Laurel District

In 2011, Oakland’s Laurel District won the East Bay Express’ “Best Completely Re-Imagined Neighborhood” and it has never looked back.

The Laurel District in Oakland is located just east of Lower Dimond, south of Redwood Heights, north of Allendale, and northwest of Maxwell Park. It is a five minute drive to Mills College, 10 minutes to Lake Merritt, 10 minutes to Redwood Regional Park, and 15 minutes to Downtown Oakland.

It’s been said that the district inherited its name from the “Laurel Grove Park” residential track established in 1900. (Local Wiki)

Laurel is a mostly residential district that lies just north of Interstate 580 and south of MacArthur Blvd, between 35th Ave. and High Street. Though not large in size, it’s large in spirit. The Laurel District is a tight-knit neighborhood, with the services, shops and restaurants on MacArthur Blvd being its heart. In 2017, it was featured in SF Gate as one of the "eclectic and vibrant neighborhoods" in Oakland "providing building blocks to making the city one of the most sought-after business locations in the Bay Area."

In 2019, the Laurel District held their 20th annual Laurel StreetFair World Music Festival.

“The Laurel StreetFair World Music Festival is lovingly produced by a small and dedicated team of Oakland natives and Oakland residents who love the Laurel and care about creating positive events that bring the community together over and over.” (Laurel StreetFair)

The exciting event was an Oakland Magazine’s “Best Cultural Event” in nominee in 2018.

Eateries of note in the area include the classic, popular breakfast and lunch spot, Sequoia Diner, the relatively new 4505 Burgers & BBQ (founder Ryan Farr is the author of two books - Whole Beast Butchery and Sausage Making), Communitē Table, a neighborhood restaurant featuring seasonal American comfort food, and of course, Everett and Jones BBQ.

In the mood for a good pizza pie? You’re in luck - Fist of Flour, Doughjo has a brick and mortar (as opposed to brick and motor) location in the area, but keep in mind it is a walk-up counter with a few stools. ​ Degrees Plato is a locally-owned, bottle shop, taproom, and Oaxacan kitchen located in the heart of the district. The owners opened the location with the goal of creating an inviting space for families, and they live just blocks away. Looking for a unique treat? Visit Peter’s Kettle Corn and try flavors like Spicy Chipotle Lime, Saigon Cinnamon Sugar, and Buffalo Cheddar.

Farmer Joe’s has been providing the Laurel community with organic and natural foods since 1994.

Shopping destinations include Therapy, a unique gift and home store with vintage items and one-of-a-kind furnishings, local gift store Mischief (they also have classes and events), local attire shop, Beast, and Laurel Ace Hardware.

Other popular spots in the area include Kids N’Dance and The Taoist Center, where you can learn about qi gong, taiji, meditation, judo, jiu-jitsu, and more.

The NX transbay bus and a casual carpool pick up at MacArthur and High will get you to San Francisco. Fruitvale BART is a 10 minute drive or a 20 minute bus ride away.

To learn more about the Laurel District, visit the “Explore the Laurel” website and check out this article in Oakland magazine. The article is from 2015, so as always, double check the status of a business and their hours before visiting.