Photo Credit: Kristen Loken

Editors' Notes

HEINOLD'S FIRST AND LAST CHANCE SALOON
“Heinold’s shoot and spread in the end was one of my favorites, but I confess I was nervous going inside. It’s so dark! The bartender made us feel at ease from the moment we stepped in, and this super natural portrait just happened. Later, he shared a couple of inside jokes and happenings, like a loudspeaker that can be heard in the restroom that can make you jump. There’s always a laugh.” —Kristen Loken

Photo Credit: Kristen Loken

Editors' Notes

MISS OLLIE'S
“This is one of my favorite shots from the book, and I think it really captures owner Sarah Kirnon's essence. Her Afro-Caribbean restaurant is the kind of place where everyone feels at home. She named the restaurant after her grandmother, “Miss Ollie,” and is very true to her Caribbean roots. When we were there, she pulled out a full goat carcass that I assume they were about to butcher and cook, and she just slapped it down on the paper-covered table for us to shoot. It made quite an impression. We didn’t think it made sense to run those shots in the final layout (a skinned goat is not something most people want to see), but when I see this shot of Sarah I always think of that moment.” —Melissa Davis

Photo Credit: Kristen Loken

Editors' Notes

CREATIVE GROWTH
“Creative Growth is an art studio and gallery for adult artists with developmental, mental, and physical disabilities. Our shoot at Creative Growth was one of my favorites. We were allowed to walk freely through the vast art studio with more than 50 working artists and shoot their work. It was so inspiring. The artwork ranged from quilt-making to wearable art. I felt so honored to meet some of the artists and hear their stories.” —Melissa Davis

Photo Credit: Kristen Loken

Editors' Notes

FENTONS CREAMERY & RESTAURANT 
“One of the things that makes this Oakland ice cream institution so special is that they make their ice cream on the premises so everyone can watch. Miguel invited us into the kitchen to see the production up close and personal, and we had a blast. He was making raspberry cheesecake swirl, and watching the raspberry sauce get added to ice cream straight from the machine made us feel like we got to spend the afternoon in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.” —Melissa Davis

Photo Credit: Kristen Loken

Editors' Notes

GRAND LAKE THEATER
"When the projectionist invited us up to the booth at the Grand Lake Theater, I was in heaven. Walking into that booth after about a million stairs, took me right back to my earliest days in photography when I worked in the darkroom on weekends with my dad. The way the light shined through the film as it was wound into the projector was one of those moments that just grabbed me. This traditional film projector is wound by hand each night, so they can continue to show the classics. I love that they keep that alive.” —Kristen Loken

Photo Credit: Kristen Loken

Editors' Notes

TEMESCAL ALLEY BARBER SHOP 
“This was taken on our very first day of shooting in February 2013, and I remember being so full of excitement and anticipation. We were in the middle of our first stop at Cro Cafe in Temescal Alley, when we noticed this awesome kid getting a mohawk in the barber shop. It was our next stop. I frantically adjusted the ISO settings on the camera, while Melissa tried to figure out who his parents were for permission. I loved this kid and the stories we got to hear in the shop while shooting.”—Kristen Loken

Editors' Notes

This is Oakland: A Guide to the City’s Most Interesting Places by Melissa Davis, photography by Kristen Loken.

There’s a lot more to Oakland than meets the eye. And, longtime resident Melissa Davis is proving it with her new book This is Oakland: A Guide to the City’s Most Interesting Places ($34.99). “I have lived in Oakland for over 11 years and love this city,” says Davis, who penned the 200-page tome with museum-quality snapshots by photographer Kristen Loken. “I hate the bad rap that it gets, and I hate that people across the country, and even in the Bay Area, don’t ‘get it.’ I don’t need to go into San Francisco to shop at great boutiques or eat at top-notch restaurants. They’re all here and they’re amazing.”

For the book, Davis, a former editor at publications including 7×7 and Lucky, and founder of Oakland–based public relations firm, Ruby Press, and Loken, a photographer for clients such as Sunset and The Wall Street Journal, set out on foot to capture the city’s most beloved and undiscovered gems from ice cream parlors to cafés. “I have wanted to do something to help spread the word about all of the cool places in this city for a long time,” adds Davis. “It was when I moved my agency’s office from Berkeley to downtown Oakland that it hit me, ‘this is the time. This is Oakland’s moment.’ And, I wanted to capitalize on it by sharing what’s happening here, and doing it now.”

By Jennie Nunn

Pictured: The bartender at Heinold’s First and Lance Chance saloon in Oakland. 
Photo by Kristen Loken