Old Oakland

Ruben Llamas is the only person in the Oakland Neighborhood Project who is not currently living in Oakland. His story is so compelling, however, that I had to include him. Born and raised in West Oakland, he and his wife Anita lived and worked, and raised their children around here. Back in 2012, Ruben published Eye from the Edge: A Memoir of West Oakland, California. His words paint a vivid and engrossing picture of our city: from his early days shining shoes on Broadway and living above his dad’s music and barbershop, to playing baseball and staying out of too much trouble. As a young man, Ruben joined a local retail company and eventually made his way from shopping cart boy to vice president. While Ruben and Anita now live in Carmichael, Calif., their hearts are still firmly placed in Oakland, and we thank them for that.