Why Grand Lake Is My Favorite Part of Oakland

Of everywhere I work in the Bay Area, Grand Lake is the spot I miss most. My old office was right on Grand Avenue, and I was the manager there. I loved walking out the door and having the whole neighborhood right there.

The food

You can eat well here every day of the week. Grand Lake Kitchen is the brunch spot, with a front patio and chilaquiles that are worth the wait. Ikaros has been serving Greek food on Grand for years, and Boot & Shoe Service and Penrose sit across the street from each other with wood-fired flatbreads and cocktails. For coffee and something sweet, try Wilde Brothers Coffee, or grab a pastry at Arizmendi, the worker-owned bakery on Lakeshore. If you want a drink after dinner, The Alley is an old-school bar with a sing-along piano.

One I still miss is Caña, the Cuban spot just off Grand on Lake Park Ave. I loved that place, and it’s closed now. It’s a good reminder that the little local restaurants only stick around if we keep showing up. So if you have a favorite on Grand, go often, tell your friends, and leave a nice review. It really does help.

The shopping

This is a stroll-and-browse neighborhood, and the shops are mostly local. Walden Pond Books is a real bookstore with a rare book collection and author readings. Alchemy Bottle Shop is great for craft spirits from local makers, and there are boutiques along Grand and Lakeshore where you can find a gift you won’t see everywhere else.

Saturdays, the lake and the theater

On Saturdays, the Grand Lake Farmers Market sets up at Splash Pad Park from 9am to 2pm, rain or shine, with about 100 vendors selling produce, flowers, coffee, and prepared food. Lake Merritt is right there too, with a walking loop of more than three miles around the water. The Grand Lake Theatre, which opened in 1926, is the perfect way to end the day. On Friday and Saturday evenings an organist plays the Mighty Wurlitzer before the movie starts.

Thinking about buying or selling in Oakland? Call or text me at (925) 382-5222.

Banner photos: Grand Lake Theater at night by Daniel Ramirez and Lake Merritt by Ron Hall, both CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.