Customer Reviews

Oakland Hills (CA) (Images of America)

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Erika Mailman is a young lady who really knows her Oakland history. She has a regular column in the local newspaper (the Montclarion) where she shares insight of the area's rich history. In this book, she compiles old photographs from the Oakland Library History Room and creates a nice historic album of the Oakland Hills area (Montclair, Trestle Glen, Rockridge, and other areas of Oakland). Although most of the pictures are from the libraty, she adds valuable and insightful narrative that makes this an informative and interesting book. It is truly amazing how much things have changes in these areas of Oakland in just the past 100 years. This book is a must-own if you live in the Oakland area.

I grew up in Oakland. It was a different time then. Slower pace, less crowded, more personal freedom. I went to the Cleveland Street grammar school, and to Oakland High. I rode my bicycle everywhere. I had a paper route in the Lakeshore Avenue district where I knew all the merchants by name. I rode the trolley along Park Blvd and the train to San Francisco. We went to the Grand Lake and Park Theaters. We had sodas at Guys Drug Store. We went Christmas shopping at Capwell's and Kahn's in downtown Oakland, delighting in the beautiful window decorations in the stores. We took the ferry to San Rafael and the old San Mateo Bridge to the Penninsula and on to the beach. So, recognizing the focus on the Hills, I was hoping we'd see more of Oakland in the 40s and 50s in this book. More of what contemporary life was like in those days.

This book, instead, focuses on Oakland's early developmental stages, the real estate boom era. Having walked and ridden many, many of the streets and neighborhoods in the book, it brought back most pleasant memories. Hanging out at Forest Pool and Lake Temescal in the summer, for example. Joy-riding along MacArthur Blvd and the Montclair Freeway (now the Warren Freeway). We get a glimpse, a taste of what life was like there, but not a totally satisfying experience.

Recommended to anyone who experienced those earlier times.

I loved this book. The photos were wonderful, and brought back so many memories for me. "Oakland Hills" was nothing but wonderful photos with captions, and that was exactly what I wanted. I will buy more of the Images of America series for my own personal library. Erika Mailman has done an excellent job of putting historical photos and comments from residents of the area "back in the day". Well worth the price.