April 2021

Lakeshore welcomes spring with a bounce in its step! We are delighted to welcome four new businesses, have greater shopping and dining capacity in the Orange Tier, and now it is possible to shop and dine with more capacity. It is also easier to get safe services done, such as a professional haircut. Read all about how Lakeshore ave is welcoming spring, and be sure to vote for your favorite business in Oakland Magazine’s Best of Oakland Poll (link at the end of the blog).

Welcome New Lakeshore Businesses

We are thrilled to welcome four new businesses to Lakeshore!

True is a family-owned sneaker and streetwear boutique that opened at 3199 Lakeshore. True started in San Francisco in 1996. We are thrilled to welcome them to Lakeshore.

SF Bay Cosmetic Body Sculpting opened at 3340 Lakeshore. With locations in Pleasanton and San Jose, we are excited to welcome them to Lakeshore!

Studios will be opening later this month. Studios will carry “exclusive footwear releases, clothing collections, beauty products, & accessories to meet basic fashion needs alongside self care and beauty products”. Outside of working toward creating more jobs in Oakland, Studios is working on entrepreneurial starter kits, and continued homeless outreach through various projects. They want to give back and support the community in the best way possible.

East Bay Queer Arts Center (AKA the Queer Arts Center) opened a few months ago at 3411 Lakeshore Ave. The East Bay Queer Arts Center is a “grassroots, interdisciplinary collaborative of Oakland, California based Black, Indigenous + Brown LGBTQ+ identified artists and wellness practitioners serving a global community”. They offer creative opportunities for health equity through culturally competent, financially accessible, interdisciplinary art innovation. They are doing several events and programs; please learn more on their website.

Spring has Sprung on Lakeshore!

Spring has sprung on Lakeshore! Positive change is in the air, and you can feel it on Lakeshore. We are now in the Orange Tier, so there are more shopping options, indoor dining is allowed up to 50% capacity, and bars can open outside.

Walking down Lakeshore, it is hard to miss the welcome of spring with Urban Indigo’s fabulous Monarch Butterfly windows (and springtime products inside and Silver Moon Kid’s window of animals having Easter tea. Cusine like Shakewell’s Spring Salad to bring spring to deliciously bring the feast of spring to our senses as well as our eyes.

March has not been without holidays and celebrations. Arizmendi celebrated PI Day on 3/14 with the most appropriate and tasty strawberry jam pastries. Proposition Chicken’s Matzo Ball soup is a menu staple that was especially popular for Passover.

Practical and Fun

Lakeshore Avenue serves the community and has wonderful merchants that can help with practical everyday needs and services for the entire family. Now that we are turning the corner concerning public health in the Orange Tier, we may be thinking about where to go for services. While we still need to wear face masks and be vigilant, we have several open and family friendly services on Lakeshore. Examples of beloved merchants serving the community:

The Beauty Center has a complete range of name brand beauty & cosmetic products for every need. Location: 3268 Lakeshore Ave.

Eye Care Optometry provides professional eye care services in a comfortable environment. They have friendly staff and stylish frames. Open by appointment only at this time. Location: 3341 Lakeshore Ave.

Lakeshore Family Dentistry is a husband and wife dental team that specializes has a customer-service-oriented approach and they can take care of all your dental needs. Location: 3309 Lakeshore Ave.

Bounce Blowdry Bar can give you a luxurious hair style for a good price. Go for a special occasion or a new hairstyle. Their motto is no chemicals, wash, style, bounce! Location: 3342 Lakeshore Ave.

Ike’s Shoe and Luggage Repair works magic repairing shoes, luggage and more. They won Oakland Magazine’s Readers Choice best shoe repair for the entire East Bay! Location: 3311 Lakeshore Ave.

East Bay Computer Center helps with repairs, installation, troubleshooting and will visit on-site (and their systems come with warranties and free telephone technical support). Location: 3450 Lakeshore Ave.