Oakland as a tourist destination (San Francisco, Berkeley: house, theatre, allergy)

[CirclingLogan]

Originally Posted by beb0p

From my experience, tourists are drawn to shopping, scenic, food, crowds, and people-watching and they want all these things at once. They want to walk around in open space, browse shops, maybe mingle and flirt, and then sit down for a meal before walking about again and take lots of pictures. A place for them to hang out. Tourists are cheap by nature (except when it comes to food and shopping) and they don't want to waste time, so any standalone place (like a zoo in the middle of nowhere) where they have to travel some distance plus pay admission fees, they naturally resist unless it's something that really draw their attention.

I found myself and a few out of towner in Oakland a short while ago. We had lunch and walked around Grand Lake. They really like the experience but found the shopping a bit limited. I took them to Lake Merritt and they loved how beautiful it is and took lots of pictures but probably end up spending no more than 30 mins there. Then we went to JLS and they thought it was kind of lame (I guess not enough hoopla). And then I was out of options. How about the zoo? Nah, we have zoos back home. How about the science museum? Nah, it's for kids. And so on...

I guess the problem is that Oakland doesn't really have a place that make people go, "Wow, let's go there!" People plan their vacation around the Broadwalk in Santa Cruz (don't ask me why, I thought that place is lame), people from outside of Sac would go hang out in Old Sac, Visitors must go to Melrose Ave, etc. I think tourists generally just want to hang out in a crowded place filled with entertainment. Oakland's places are too spread out, I think, and it's too small and compacted to draw the large crowd.

Now, with that said, I'd love for Oakland to be a tourist destination. And if I've missed some places that my guests would have liked (shopping + crowds + food + big), let me know. I'll take future guests there. And even if such a place doesn't exist now, doesn't mean it can't exist in the future. Say, I'd love for Oakland to have an area filled with sports bar/restaurant close to the stadiums (think Chicago).

I doubt Oakland will ever be this type of tourist destination and I don't want it to be. We don't need a Navy Pier, Time's Square or Pier 39. Those places suck. Let SF keep that scene. Really, from a tourism point-of-view, Oakland shouldn't be looked at as an independent destination. It, however, can fill a niche as a part of the larger Bay Area. Oakland's downtown/Uptown/Lake Merritt area needs to continue to develop long-term residents, art galleries, breweries and distilleries, design firms, good restaurants, cool bars and boutiques, and eventually, some Kimptonesque hotels. That area is the future of any sort of tourism, but it's not going to be the "seeing the sights" type tourists, it's going to be people from Tokyo, LA, NYC, Chicago, DC, etc. checking out the lifestyle scene. Your average tourist from Nebraska doesn't go to the Meatpacking District, The Mission or Wicker Park, but you can bet a lot of money flows into those areas from people traveling through.

[bentobox34]

Although I find the SF->Manhattan, Oakland->Brooklyn analogy generally really annoying, on the specific topic of tourism I think it is apt. Oakland has the potential to be like Brooklyn - a large area full of unique neighorhoods that locals and especially savvy tourists seek out for specific restaurants, art galleries, and overall vibe. It will be the type of tourists who go places in order to feel what it is like to live there, not the ones who go to snap some pictures of world famous icons. Those types will stick to SF/Manhattan, and maybe cross the bridge for one hour of their trip for thrills.

[Stephen1110]

The New York Times, London Financial Times, The Huffington Post, Travel and Leisure, The Independent, Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal, Conde Nast Traveler, Sunset Magazine, Food & Wine, CNN/Money, Forbes, New York Magazine, The City Traveler, Bon Appetite Magazine, Diablo, Sacramento Bee, Washington Post, Smart Meetings, Lonely Planet, 7x7 SF, Smarter Travel, Advocate, Bloomberg Businessweek, Los Angeles Times, Outside Magazine, Portfolio Magazine, Weekend Sherpa, etc. more at Oakland: To Know it is to Love it

What do these national and foreign newspapers/publications have in common?

