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Golden
Gate Neighboorhood |
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Within the
stretch of a mile, San Pablo Avenue cuts through
three cities: Berkeley, Oakland for a short ten
blocks, and then Emeryville. The span that is
Oakland's domain is the old Golden Gate
neighborhood, named for its views (now absconded
by development) of the Golden Gate Bridge across
the Bay. This
is a largely African-American community, but now
many of the businesses operating in the area are
owned by Asians or Middle Easterners, many who
have only recently gained citizenship in the
United States.
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This area is one
of the targets of Oakland's Neighborhood
Commercial Revitalization (NCR) program which
seeks to stimulate business in areas considered
blighted by the city. The Golden Gate district
buildings are old, its structures wooden and it
does have its share of urban troubles; but behind
the peeling paint facades there is a community of
people that breathe life into the place. It is a neighborhood where
the spirit of a community living and working with
one another, together, still exists. This is a
place where you know your grocer, your butcher
and your barber. It's a place where you pass
friends on the sidewalk and stop for leisurely
conversations about the weather, the kids and of
course, your troubles.
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