East Oakland Downtown:

Then we headed off to our next destination: The Frutivale Farmers’ Market. We rode on East 15^th Street; since it was a beautiful Sunday, there were lots of people out working in their yards, on their cars, and sitting on their porches. As we hit International Boulevard, it was clear that this was Oakland’s ‘real’ downtown: the stores, serving the various needs of the community, were all open and there were loads of people walking around. It has the kind of presence that is sorely lacking from what is known as Downtown Oakland. When we rode down Broadway to City Hall, we saw very few people and most of the fast food joints and restaurants were shut. The area clearly serves the Monday-Friday business crowd.