were camped out to watch the performance. The Ambassadors were out in full force to welcome and direct members of the audience. The successful event was so well attended that there was standing room only for the Thursday and Friday night performances. In all, 7,300 people delighted in the aerial acrobatics of Project Bandaloop and enjoyed an authentically Oakland experience. The Lake Merritt/Uptown and Downtown Oakland Associations have been working hard to bring cultural events, such as Project Bandaloop, to Oakland.

Yes, we are finding a great deal of interest among our building owners in meeting artists looking to showcase their works in windows around town. The Cathedral Building is really a leader. LED-lit window treatments are now in every window and the Marquee Lofts Betti Ono/SMSHBX popup gallery is up and operating to rave reviews.
We agree. In fact, judging from the number of new pop-up stores and window exhibits, it looks like the retail scene in Oakland is beginning to move to a new level.

Pop-up stores have been successfully converting all over the country. In addition to the ones already mentioned, there are several promising candidates such as Oakollectiv at 15th and Broadway and Sticks and Stones at 8th and Broadway that are setting the pace. There is no doubt in our minds that the thousands of people who work downtown, and who are now living there, are looking for shopping choices that provide local flare and variety. They also have the discretionary capital to support new local businesses.
Thank you for your time, Deborah. Is there a contact youd like to suggest for follow up?

Yes, contact Steve Snider or Andrew Jones at the CBD offices.

UPTOWN & DOWNTOWN | Spring 2011

For more information visit: downtownoakland.org & lakemerritt-uptown.org

Experience Oakland
Top 50 Walk Scores names Oakland as 2011s 10th Most Walkable City in the United States.
According to www.walkscore.com, Oakland is the 10th most walkable city in the United States, with an overall walk score of 68. A walk score is a number between 0 and 100 that measures the walkability of any address. Walkable neighborhoods offer surprising benefits to the environment, our health, our finances, and our communities. ENVIRONMENT: Cars are a leading cause of climate change. Your feet are zero-pollution transportation machines. HEALTH: The average resident of a walkable neighborhood weighs 6-10 pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood. FINANCES: One point of Walk Score is worth up to $3,000 of value for your property. COMMUNITIES: Studies show that for every 10 minutes a person spends in a daily car commute, time spent in community activities falls by 10%. 53% of Oakland residents have a Walk Score of 70 or above. Oaklands most walkable neighborhoods are Downtown, Lake Merritt, Civic Center and Chinatown, with Downtown receiving a walk score of 96. 89% of Oakland residents have a Walk Score of at least 50and only 11% live in Car-Dependent neighborhoods.
http://www.walkscore.com/rankings/

About the Downtown Oakland and Lake Merritt / Uptown Associations The Downtown Oakland and Lake Merritt/Uptown Associations are a private/public partnership which is revitalizing the business districts in the heart of Oakland by providing special benet services such as district maintenance, safety and security management, as well as community and cultural enrichment. The Districts were formed following a vote of property owners in 2009 to support a voluntary property tax to fund these additional services for a 10-year period.

NEW BUSINESSES
Business is Booming in the Second Quarter The second quarter of this year saw an increase in business growth in Oaklands Downtown and Lake Merritt/Uptown business communities, creating approximately 33 new full-time jobs and 32 part-time jobs. OAKOLLECTIV brings the work of local brands together to create a unique boutique that sells a diverse mix of merchandise, all in one shop, at 1427 Broadway. After ten years of community involvement, OAKLANDISH opened its rst retail store at 1444 Broadway. The store sells a large array of Oakland-themed tees and hoodies. Oaklandish was founded in 2000 and since then has won nineteen Best of the East Bay awards. Notable new restaurants and bars include: XOLO, the fourth restaurant opened by Thomas Schnetz and Donna Savitsky, at 1916 Telegraph, offers late night Mexican fare open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. LOONEYS BBQ, located at 325 19th Street in the Lake Merritt/ Uptown District, offers an array of barbeque options. HAWKER FARE, the new restaurant opened by James Syhabout, offers Asian street food out of its location at 2300 Webster Street. MAKE WESTING, the latest addition to the hip Uptown bar scene, offers indoor bocce ball and great drinks at its 1741 Telegraph location. Make Westing played host to our latest InOak event on September 21st.

UPTOWN & DOWNTOWN Fall 2011 Downtown Oakland and Lake MerrittUptown District Association 388 19th St. Oakland, CA 94612 Marco Li Mandri, Primary Consultant Steve Snider, District Manager Masumi Matsumoto, Designer | m-matsumoto.com Gallen.Neilly & Associates, Media Consultant | www.gallen.com Photocredits Cover Photo: Eric Slomanson / Project Bandaloop Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. www.downtownoakland.org www.lakemerritt-uptown.org