Walking the Invisible City • Oakland, CA

Walking the Invisible City includes 37 etched conversational sidewalk markers that encourage walkers to explore downtown Oakland and some of its oldest parks. Oakland’s first city plan, drawn in 1853 by Julius Kellersberger, was framed by seven oak-filled squares. Today, five of these squares continue to support the diverse communities who live nearby. Walking the Invisible City will lead you to these historic parks and vibrant neighborhoods. You can take a virtual tour the area through this interactive map:

Click on one of the orange or yellow spots to see images of the marker and surrounding area.

At all of the yellow sites, you can hear neighbors’ stories about downtown Oakland’s layered history.

Click on the photos to see the image enlarged.

Thanks to the Oakland Chinatown Oral History Project and Montgomery Hom, "We served with Pride: the Chinese American Experience in WWII" for some of the audio in the tour.

Do you have a story about these neighborhoods? Send it to us: info@10000stepsoakland.org