Maxwell Park, Oakland, California
Encyclopedia
Maxwell Park is a neighborhood in Oakland, California
located in the foothills of Oakland and is known for its close knit community (made up largely of middle-class professionals) and relatively low crime rate. It is geographically bordered by MacArthur Blvd, High Street, Trask Steet, Foothill Blvd, and 55th Avenue and is adjacent to Mills College
, I-580
, Brookdale Park, and the Fairfax neighborhood. It lies at an elevation of from 138 feet to its highest point of 266 feet on Knowland Ave (42 m).
Many of the homes in the neighborhood have panoramic views of the Oakland hills to the north, to Alameda
and San Francisco Bay to the west.
The land was opened zoned for development on May 7, 1921 and Burritt and Shealey, the main developers were the same developers from many of the homes in the nearby upscale enclave of Piedmont
.
Nearby streetcar transportation and a salubrious climate were cardinal selling points. It is in East Oakland's
justly famed 'warm belt'. The streetcars were replaced by AC Transit
buses in 1960. Lines 47 and 14 service the neighborhood to and from the Fruitvale BART station
, along with many other lines that run along MacArthur Blvd.
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
located in the foothills of Oakland and is known for its close knit community (made up largely of middle-class professionals) and relatively low crime rate. It is geographically bordered by MacArthur Blvd, High Street, Trask Steet, Foothill Blvd, and 55th Avenue and is adjacent to Mills College
Mills College
Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...
, I-580
Interstate 580 (California)
Interstate 580 is an 80-mile east–west Interstate Highway in Northern California. The heavily traveled spur route of Interstate 80 runs from San Rafael in the San Francisco Bay Area to Interstate 5 near Tracy in the Central Valley...
, Brookdale Park, and the Fairfax neighborhood. It lies at an elevation of from 138 feet to its highest point of 266 feet on Knowland Ave (42 m).
Many of the homes in the neighborhood have panoramic views of the Oakland hills to the north, to Alameda
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
and San Francisco Bay to the west.
History
The area is named after its developer, John P. Maxwell. The original development area was bounded by 55th Avenue, Trask Street, Monticello Avenue and Camden Street.The land was opened zoned for development on May 7, 1921 and Burritt and Shealey, the main developers were the same developers from many of the homes in the nearby upscale enclave of Piedmont
Piedmont, California
Piedmont is a small, affluent city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is surrounded by the city of Oakland. The population was 10,667 at the 2010 census. Piedmont was incorporated in 1907 and was developed significantly in the 1920s and 1930s...
.
Nearby streetcar transportation and a salubrious climate were cardinal selling points. It is in East Oakland's
East Oakland, Oakland, California
East Oakland is the southeastern portion of Oakland, California, and takes up the largest portion of the city's land area. It stretches between Lake Merritt in the northwest and San Leandro in the southeast...
justly famed 'warm belt'. The streetcars were replaced by AC Transit
AC Transit
AC Transit is an Oakland-based regional public transit agency serving the western half of Alameda County and parts of western Contra Costa County in the western, Bay-side area of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area...
buses in 1960. Lines 47 and 14 service the neighborhood to and from the Fruitvale BART station
Fruitvale (BART station)
Fruitvale is a Bay Area Rapid Transit station located in the Fruitvale District of Oakland. The station consists of two elevated side platforms with the concourse mezzanine at ground level. The redevelopment of the immediate station area from a parking lot to a mixed-use "transit village" has...
, along with many other lines that run along MacArthur Blvd.
Notable Places
- Maxwell Park Elementary school
- Maxwell Park (a city park)
- Fremont High SchoolFremont Federation of High SchoolsThe Fremont Federation of High Schools is a group of three high schools, located on the same campus in Oakland, California, formerly known as Fremont Senior High School....
- Home of Peace Cemetery
- Mills CollegeMills CollegeMills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...
- Melrose Leadership Academy
External links
- Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council official website.
- Aerial photo of Maxwell Park from USGS via Microsoft Research Maps