Stairway to Heaven
A long long time ago, people walked because that was the only way to get around. It was good for the body, good for the soul and walking didn’t pollute the earth. These days however, people don’t walk so much anymore. Nowadays, we’ve got these heavy metal things called cars. A lot of ‘em. Especially in America and especially in the Bay Area (see Tracy’s blog on commuting and Bay Area traffic.) Still, even though most of us have cars there are still plenty of great reasons to walk. Walking is fun, it’s good for the body and soul and it’s good for the earth, just to name a few.
In Oakland, we’re really proud of our commitment to doing green and healthy stuff, like walking. One of the ways we show that commitment is by doing cool stuff that helps pedestrians, like renovating hidden staircases. What’s that? Hidden staircases you say? No, this isn’t out of a Harry Potter book, but it could be. Oakland has dozens of stairways scattered throughout its hilly neighborhoods. A long long time ago, before everyone had cars, but after walking was the only way to get around, the people of Oakland used a streetcar system to move about.
San Francisco residents began populating the East Bay, and homes began to creep into the Oakland hills. People needed ways to get to their neighbors where streetcars and the occasional automobile wouldn’t fit. Enter: the hidden stairwells of the Oakland (and Berkeley, I might add) hills. These stairwells were built along steep grades between homes and streets. They made it easier for folks to drop in on the neighbors up the hill or to get to the busy boulevard to take the streetcar. People were happy using the stairwells. They helped them get where they needed to go.Years passed, and as more and more people got cars, the stairwells fell into disuse. They became neglected and began to deteriorate. It was kind of sad, actually, all these great stairwells with nobody using them. Today, the good news is that the staircases are in vogue again. One by one, they are becoming refurbished and revamped. The city of Oakland is quietly restoring them. Finally, the good citizens of Oakland, ready and eager to walk, have more of their stairwells back. So, the next time you want to take a walk, or visit some open homes or just want check out Oakland, I recommend going to a neighborhood with some of these stairwells. Check out the downloadable map called “Walk Oakland!” for walking around the city. It shows the stairwells in green. You can also find the map at shops and bike stores around Oakland. For more information about the history and renovation of these stairways, see these articles:
Some homes for sale near one of these stairways:
4126 Greenwood Avenue $789,000 3Bd/2Ba, Glenview
800 Longridge Rd. $1,595,000 4Bd/2.5Ba, Trestle Glen
855 Santa Ray Ave. $409,000 2Bd/1.5Ba, Crocker Highlands
4128 Balfour $1,299,000 5Bd/3Ba, Crocker Highlands
5964 Margarido Dr. $1,895,000 6 Bd/4Ba, Upper Rockridge
5849 Buena Vista Ave. $1,450,000 3Bd/3.5Ba, Upper Rockridge
