Premier Building Near Piedmont Avenue

Piedmont Avenue is center stage to one of the Bay Area's more diverse neighborhoods. It is a unique main street evocative of a different era, offering independent stores sitting side-by-side, just waiting to be discovered. 

After stopping in to sneak a peek at one of the many unique gift stores or browsing at Spectator Books, you can make your way up the street to the neighborhood's crowning glory, as unique and unconventional as the area it hovers above: a cemetery! Sharing the same architect who designed New York City's Central Park, the Mountain View Cemetary spreads out along 226 acres of soft hills, allowing for amazing views of the surrounding city in addition to the handsome monuments to California's elite and infamous alike. Unusually lively for a cemetery, people flock here to jog, roll the baby in the stroller, run the dog a bit. The lively arts are alive and well in the nearby Chapel of the Chimes that doubles as a venue for musical concerts. The ornate hall has some of the best acoustics in the Bay Area.

All that walking around is a great excuse to stop into La Farine, a wonderful French bakery, or stop for a cappuccino at Timeless Coffee.  The Wolf restaurant calls Piedmont Avenue its home, as does Bar Cesar, Michelin-starred Commis, Dona Tomas and Pomella. The Piedmont Theatre, the oldest movie house operating in Oakland, offers first-run and independent films.

A wide range of generations and lifestyles, the locals here love all this neighborhood has to offer, especially given that they can run all their errands without having to ever step into their car. Many of the people that live in the area have been here for years and the familiar greetings along the sidewalks add to an overall satisfied atmosphere.