The din of traffic on Forbes Avenue faded if you walked a few blocks south and entered the narrow streets of Central Oakland shortly after rush hour on Wednesday. There, on Semple Street, Meyran Avenue and Atwood Street, the pace slowed. In this area of aging storefronts and historical, turn-of-the-century houses that serve as living spaces for university students, food delivery drivers hustled out of the area’s small restaurants and pedestrians passed under street lamps. For those who paused to notice, the streets sparkled with light and life.
Steve is a photojournalist and writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he is currently on strike and working as a Union Progress co-editor. Reach him at smellon@unionprogress.com.