Merritt

If you look at the numbers you won’t see Oakland. You’ll see stats about new restaurants, rising home prices, increasing rents, growing numbers of San Franciscans, and, yes, serious crime issues. But the numbers won’t tell you anything about the real Oakland. Spend an afternoon on 2nd Avenue near Lake Merritt, however, and you’ll learn all about the true entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to community that are so integral to our city. Walk into Natasha Harden’s vintage clothing store, Halmoni, and you’re likely to walk out with not only an armload of clothes, but a new best friend. And as the sign says, Halmoni is not just a vintage clothing store. For Natasha it’s an opportunity to open up to the community and provide an inclusive space for a variety of activities and groups.

A few steps away is Akat Café Kalli, a family-owned coffee house that serves the community with art activities, music and poetry nights, reading circles, a space for social justice activities, and more. And while stepping through the doors of Akat Café is like being transported to another time and place, it couldn’t be more Oakland. These two businesses are not only part of a thriving and growing retail niche in the Merritt neighborhood, but also part of what make this city great.