Shop Local…A List of 50+ Fabulous Oakland Shops!

I had hoped to get this wrapped up sooner, but my own holiday craziness got the better of me.  So, here it is…a nice long list of great shops, ideas and more to help you cap off your 2015 holiday shopping season in local style.  Get out there and enjoy the fun nooks and crannies of our great city!  The below is segmented by neighborhood, I am sure I am missing some so if a favorite store of yours isn’t on the list, shoot me a note and I will add it on!  Check links below for exact locations and hours.

Rockridge District:

Bella Vita – you know I love this spot, pop in for a visit for the little girls and ladies on your list
Atomic Garden – such cool stuff here, great pics to inspire you here on a visit from Spotted SF
Rockridge Home – overflowing with gift ideas of all sorts, a great stop if you are in the neighborhood
Nathan & Co – with 2 locations and so many lovely gift items, they are one of my go-to’s
Homesteader – cute vintage inspired items with a slight country feel, another great local store
Maison d’ Etre – lots of beautiful options here, including cute stuff for babies and kiddos too!
Lost & Found – go, go, go…super cute decor & vintage finds!
Cole Hardware – so perfect for the guys on your list!  This throwback to a neighborhood hardware store is terrific, find something for the men on your list or grab them a gift card!
Child’s Play – already on my toy post, some great new & used gift options for kids
Sleep Play Love – high end resale shop of kids clothing, an option to fill the practical things for the kiddos in your life
Smitten & Jules Thin Crust – this is one of our favorite family outings…pizza at Jules & a scoop at Smitten – think gift cards for the local families on your list!
Pegasus Books – great local bookstore with new & used

Temescal District / Telegraph:

Mixed Pickles – such a great stop for the vintage lovers on your list!
Dandelion Post – a lovely spot for the ladies; clothing, accessories and more.
Temescal Alleys – there is so much here to wander through and a ton of local artisanship to take in, check out the directory here.
It’s Your Move Games – big kid games…sounds fun to me!
Baby World – another from my toy post, lots of options for the new additions from 2015
Ruby’s Garden – another repeat, but so worth repeating.  Great stop for babies & kids!

Piedmont Avenue:

Good Stock – I visited them here, you should too…
Neighbor – right next store to Good Stock, I perused during my visit and you will find lots of options
Nathan & Co – A second location offers twice as much gifting fun
Spectator Books – A great local book store with new & used…a huge children’s book room in back too.
Found on Piedmont – worth a peek for vintage lovers, while furnishing and art might not be on your list, they have smaller items to browse through as well
Rare Bird – gifts for him, her, home and more….
Piedmont Springs – hot tubs and massages…it’s a no brainer, think gift certificate :o)
Greetings – Lots of great cards, stationary, gift items and a huge selection of Oaklandish, worth a stop for sure.
Surprise – ditto here for great cards & stationary, and you will also find a selection of kids gift items
Selah – I haven’t visited yet, this is where Bees Knees used to be, so stop by and then fill me in
Dr. Comic & Mr. Games – comic book lovers in your life?
Piedmont Theater – tickets to a movie and a gift certificate for dinner in the area sounds great to me!

Grand Ave / Lakeshore Ave:

Urban Indigo – I love their jewelry and their shelves are stocked with tons of gift items.  Don’t miss the kids section upstairs!
Silver Moon Kids – as mentioned in my toy post, plenty of baby & kids gift options here, in addition to new & used clothes
Rose Quartz – A cute little jewelry shop on Lakeshore Ave.
Maribel – a higher end women consignment shop with clothes & accessories
Greetings – a second location in this neck of the woods for grabbing great stationary items and holiday cards galore
Adventure Toys & Learning – as mentioned previously, great little toy store on Lakeshore Ave.
Walden Pond Books – over on Grand Ave., check out their selection of new and used books, and they have a terrific kids book section in the back, complete with a cool play area for the kids
Oak Common – I haven’t been in here yet, but have been dying to go ever since reading this post
Oaktown Spice Shop – another place on my “to visit” list, this shop is getting rave reviews all over the place…what a cool idea to put together a great basket of herbs & spices for the cooks on your list?
Grand Lake Theater – another great option for a giving the gift of dinner and a movie, pick up some tickets and a gift certificate to one of the amazing restaurants down the street…Boot & Shoe Service for me please

Jack London Square / Old Oakland / Downtown / Uptown:

Umami Mart – this place looks super cool…Japanese inspired gift items galore
Oakland Supply Co. – you know how much I love this place, so many great American Made options for both men & women
Collector Art Shop – one of my new favs, so much great art in so many different forms
Laurel Bookstore – they recently moved from the Laurel District to one of the historic buildings downtown, another great bookstore option for the book lovers in your life
Oaklandish – their flagship store is on Broadway, check it out for clothing with their signature logo and so much more
Oakland Surf Club – still have to go, pick up some great clothing items from this local surfing lifestyle brand
Marion & Rose ‘s Workshop – lovely American Made goods on hand here
Maple Street Demin – new in 2014, if you have the guts to buy jeans for someone, or maybe just a new pair for yourself for Christmas?
Crown Nine – a lovely jewelry boutique by Kate Ellen
Field Day & Friends – handcrafted boutique in downtown for women’s clothing and goodies for your friends featuring lots of local artisans
Cost Plus World Market – the only big box store you will see on my list, because they were born and bred from our hometown.  Great gift items and all sorts of yummy food stuffs
Endgame – don’t forget, games for big kids too…
Owl N Wood – a combination of international, vintage, and local style for the ladies on your list
Harper Greer – a plus size ladies boutique in Uptown, maybe something for that one last holiday party?

Montclair District:

Daisy’s – great little shop with lots of gift items throughout
Someones in the Kitchen – Another spot I hit often when I need a gift for the cooks in my life, I am always afraid I am going to break something when I go in here they have so much stuff!
Toyhouse – one of my favorite local toy shops, I’ve been going since I was a kid…
A Great Good Place for Books – another great local bookstore, and their kids section is pretty impressive
Pelago – this store has been in Montclair for quite some time, lots of great little gift items, including some stuff for kids and babies
Hatch – have I said “another great option for gift items” too many times yet?
Annie’s Hallmark – if you still need holiday cards and maybe an ornament or two, head here.
Montclair Sporting Goods – don’t forget to consider this shop for the sport lovers in your life

Laurel District / Dimond:

Komodo Toys – more toys, toys, toys
Therapy – I LOVE this shop, it has had a pretty discreet arrival but such a great spot for vintage inspired gift items, they have several locations around the Bay Area.  Don’t forget breakfast next door at Sequoia Diner!
Peter’s Kettle Corn – forget the gross orange stuff in a can, consider the gift of some amazing kettle corn flavors done the right way…who doesn’t love kettle corn???
Beast Oakland – great local inspired clothing
Kelly’s Corner – don’t forget this great little shop for babies & kids
Oaklandish – over in the Dimond is Oaklandish’s 2nd location…pop in for their amazing locally inspired clothing and more

Ok…what did I miss?  Probably so much….send me any of your favs and I will add them on.

And don’t forget to consider any one of our amazing local restaurants to grab a gift certificate for the foodies in your life…if you need a little inspiration check out this list….and this one….and this one too.

Other options to consider:
Of course, my favorite…an annual membership to Fairyland!
How about a membership to the Oakland Museum of California?  I think this is a superb idea :o)

Phew!  Happy Shopping!

Adrienne

 

Photo: The image used at the top of the page is an old commercial map of Oakland from 1959.  It is not intended for accuracy and I know some neighborhoods are missing.  Source is Eric Fischer via Flickr.