Oakland California

The Laurel District

At the turn of the nineteenth century, what is now called the Laurel district was just a handful of homesteads surrounded by vegetable gardens, lush hillsides, family dairies and grazing livestock. But refugees from the San Francisco earthquake flocked to the area, and by 1910 the Laurel (named for the area’s first school) boasted sidewalks and streetlights. By 1920 the Key Route Railcar system connected the area to downtown and established Hopkins Street (MacArthur Blvd.) as a bustling thoroughfare.

As industry in Oakland grew so did the need for housing, and spectacular incentives were offered to stimulate home building. The district continued to grow through the depression, and by the time the country was at war there were two new movie theatres where locals could see the latest News Reel—The Laurel and The Hopkins. The façade of the Laurel Theatre (3814 MacArthur) is still recognizable today and the building is currently the home of Victory Outreach Church. The Hopkins Theatre is now a Hollywood Video.

The post-war period brought another housing boom to the Laurel, and businesses flourished. Many of the storefronts that line MacArthur Blvd were built in the forties and fifties, evidenced by their plain lines and lack of architectural embellishments. Glen’s Charbroiled Burgers, built in 1947, seemed to point to the future with its arrow for the "drive-thru”—though the car hops are gone, you can still get a darn fine burger and fries at the counter.

Learn more about The Laurel District:

Farmer Joe's Produce & Market Place
Africa by the Bay
World Grounds