The Laurel District is a diverse residential and commercial neighborhood in

Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...

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 ...

. encompassing the blocks northeast of Interstate 580 between High Street and 35th Avenue. It lies at an elevation of 226 feet (69 m), and is bordered by the Allendale neighborhood to the west, the Redwood Heights neighborhood to the east, the Dimond District to the north, and the Maxwell Park neighborhood to the south. At the heart of the neighborhood lies MacArthur Blvd., a bustling shopping area with annual festivals and many local shops.

History

The Laurel district traces its name to the Laurel Grove Park residential tract, which was laid out in 1900 at the north end of the district's contemporary boundaries. Originally named Key Route Heights after the Key Route streetcar system, the neighborhood adopted the Laurel name after the city of

built Laurel Elementary School in 1910. The prominent Laurel Gateway Arches over MacArthur Blvd at either end of the district were designed and installed in 2006. MacArthur Blvd., which runs through the Laurel district, was once U.S. Highway 50, before Interstate 580 was built to replace it in the early 1960s. Prior to the construction of the interstate, MacArthur Blvd. had an active night life, with two movie houses in operation: the Hopkins theater at 3259 MacArthur (now a Goodwill), and the Laurel Theater at 3814 MacArthur (demolished in 2017). Laurel was also home to the Hilltop Tavern, a gathering place for local Native Americans during the middle of the 20th century. In the 1960s, early Bay Area meetings of the

American Indian Movement The American Indian Movement (AIM) is an Native Americans in the United States, American Indian grassroots movement which was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July 1968, initially centered in urban areas in order to address systemic issues ...

took place here, and the 1969

Occupation of Alcatraz The Occupation of Alcatraz (November 20, 1969 – June 11, 1971) was a 19-month long occupation of Alcatraz Island and its prison complex, then classified as abandoned surplus federal land, by 89 American Indians and their supporters. The occ ...

was organized here.

Education

The

Oakland Unified School District Oakland Unified School District is a public education school district that operates a total of 80 elementary schools (TK–5), middle schools (6–8), and high schools (9–12). There are also 28 district-authorized charter schools in Oakland, ...

operates district public schools. Laurel Elementary School is located in Laurel. Residents are also zoned to Bret Harte Middle School and Skyline High School. At the southeast end of the Laurel neighborhood lies the John Swett School site, now home to The Urban Montessori Charter School. John Swett School, which closed in 2004, is notable as the elementary school alma mater of actor

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

References

External links

Laurel District Association
- Neighborhood Association for residents and merchants
Laurel Village Association
- Volunteer Neighbors Association for Laurel Residents {{Oakland, California neighborhoods Neighborhoods in Oakland, California Streetcar suburbs

History

Education

See also

References

External links