Prescott, Oakland, California
Prescott | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 37°48′18″N 122°17′38″W / 37.805°N 122.294°W | |
Country | United States |
State | California |
County | Alameda |
City | Oakland |
Prescott (also known as The Lower Bottoms or The Bottoms[1]) is a residential neighborhood and commercial district in West Oakland in Oakland, California. The neighborhood boundaries are Mandela Parkway to the east, 7th Street to the south, West Grand Avenue to the north, and Frontage Road to the west.
History
The area was originally part of Oakland Point. It was a residential area of Victorian homes, many of which still stand, some in disrepair and some having undergone rehabilitation.[2]
The neighborhood has suffered from high rates of crime,
Seventh Street was an
At the corner of Tenth and Center Streets, Huey P. Newton, founder of the Black Panther Party, was gunned down in an alleged failed drug deal on August 22, 1989.[8]
Points of interest
Architectural landmarks
Performance arts
Trapeze Arts is a performance arts school that teaches flying trapeze and other circus arts and is one of only a handful of full time circus schools in the United States.
Parks and green space
Mandela Parkway is a major street and greenway in West Oakland that was created following the collapse of the Nimitz freeway Cypress Street Viaduct on October 17, 1989 during the Loma Prieta earthquake. American Steel Studios, Horn Barbecue, and the Cypress Freeway Memorial Park are all located on Mandela Parkway and its southern end goes right into the West Oakland BART Station.
Transportation and BART station redevelopment
The West Oakland BART station is located in Prescott, on 7th Street, and is one stop from downtown Oakland and downtown San Francisco. All lines except the orange line stop at the station.
In June 2020, the BART Board of Directors approved a mixed-use housing and commercial development at the West Oakland BART station that will include 762 housing units, 30 percent of which will be designated as affordable, 50,000 square feet of retail space, 300,000 square feet of office space and various amenities such as wider sidewalks and more crosswalks for pedestrians.
Community organizations
Several community organizations are based in Prescott, including the Lower Bottoms Neighborhood Association, the Prescott-Joseph Center, UNIA, Alliance for West Oakland Development, Prescott-Oakland Point Neighborhood Association,
Political representation
The entire neighborhood lies within the boundaries of Oakland's Downtown-West Oakland District 3 City Council seat.
References
- ^ Stuhldreher, Anne (January 21, 2007). "Against Gentrification: Marcel Diallo sees a black cultural district where Oakland's the Bottoms neighborhood now stands". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ "West Oakland: Below the Bottoms". Skyscraperpage. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
- ^ "Oakland Fails to Deal with Violence Problems". Berkeley Daily Planet. April 7, 2006.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "West Oakland woman moves out of her home after gang intimidation". San Jose Mercury News. August 18, 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
- ^ "The Music They Played on 7th Street". Bay Area Blues Society. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2011-04-27.
- ^ "West Oakland Retail Business Profiles". shopoakland.com. Archived from the original on 23 February 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
- ^ Goldman, Justin (June 2007). "7th Street Blues". Diabloe Magazine. Retrieved 2011-04-27.
- New York Times. August 27, 1989. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
- ^ Olmstead, Julia (December 24, 2007). "Filmed in Oakland". The Oakbook. Retrieved 2011-04-27. [dead link]
- ^ "Welcome to the Prescott-Oakland Point Neighborhood". Prescott-Oakland Point Neighborhood Association. Retrieved 8 November 2012.