They all are praising Oakland’s restaurant and entertainment scene, weather and vibe, and attractions. With over 9 million annual visitors experiencing the Oakland renaissance, and 400,000 residents living it, what is there to do in this city? restaurants? entertainment? attractions? neighborhoods? tours?

[Stephen1110]

Chabot Space and Science Center

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Chabot Space & Science Center is located in the beautiful Oakland Hills just off Highway 13 in Oakland, California. A Smithsonian affiliate, Chabot is an educational science center whose mission is to educate students of all ages about Planet Earth and the Universe. This 86,000 square foot center offers interactive space and science exhibitions, immersive digital-dome planetarium shows, and giant screen MegaDome shows. Chabot is also home to largest research-quality telescopes open to the public west of the Mississippi.

Chabot Space & Science Center | East Bay Area - Oakland CA

[Stephen1110]

Dunsmuir-Hellman Historic Estate

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This 37-room colonial revival mansion, built in 1899, along with its surrounding horticultural park and gardens, allows visitors to see how the wealthy lived a century ago. Golden Gate Park's landscape architect, John McLaren, is said to have assisted the Hellmans in designing the Dunsmuir gardens. A wide variety of trees, including Camperdown Elms, Bunya-Bunya and Hornbeam, still grace the estate's gardens and expansive meadows. In addition, the Hellman estate contained a golf course, formal croquet court, tennis court, swimming pool with Mission-style bathhouse, glass conservatory with grotto, an elaborate aviary, formal garden maze, and Japanese garden.

THE DUNSMUIR HELLMAN HISTORIC ESTATE • OFFICE OF CITY OF OAKLAND • OPR

[Stephen1110]

Oakland Zoo

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Nestled in the 525-acre Knowland Park in the Oakland Hills, the zoo houses more than 660 native and exotic animals. The exhibits are organized geographically and reflect the ecosystems of the animals' native habitats. Visitors can enjoy rotating cultural exhibits in the education center, and kids will love the new butterfly garden and the 'rides area,' with a roller coaster, an 'endangered species carousel,' and a train.

Wild Animals, Wildlife Conservation, Educational Programs, Science Field trips, Family Day Trips, Summer Camp, Bay Area CA | Oakland Zoo

[ccm123]

I love:

1/ Oakland Museum of California, very underrated museum in my opinion
2/ Jack London Square
3/ Lake Temescal for a run/walk and taking in the beautiful views
4/ Taking BART to Rockridge Station, grabbing a bite on College Blvd and enjoying the vibe there
5/ Oakland Chinatown for a good Chinese dinner/lunch
6/ Going to the Coliseum to see the A's or Raiders

[Stephen1110]

Originally Posted by ccm123

I love:

1/ Oakland Museum of California, very underrated museum in my opinion

Yea I love it too. A little underrated, but it's good that we get to enjoy a world class museum in our city.

[Stephen1110]

Oakland Museum of California

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When the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) first opened its doors more than forty years ago, it brought together three historically independent disciplines—art, history, and natural sciences—under one roof. This progressive multidisciplinary approach was to celebrate the many facets of California. Our collections—comprising more than 1.8 million objects including seminal art works, historical artifacts, ethnographic objects, natural specimens, and photographs—and our programs explore and reveal the factors that shape California character and identity, from its extraordinary natural landscapes, to successive waves of migration, to its unique culture of creativity and innovation.

Welcome to Oakland Museum of California | Oakland Museum of California

[Stephen1110]

Redwood Regional Park

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A hidden redwood forest, of 150-foot coast redwoods ,whose peaceful groves lies on just a few miles over the ridge from downtown Oakland. In addition to a great forest of Sequoia sempervirens, commonly known as coast redwood, the park's 1,829 acres also contain other evergreens, chaparral, and grasslands. Wildlife within the park includes rare species such as the golden eagle and Alameda striped racer snake. Deer, raccoons, rabbits, and squirrels are often seen. Several group day and overnight camping areas are located within the park. Hiking, jogging, and horseback riding are popular on the park's many trails.

Redwood Regional Park