Lakeside Apartments District, Oakland, California

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Location of the Lakeside district in the City of Oakland.

The Lakeside Apartments District is a five-block area on the east side of Downtown Oakland, California next to Lake Merritt, which was designated by the city as a historic neighborhood in the 1980s. It incorporates the area bordered by Harrison Street, Lakeshore Drive, 14th Street, and 17th Street.

[edit] Architecture

This area is graced by several historically significant apartment buildings built in the 1920s. Some are in the art-deco style of the '20s and are protected as official city landmarks. Unlike some other areas of Downtown, the neighborhood has seen a continued history of sustained residency and preservation and moderate apartment vacancies in part because of its proximity to Lake Merritt.

[edit] Political representation

The entire neighborhood lies within the boundaries of Oakland City Council District 3, represented by Nancy Nadel, who ran for Mayor of Oakland during the 2006 election, which was narrowly won by Ron Dellums.

In recent years, some neighborhood groups have been formed to mount political opposition to condominium and other projects that some residents feel do not match the character of the neighborhood. Two of these groups are the Lakeside Apartment Neighborhood Association and the Downtown Lake Merritt Neighborhood Group (see links below).