36 minutes in Temescal

"Way's to Remember" mural by Lena Gustafson. Photo courtesy of Temescal District.

To see more features in our 36 minutes series, click here.

One of the oldest neighborhoods in Oakland, Temescal is a hip spot to spend a day near BART. The commercial district of the largely residential neighborhood sits between MacArthur Station and 51st Street, and between those two streets, you’ll find a slew of delicious bites, cool shops and interesting art. It’s also highly walkable and bikeable, with sidewalks and protected bike lanes running along the neighborhood’s Telegraph Avenue stretch.

Ready to explore? Let’s get going.

Shop

More than six decades old, Marcus Books (3900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way) is considered the oldest bookstore in the US specializing in African American literature and culture. Family-owned and run since its founding, Marcus Books has hosted and been patronized by an incredible roster of Black intellectuals and activists, Malcolm X, Maya Angelou, and Oprah Winfrey among them. The store has thousands of books in stock, ranging from children’s literature to historical and out-of-print material.

Once you’ve loaded up on literature, meander down Telegraph toward Forever Mood (4727 Telegraph Ave), a vintage clothing and jewelry shop that stocks new and used clothing for both men and women. The funky shop has items in a variety of price ranges and styles.

We’ve got one more stop to shop: the iconic 1-2-3-4 Go! Records (420 40th St #5). Known for its friendly, approachable staff as well as its impressive collection of oft-obscure vinyl, tapes, and CDs, you’re certain to discover something new at 1-2-3-4 Go! The shop, in addition to stocking a variety of music styles and media, also has its own record label.

Eat + Drink

The goal at Kitava (375 40th Street) is to “make real food more accessible.” The restaurant describes itself as a “clean casual” eatery that centers its menu on veggies, “mindful” meat, and good fats. The entire menu is free from gluten, dairy, soy, peanuts, refined sugar, and seed oils, and features delicious standouts including a tuna poke bowl and cassava-breaded chicken.

Did you even go to Temescal without visiting Homeroom Mac + Cheese (400 40th Street)? The neighborhood mainstay is known for one thing and one thing only: creative, creamy mac n’ cheese meals in flavors such as buffalo chicken and kogi short rib. Founded in 2011 by a former attorney, Homeroom is the Bay Area spot for fresh mac.

Another restaurant with “mac” in the name, Arthur Mac’s Tap and Snack (4006 Martin Luther King Jr Way) has become Oaklander’s go-to spot for local craft beers, pizza, and wings. Named for MacArthur Station, which it sits across from, Arthur Mac’s was recently the recipient of a decommissioned legacy BART car. The owners intend to transform the car into a “retro videogame arcade and kids play area” in Hayward. (Read more about the creative ways people are reimagining decommissioned BART cars here.)

To Do

Got more than 36 minutes to spend in Temescal? Then suit up and get ready to sweat! Pacific Ring Sports (493 40th Street) is a 6,500-square-foot gym specializing in mixed martial arts. The gym has a bevy of classes for beginners to advanced practitioners and features a full-sized boxing ring, an MMA cage, and exercise equipment. The gym offers a variety of classes Monday through Saturday.

If gaming is more your speed than mixed martial arts, check out It’s Your Move, a 20-year-old game store in Temescal (4920 Telegraph Ave, Suite B). The event-driven, community-oriented shop is known for hosting more than a dozen gatherings and events each week, ranging from chess meetups to afterschool Pokémon clubs for kids. The store has an incredibly extensive game library with more than 600 titles, which visitors can play all day for a $5 table fee.

If preservation and fermentation are more your speed, check out Preserved (5032 Telegraph Avenue),  a kitchen shop and community resource intended to inspire “greater connection to your food.” The shop features DIY culinary supplies and fermentation kits, as well as pantry staples, starter cultures, and more. But the real star of the show at Preserved is its regular roster of classes. Upcoming courses include sausage making and vegetable fermentation.

Let's chat.

Have a chance to explore Temescal? Let us know via social media, @SFBARTable #SFBARTable. Keep up with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to see all of the best BARTable events, places to eat and have fun.