Lakeside living, a fantastical fairyland, and a central location...welcome to Adam’s Point.

“The name Adams Point, and the short Adams Street, comes from the name of one of the early landowners/squatters in Oakland, Edson Adams. The area served as a camp for people displaced from San Francisco by the 1906 earthquake. Many of such displaced people remained in Oakland afterward, swelling its population.” (Wikipedia)

Adam’s Point is a small neighborhood located just north of Lake Merritt. The neighborhood is bordered by Grand Avenue on the south, Harrison Street on the northwest, and the MacArthur freeway on the northeast. The Grand Lake/Lakeshore neighborhoods can be found just to the northeast of Adam’s Point, while Pill Hill and Uptown Oakland are just to the west. It is an 18 minute drive to Berkeley, a 15-20 minute walk to downtown Oakland and the 19th Street BART station, and a 2-10 minute walk to the lake.

Filled with multi-unit buildings, condos, and Craftsman and Mediterranean-style homes, the Adam’s Point neighborhood is small but bustling. Situated just above Lake Merritt and busy Grand Ave., it offers a blend of residences, outdoor activities, shops, and restaurants.

Lake Merritt is “one of the most unique urban spaces in the United States. Its three mile heart-shaped shoreline in the center of an exceptionally diverse city is the place for man and nature to migrate and mingle daily. This tidal lagoon is also home to the oldest designated wildlife refuge (1870) in the United States.” (LakeMerritt.org)

The lake is a popular gathering place for Oakland residents, with its parks, fitness area, walking and biking paths, garden center, boating center, and nature center. Around the lake, the Necklace of Lights illuminates the path.

“In 1925, Lake Merritt's Necklace of Lights was lit for the first time during the Dons of Peralta Water Festival. The Necklace of Lights has 126 lampposts, each given by an organization or an individual along with 3,400 pearly bulbs. The Necklace of Lights was illuminated every night until 1941 when World War II blackout conditions were enforced.” (City of Oakland)

Visitors can enjoy boating, sailing and gondola rides on the lake.

Nestled within the area around the lake on the north side, Children’s Fairyland offers fun for families with little ones. “Fairyland has delighted children and their parents since 1950 with whimsical storybook sets, gentle rides, friendly animals, and live entertainment.” (Children’s Fairyland) In fact, Walt Disney visited Children’s Fairyland, which inspired ideas for his own magic kingdom, opening in Anaheim in 1955.

The park offers a variety of special events and activities, including summer sleepovers, children’s theater, puppet shows, and even adult nights. It has been a nonprofit since 1994.

A central hotspot in the neighborhood is the large and busy Whole Foods. Other stops of note in the area include neighborhood gym, Fitness SF, Oaktown Spice Shop and the Grand Lake - Oakland Farmers Market every Saturday from 9am to 2pm. The market features over 40 local farmers, 30 specialty food purveyors, and local artisans selling everything from seafood and eggs to soap and jewelry.

Eateries, bars, and coffee shops along Grand Ave. are always teeming with people. Here you will find the very popular Grand Lake Kitchen, Coach Sushi (ask about the bottomless sake), Mediterranean-inspired Bacheesos, authentic Korean cuisine Jong Ga House, Sidebar eatery and bar, Enssaro Ethiopian restaurant, and Equator Coffees.

At Grand and Perkins you will find a casual carpool pick up for a San Francisco commute. The ​ NL transbay bus will also get you to the city. The 19th Street BART station is 6 minutes away by car, 15-20 by foot.

Its lakeside location, historical buildings, and proximity to transportation, outdoor activities, shops, and restaurants, makes Adam’s Point a busy and desirable Oakland neighborhood.