I've been very charmed by Telegraph Avenue, which is very near my new apartment in Oakland. Just walking around between 38th and 45th Streets, I am discovering all sorts of neat little stores, cafes, and sites.
It's a very multicultural street, with Ethiopian and Korean being the dominant ethnicities represented. This block for example has an Ethiopian / Eritrean grocery store next to a Chinese / Korean noodle shop. Luckily Ethiopian and Korean are two of my favorite cuisines!
There's lots of good bargain shopping on the street, including a couple of thrift / vintage stores. I got a great wooden chair for $3! And who can resist a 99 cents store ? I know I can't. I love the hipster riding his bike in the foreground.
As a coffee snob, I am delighted by all of the fancy coffee places on Telegraph, including the famous Remedy Cafe which is always packed, the Mixing Bowl, and the new Sadie Dey Cafe near 42nd Street. I love the airyness and coziness of Sadie Dey, and they have the best scones in the morning.
There are also a bunch of places of worship along Telegraph from a variety of denominations, including the "East Bay Church of Religious Science" that has some neat murals on the side.
There's a lot of great old signage on the street from businesses that appear to have shuttered long ago.
Near me is Pacific Ring Sports Boxing, which was filled with people pummeling each other as I walked by. Apparently, you can learn traditional boxing, muay thai, MMA, and jui jitsu there.
As I was watching folks sparring, it was all I could do not to yell out, "Finish him!"
And that is just from one day of hanging out on Telegraph. I'm sure there' a lot more neat stuff to be found as I live here longer. Can't wait!
Yay, Oakland.