The Dimond District () is a neighborhood centered on the intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and Fruitvale Avenue in East Oakland,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, in the United States. It is located about two miles east of

Lake Merritt Lake Merritt is a lake located in a large tidal lagoon basin in the center of Oakland, California, just east of Downtown. It is named after Samuel Merritt, Oakland's mayor in 1867–1869, who had the lagoon dammed turning the varying tidal lag ...

, north of the Fruitvale District, and west of the Laurel District. It lies at an elevation of 213 feet (65 m). Dimond's ZIP code is 94602. It is a multicultural neighborhood where the hills meet the flatlands and is a unique melting pot of cultures and social classes. Dimond Park is located in the district.

History

It is named after Hugh Dimond, who came to California during the

Gold Rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, ...

and purchased the land comprising the district in 1867. In 1897 he built a cottage that used the adobe bricks from the Peralta family's 1827 home. The bricks were used again to build the

Boy Scout A Scout, Boy Scout, Girl Scout or, in some countries, a Pathfinder is a participant in the Scout Movement, usually aged 10–18 years, who engage in learning scoutcraft and outdoor and other special interest activities. Some Scout organizatio ...

hut that is still standing in Dimond Park. Oakland's Camp Dimond was located at the head of Dimond Canyon where the present day Montera Middle School is located. Dimond was originally a settlement distinct from Oakland, in an area called Dimond Canyon. The Dimond post office was opened in 1891 and by 1908 had become a branch of the Oakland post office.

Present Day

The district is home to several historic buildings, including the Altenheim, originally a retirement home for

German Americans German Americans (, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. According to the United States Census Bureau's figures from 2022, German Americans make up roughly 41 million people in the US, which is approximately 12% of the pop ...

. The current structure was built in 1909 according to a design by San Francisco architect Oscar Haupt, after the original structure was destroyed by fire. Every October the district celebrates "Oaktoberfest", saluting the area's German heritage with beer, food, and entertainment in a tented beer hall. The Dimond Business District is situated among several of Oakland's neighborhoods including Oakmore, Glenview, and Lincoln Highlands. National (e.g.

Safeway Safeway, Inc. is an American supermarket chain. The chain provides grocery items, food and general merchandise and a variety of specialty departments, such as bakery, delicatessen, floral and pharmacy, as well as Starbucks coffee shops, and veh ...

, CVS Pharmacy, Peet's Coffee & Tea) and regional retailers (e.g. Farmer Joe's Marketplace, Grand Lake Kitchen) are mingled with locally-owned retail outlets, Dimond Tax Services and

mom-and-pop Small businesses are types of corporations, partnerships, or sole proprietorships which have a small number of employees and/or less annual revenue than a regular-sized business or corporation. Businesses are defined as "small" in terms of being ...

restaurants including La Farine, a French bakery. Major national banks, a U.S. post office and a branch of the Oakland Public Library are also located in the district. Dimond has excellent freeway access and visibility from Interstate 580. The intersection of Fruitvale Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard is also a major

AC Transit AC Transit is the main Public transport bus service, bus transit operator in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, California. AC Transit is the third largest bus operator in California, serving the western portions of Alameda and C ...

hub including Transbay lines to San Francisco. Casual carpool service operates opposite a CalTrans park & ride lot on Montana Street.

References

External links

Dimond Improvement Association
- Community organization
CEDA - Community and Economic Development AgencyNeighborhood Crime Prevention Council - beat 22xOakland tourism website
{{Oakland, California neighborhoods Neighborhoods in Oakland, California Streetcar suburbs Populated places established in 1891 1891 establishments in California