Why is it that Uptown Oakland has such a wonderful concentration of Art Deco buildings? Faced with the aftermath of the 1929 stock market crash, a small group of businesses hustled to bring optimism back to Oakland, constructing some of California’s most beautiful Art Deco buildings in Uptown. Five of these buildings, including the I. Magnin Department Store, the Paramount, and the buildings of Mary Bowles continue to seduce the street-going public, much as they were designed to do in the early1930s. See how bright one mile of neon tubing can be, discover how Art Deco and the Moderne style came to be valued as an integral part of a vibrant modern city, and learn to appreciate Uptown Oakland’s irreplaceable architectural gems.

About the Tour Guides

Therese Poletti is the Preservation Director of the Art Deco Society of California. She has been a journalist for over 20 years and is the author of "Art Deco San Francisco: The Architecture of Timothy Pflueger,"and is a volunteer tour guide with SF City Guides. Her Art Deco and Modernism blog is at blog.timothypflueger.com, Instagram @timpfluegerfan.

Alice Jurow is a member of the Preservation Committee, an author, former secretary of the ADSC, lecturer, and occasional tour guide. She has written novels including “Vagabond Vamps,” a story of two unique globe trotting women in the 1930s.

PLEASE NOTE: Space is limited on this tour. Starting location will be emailed to ticket-holders.