Visit Telegraph Avenue for its bohemian flair and flurry of old-world stores. This long street is popular with students, adding a fresh and youthful ambiance to this nostalgic setting. Get sentimental as you move between the stores, restaurants and entertainment venues with a 1960s feel.
Check out the vintage fashion and punk designs in the clothing shops. Leaf through the old tomes in the bookshops and bask in the alternative setting among the students and old rockers.
Since the street is a hub for young and creative artists, it is lined with quirky and idiosyncratic establishments. Choose from the vinyl discs in the music stores and browse the items for sale in Moe’s Books, which has been here since 1959.
Chat with store owners about the intriguing history of the street, which has long been linked to counterculture and progressive politics. It was known as a spot for homeless people and runaways and is now more of a hub for students from the University of California, Berkeley.
Note that the street runs for 4.5 miles (7 kilometers), although the main section that is popular with students borders the university. It is thought to take its name from the telegraph line set up here in the 1850s.
Reach the Korean business district at the southern end of the avenue and try the delicious cuisine. You’ll also find Ethiopian restaurants and cafés in the area.
Telegraph Avenue is in the Temescal and Southside districts, leading from the historic downtown district of Oakland to its northern neighborhoods. Ride the BART underground system to MacArthur Station and walk north for a few blocks to reach the southern part of the street. While in this part of the city, make sure to see other surrounding attractions such as the Claremont Country Club, the Landmark’s Piedmont Theatre and Grove Shafter Park.
