Development
During Jerry Brown's time as Mayor (1999-2007) The Uptown District was deemed the Entertainment center of the city. Redevelopment has taken place by large upscale apartments and restaurants, bringing some much needed money and foot traffic into the area. The centerpiece has been the city government's 10K program, an effort to bring 10,000 additional residents to the downtown area. The largest of the new apartment complexes is a five story, three building apartment complex called "The Uptown" built by Forest City Enterprises, including a new dog-friendly park called Fox Square. A new surface street, Rashida Muhammad Street was named after the late community activist who passed away of lung cancer in 2006. Alice Walker immortalized Rashida Muhammad's (aka Dessie X. Woods) story in her collection of essays, "Living by the Word." The street was built with the stated goal of The Uptown project of enhancing and building a new community in the area. This complex also features the "Remember Them" sculpture by Mario Chiodo, a local artist. The sculpture, when it is complete, will be one of the largest bronze sculptures in the United States. The 25 humanitarians honored in this sculpture include Oskar Schindler, Maya Angelou, Ruby Bridges, Cesar Chavez and Mother Teresa.
Numerous bars and restaurants have opened between 16th St and Grand Avenue resulting in a vibrant nightlife. Notable bars and restaurants include Cafe Van Kleef, The Den at the Fox, Make Westing, Plum Bar, Era Art Bar and Lounge, Duende, Bar Dogwood, SomaR Bar, and Luka's Tap Room. Restaurants include Flora, Ozumo, Plum, Hawker Fare, and Pican. Retail continues to add to the landscape of the Uptown District.
In addition to becoming a nightlife destination for East Bay residents, the area has developed well culturally overall. The area now includes many cafes, bakeries, and galleries, as well as being a central hub for the other bars and restaurants located in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Read more about this topic: Uptown Oakland
Famous quotes containing the word development:
“The work of adult life is not easy. As in childhood, each step presents not only new tasks of development but requires a letting go of the techniques that worked before. With each passage some magic must be given up, some cherished illusion of safety and comfortably familiar sense of self must be cast off, to allow for the greater expansion of our distinctiveness.”
—Gail Sheehy (20th century)
“Good schools are schools for the development of the whole child. They seek to help children develop to their maximum their social powers and their intellectual powers, their emotional capacities, their physical powers.”
—James L. Hymes, Jr. (20th century)
“And then ... he flung open the door of my compartment, and ushered in “Ma young and lovely lady!” I muttered to myself with some bitterness. “And this is, of course, the opening scene of Vol. I. She is the Heroine. And I am one of those subordinate characters that only turn up when needed for the development of her destiny, and whose final appearance is outside the church, waiting to greet the Happy Pair!””
—Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] (1832–1898)