Shutter Sisters

A park with a view

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When someone mentions Oakland, do you think of shimmering water and sailboats?  I didn’t either — until I visited the Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in industrial West Oakland.  After living here almost ten years, I’ve realized that Oakland is a beautiful city with many hidden gems.

My husband Josh and I moved to Oakland’s Waterfront District in 2004.  One day Josh went for a bike ride and discovered this fantastic park just miles from our home.  The park encompasses thirty-eight acres on the site of an old Naval Supply Depot, which was a prominent supply center during WW II.  Military use destroyed the natural state of the waterfront, hundreds of acres of salty marshes and shallow tides.  The Port of Oakland and U.S. Corps of Army Engineers are now working to restore these marshlands, so you’ll see an amazing array of sea birds, geese, pelicans, and diving ducks throughout the year.  And, in California Poppy season the park is decorated with cheerful orange clusters.

Towards the far end of the park, there is an Observation Tower.  The first time Josh took me there I exclaimed “let’s get married here!” before I even realized what I was saying — I just couldn’t believe how much I adored that place.  As it turns out, two years later we got married at that very spot. It was truly a joy to share this beloved place with our family and friends, and to see the smiles on their faces — most of our guests either lived in Oakland or had visited the Bay Area countless times, and none had experienced a view that compared.

This park encompasses the things I love most about Oakland. It perfectly juxtaposes the city’s natural beauty and industrial heritage, and exists as a reminder that these two forms of beauty can co-exist.  Look one direction and you’ll see the shimmering water, sailboats, and an unbeatable view of San Francisco; look the other direction and you’ll find towering shipping cranes actively loading or unloading cargo.  To me, it’s both a photographic paradise and a quiet refuge from life in the Big City.

We visit the park often, and whether we stay for ten minutes or an hour, it always feels like a vacation.  On your next trip to Oakland (or more likely, you’re next trip to San Francisco?) do your best to visit this lovely place. If you’re traveling by car, it’s just minutes from the Bay Bridge.  You’ll pass railroad yards, shipping cranes, and miles of colorful shipping containers when you suddenly spot a graceful row of palm trees.  Follow the path until the end, and then up the stairs of the Observation Tower.  You just might find yourself thinking “Oh Oakland, I never knew…”

 

Pictures and words courtesy of Honorary Sister / Guest Blogger Jen Zahigian.

Comments

  6. it’s beuatiful! i was living in oakland for a few months and did as much exploring as i could but never found this place! next time i’ll so track it down!

  7. I’ve only been to the Oakland airport which is beautiful but I also want to just break free of the terminal and see what’s out there. Thanks so much for this!