Bushrod, Oakland, California Explained

Bushrod
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:California
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Alameda
Subdivision Type3:City
Subdivision Name3:Oakland
Settlement Type:Neighborhood of Oakland
Coordinates:37.8458°N -122.2636°W

The Bushrod neighborhood in North Oakland, Oakland, California is an area surrounding its namesake park, and bounded by Martin Luther King, Jr. Way to the west, Claremont Avenue to the east, Highway 24 to the south, and the Berkeley border to the north.[1] It borders the neighborhoods of Santa Fe to the west, Fairview Park to the east, and Temescal and Shafter to the south and southeast, respectively. Notable landmarks include the Bushrod Park ballfields and the former Bushrod Washington Elementary School, which share adjoining land on a large greenbelt and open space in the heart of the neighborhood.

In 2017, the real estate firm Redfin name Bushrod the hottest neighborhood market in the United States based on traffic to its website by potential home buyers.[2]

Neighborhood Demographics

The Bushrod neighborhood is 32.95% African-American, 52% White, 9.7% Hispanic, and 3.62% Asian http://www.areavibes.com/oakland-ca/bushrod/demographics/

Parks

Bushrod Park

At 10.12acres,[3] Bushrod is one of the largest parks in the North Oakland section of Oakland, California. It is located between Shattuck Avenue and Racine Street to the east and west, and between 61st Street and 59th Street to the north and south.

The park was established in 1903 through the donation of seven and a half acres of land[4] by Dr. Bushrod Washington James, a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[4] [5] In the 1910s it was used as a school playground.[4] It has had a long association with local baseball; baseball players Rickey Henderson, Frank Robinson, Billy Martin, and Vada Pinson played at Bushrod in their youth.[6] In the 1960s, the park was used as a practice field by the Oakland Raiders.[7] [8] The tennis courts are named for Don Budge who played here as a youth.[9]

On April 8, 2006, a block of ice fell from the sky and landed in the park, leaving a crater that was several feet wide.[10] [11]

Dover St Edible Park

Dover St Park is located at 5707 Dover St between 57th and 58th St. This park is home to a community garden that produces fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs. It includes a greenhouse, pollinator garden and over 100 fruit trees.[12]

Colby Park

At only 0.35acres, Colby Park is one of the smallest parks in North Oakland. It is situated at 61st & Colby Street, and features a sand pit and playground equipment.

Schools

Sankofa Academy

The Sankofa Academy is a public school that occupies the building previously used by the Bushrod Washington Elementary School, adjacent to Bushrod Park at 61st Street and Shattuck Avenue.[13] The school was founded in 2005[14] and is a member of the Oakland Small Schools Foundation.[15]

Peralta Elementary School

Peralta Elementary School is a designated arts anchor school in the Oakland Unified School District. It was established in 1880 as a one-room schoolhouse, and today has over 250 students. It is also one of the top ranked Elementary schools in the Oakland and Berkeley neighborhoods.[16]

American International Montessori School

American International Montessori School is a dual-immersion Montessori school on the border of Oakland and Berkeley. It has programs for students from 18 months to sixth grade. It was founded in 2009 by Ernest Mahr who previously directed two other immersion Montessori schools in the nearby area.[17]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Neighborhood Search Map . https://web.archive.org/web/20090430211848/http://collections.museumca.org/search_map.jsp . 2009-04-30 . Oakland Museum of California . 2011-07-29.
  2. Web site: Oakland's Bushrod neighborhood named nation's hottest housing market.
  3. Web site: Parks Listing - City of Oakland Parks and Recreation website. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080403172411/http://www.oaklandnet.com/parks/parks/parkslisting.asp?pgSet=2. 2008-04-03.
  4. Book: Alameda County History:Past and Present of Alameda County, California. S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1914. Joseph Baker.
  5. News: Bequests by Dr. James. New York Times. January 17, 1903.
  6. News: USA Today. Baseball's summer classic -- back in the Bay Area. 2007-07-10.
  7. Web site: A Visit to Bushrod - City of Oakland, Parks and Recreation website. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20051214102234/http://www.oaklandnet.com/parks/news/091802i.asp. 2005-12-14.
  8. Web site: Spying in Pro Football. Lee Grosscup. Lee Grosscup. August 1967. SPORT. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080514154908/http://www.thesportgallery.com/sport-stories/1967aug-nflspy.html. 2008-05-14.
  9. Web site: Budge (Who?) Leaves His Legacy on Oakland Tennis Courts.
  10. Web site: Huge Block Of Ice Falls From Sky In Oakland. 2006-04-09. 2008-03-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20080325131044/http://www.ktvu.com/news/8575846/detail.html. dead.
  11. News: Flying ice chunk leaves hole - and mystery - in park. 2006-04-09 . Jason B. . Johnson . The San Francisco Chronicle.
  12. Web site: About the Park. >
  13. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/09/25/BAG92ETMHH1.DTL "OAKLAND: The Birth of a School / At Sankofa Academy, even the principal's new"
  14. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/04/03/BAGGII29DE1.DTL "OAKLAND / Transcending the ABCs / Sankofa Academy encourages students to express opinions"
  15. Web site: Sankofa Academy : Oakland Small Schools Foundation. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080516213827/http://www.smallschoolsfoundation.org/node/99. 2008-05-16.
  16. Web site: Welcome back to Peralta!.
  17. Web site: Our Background.