Oakland Art Murmur

Sticker. Map. Postcard

First Fridays uptown have been going on for awhile now and I figured I should get my ass down there and report on the awesomeness...let's just start with the true greatness of parking close to the action. Getting a parking spot in the urban jungle can really set the tone for the evening. Even though I had to do a little loop to get back to the spot I wanted (one way streets and no right turns) I was distracted by all the people out and about...When I moved to Oakland 15 years ago this area was a ghost town and pretty sketchy. But on this night there were people everywhere and even a trio playing live music in a doorway.


My pal and I parked on Broadway and walked toward Grand and the Great Wall of Oakland where a animated movie was showing and the sound system was so good we stopped to watch. But I was drawn the the food trucks I saw a block over...Fist of Flour Pizza (portable wood-fire pizza oven), Tamales, flat bread truck are just a few I paid attention to. My pal had a tamale (4 bucks) and a big cup of cucumber lime water (1 buck). The tamale was good but that water was amazingly refreshing.

Crowd on 23rd

The food is on 23rd along with street vendors and art galleries which were packed. We pushed passed a guy playing banjo and squeezed into Hatch Gallery to see the Pretty Pretty show described as obsessive nostalgia. We cruised the street vendors, my pal picked up some free art, a guy was screen printing Occupy Oakland posters right there and people were buying them as they dried on the line.

A bit of Pretty Pretty show at Hatch Gallery

My favorite bit was 2 kids selling their mutant toys a la Sid in Toy Story. They were whimsicle (regretsy.com reference) and affordable. Best lemonade stand idea ever. I wish I had some cash...these kids had talent.

Mutant toys for sale

We walked up Telegraph toward Broadway stopping to look at vintage clothing for sale on the street and all manner of freak show out on a Friday night to wrap it up at Bar Dogwood which was hopping. The bar smelled like fresh french bread baking and the bartender caught my eye right away to get my order. Two bags of chicharones & beverages. The vibe was great ; the conversation lively...tables are communal and sharing space is key. If I had been hungry I'd have had the meat plate or the heavenly grilled cheese. 


My pal and I didn't even scratch the surface of the scene in uptown and had a great time. I can't wait to go back. You don't need cash to see art and people watch, but it you have cash grab some street food, get a drink, meet new people and tell me all about it. Go Oakland! 
http://oaklandartmurmur.org