Oakland Map at Urban Indigo

Cartophiles lamenting Ork's lack of an Oakland print, take solace! Urban Indigo has partnered with illustrator Michael Klein and writer Tom Parrette to create a map that lovingly details that other city by the Bay...

The map includes neighborhoods like Temescal and Chinatown alongside landmarks such as Jack London Square and the Cathedral of Christ, all depicted in Klein's retro-fun illustrations. You can get a closer look at the print over at Urban Indigo (or just click here), where it's available for $12.50.

Comments (5)

Great-looking map, and we'll definitely stop by to snag one. However, I did want to say that I was sorry to see the map end at High Street, leaving off much of East Oakland. While it's certainly tricky to capture the entire city graphically (Oakland is huge!) and it's probably the case that the target audience for this map lives in many of the neighborhoods pictured, leaving off Deep East Oakland seems to exacerbate the divide that already exists between Oakland's poorest neighborhoods and the rest of the city. What are we saying about these neighborhoods when they don't even make the map?

It would be great to see an expanded version of this map someday that did include the Deep East Oakland neighborhoods and the hills above (and then landmarks like the zoo, the Coliseum, and Mills could be in their rightful places, and others like the Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate and the airport could be included). Though it may not always feel like it for those of us who live the neighborhoods on the map, we are all one city. Just some food for thought!

posted by artoak on August 14th 2009 at 11:16am
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well said, artoak! I do hope your feedback makes it back to the artist so there will be a 2nd edition!
meanwhile I am glad that someone is doing a map - I'm also going to drop by to get one, b/c I have a feeling ork will never make one of oakland =P

posted by lovelyrita on August 14th 2009 at 9:49pm
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Wow I did not know Oakland had nice places to see and visit. I always just thought of it as the murder and rape capital of Northern California! Great map!

posted by latinwaterpolo on August 15th 2009 at 12:08am
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I hope you're trying to be funny, latinwaterpolo! Oakland is a wonderful city with great restaurants, museums, theaters and people! There's also amazing hiking trails and plenty of open space. I'm going to pick one of these up soon.

posted by oakland on August 15th 2009 at 7:09pm
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I had a friend that was carjacked and robbed in Oakland. Have mixed feelings about the town. Middle Class folks in the hills, with poor folks in the flatlands. Bad schools, high unemployment.....etc. Just because you might have a fancy cheese shop don't fool yourself into thinking your city is safe!
Forbes magazine always list it as one of the most unsafe cities in America.

posted by latinwaterpolo on August 15th 2009 at 9:51pm
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