New York Times misses the point about Oakland: there's already a "there" here

Many 'Town-sters were thrilled at Oakland's recent inclusion in the New York Times' annual review of The 45 Places to Go in 2012.  Not only was Oakland listed as a must-see destination, but it was listed as the #5 most important travel destination in the WORLD, behind #1 Panama, #2 Helsinki, #3 Myanmar and #4 London. Unh-hunh. Just before Tokyo, Tanzania, Chile, Tibet and #10 Havana, Cuba. That's right, Oakland is finally being recognized as a world-class city.

To produce this feature article in the special January 6, 2012 Travel section, over 25 Times travel writers and editors contributed, debated and voted on the awards. The Oakland-section writer, Ingrid K. Williams, reviewed a number of locales, including Helsinki, Finland and Florence, Italy. She liked Oakland best of all! To explain the choice, she  listed several specific criteria why Oakland should be included in the repertoire of any global traveler. But while grateful for the good luck of this positive attention, for 'Town-landers, the article is deja vu; just another reminder of Oakland's bad luck in being constantly underrated and misunderstood in the media.

Even in their praise, they missed the point.

First, the tag line:

New restaurants and bars beckon amid the grit.

There you have it. Right from the get-go, that "urban" vocabulary. Grit. You know, like grainy grime, dirt, filth. Merriam-Webster defines grit as "sand or gravel." But looking further in the dictionary definition, we find these preferable synonyms and antonyms of the word grit to more adequately describe our city and its 'Towns-folk:

Then, in the next sentence, that's when Girlfriend started to get on my nerves. Seems she just HAD to bring up the "V" word in her introductory statement about Oakland (Seems they always have to bring it up):

Tensions have cooled since violence erupted at the recent Occupy Oakland protests, but the city’s revitalized night-life scene has continued to smolder.

Why, oh why, does the media always have to preface every Oakland story with some mention of "violence?"  Here's a question: if Oakland is so violent, why is The Times trying to send people here? Is Oakland supposed to be an "edgy" international destination for the jaded, world-weary traveler, looking for a walk on the wild side? Well then, batten down the hatches, Oakland, here come the hipster hoardes, looking for gritty, urban good times, clutching their dog-eared copies of the Times Travel section while looking left and right to witness a real drive-by.

Next, Williams mentions one single live music venue in a city with an embarrassent of auditory riches, and then enthuses with no irony about the fact that musicians from Chicago and Portland  perform there:

The historic Fox Theater reopened in 2009 and quickly cemented its status as one of the Bay Area’s top music venues, drawing acts like Wilco and the Decemberists.

Who? Now, Oak-folks all know that Oakland is a musical powerhouse, home to the creators of the Hyphy/Go Dumb movement, the Broadway-headlining, mega-rock group Green Day, the wonderful East Bay Symphony, the legendary Latin jazz musician John Santos, Tony Toni Tone  and the young group PopLyfe, Didital Underground, the Oh Happy Day of the Edwin Hawkins Singers and so many more up-and-coming and established acts. And it's not just local and national, but international groups also perform at our many venues, such as The Wailers from Jamaica, who will perform this weekend at The New Parish.  On any given night, a visitor to Oakland can enjoy live music from an rainbow of musical styles. Even our downtown piano store features jazz concerts in the evening hours. We love the Fox Theater, too, and we are happy to see it renovated and back in business, but its offerings do not reflect the intense cultural creativity of this new arts center of the Bay Area.

Williams then highlights the effect of "Big time San Francisco chefs" on our food and "upscale" bar scenes:

Meanwhile, the city’s ever more sophisticated restaurants are now being joined by upscale cocktail bars, turning once-gritty Oakland into an increasingly appealing place to be after dark.

Where do we start with this particular analysis? As any of you who have ever stood in line for chicken and waffles at Brown Sugar Kitchen or the fried chicken sandwich at Bakesale Betty's, or for breakfast at Lois The Pie Queen can attest, it's the less sophisticated, down-scale eateries that add the spice to that distinctive Oakland flava. As far as "upscale cocktail bars," the crowd seems to suround downscale joints such as The Layover and Radio, even low-down joints like Kim's Backyard.  These bars are where the action is, where the cool, the hip and the hyphy come together to enjoy good draft beers and generous pours of spirits.

While Jack London Square, Plum, Commis and Hawker Fare are undoubtedly great additions to our local palates, the greater joy for a 'Town-ster is often to enjoy street food from a taco truck in the Fruitvale. Thank to The Bay Citizen's coverage, even The New York Times knows that.

And what's that "after dark" reference at the end supposed to mean? Oh, that's right, the V-word again...

It's great to be recognized as the #5 best spot in the world. But the Times' piece completely misses the point about why there's a "there" here. It's not the "upscale cocktail bars" or "ever-more sophisticated restaurants" that make Oakland's "revitalized night-life scene...smolder." Even without the new additions, there is already a "there" here. Oakland's greatest claim to fame? It's the PEOPLE. Specifically, the creative community has put Oakland on the map and they have been supported by equally-creative and eager audiences who provide the enthusiasm and the essential spark.

The Times Travel crew should have come to last week's Art Murmur, the gallery walk held on the first Friday of each month. As usual, it was an undisciplined, free forum of expression for Oakland artists of all types. As usual, 'Town-izens of all ages and backgrounds gathered on the streets to create a scene. The Times should have interviewed some of these regular folks and asked, "Why Oakland?"

They should have seen the dance crew of young men this past Friday night at Hibiscus, evolving from a group of youthful "turf" dancers into a flash mob,  dancing in a circle , spinning and twisting, side to side, up and down, moving independently yet together. At closing time, management switched on the bright, flourescent lights over the dark dance floor, normally a sign that a club is closed; message: Go Home. Well, despite the sudden exposure of the lights, no one in that club missed a beat. They continued to smile, work their bodies to the DJ's house  mix and party like they just didn't care. There's something about being working- or middle-class, not having a fancy job the next morning, that gives you that kind of swagga. And "swagga" is the secret ingredient of what's been called the Oakland Stroke.

"San Francisco chefs" and France-based "Michelin stars" have nothing to do with it. Oakland's magic, its flava, its swagga, exist because folks in the 'Town know how to get down---and they don't give a ____ who's looking. No capital-V violence, just capital-T 'Townin'.

I've been telling everybody who will listen, in OaklandSeen and elsewhere, that OAKLAND IS THE PLACE TO BE today. So, San Francisco snobs, chew on THAT for awhile... Forget what you see on the 10 O'Clock News. Oakland is the new creative Hub of the Bay. Oakland-based arts and culture are vital, alive--and gritty, in the best sense.

So, as the late poet Tupac Shakur said: Oaklanders, "keep ya head up!"

Read the original Times article at: bit.ly/AqgZpd

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Next up: Oakland's on FIRE! Watch out for the MACHINE!