Fred Noland explores Oakland in its current state, considers its past. Read about his Lake Merritt experience here.
Delighted as I was for my hacky sack and Buggle’s loving brethren (my stoner references are from the 80s) with legalization, there have been some downsides. The obvious is it’s now near ubiquity. I practically got an open-air contact high riding up the Bay Bridge bike trail one day during evening commute hours. That didn’t fill my heart with confidence. There are also cats who decided to make weed their whole personality, with accompanying fashion faux pax. For the longest time I wondered “Are they fighting the power? Who is anti-cookie? Must I say cookie’s name?”
The dispensary has become as common place as Starbucks once was. With a number of those now closed, I wonder if there’s a link between weed's rise and coffee’s descent. It’s odd to drive by a once familiar storefront now festooned with stony decor.
The dispensary’s rise did not lead to the demise of any of the businesses they now occupy, but can be painful reminders of what once was. The Parkway is a notable landmark long gone and replaced. I don’t imagine the rest of the building is storage, is it?
This one, now Urbana, is a particularly painful takeover. Luka’s Taproom may not have been old Oakland (it opened in 2004) but it was Hella Oakland, and a local favorite. In addition to the titular taps, there was dining (American Casual), pool, and a dance floor. The dining room had a classic look; hardwood, very post war. It would’ve been at home in a noir film. Luka’s itself replaced Hof Brau, whose cool and creepy sign now graces the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale.
We take these places for granted, not that I ever passed on an opportunity; hangs, dates, birthdays. If I recall, I had my favorite, steak frites, delivered for a Covid/Zoom birthday party. In the end, Luka’s was another Covid closure, aided by greedy landlords. I can’t imagine the dispensary’s lounge could hope to replace Lukas’s long bar and dining section for community, conversation, or just a simple night out.
I happened by with a friend a few weeks ago. The bones were still there, but little else remained. Ultimately, dispensaries are retail establishments made to be inviting for a moment, but not to linger.
There was some conversation, though albeit not terribly deep or even particularly sane.
I’m not a chemist, but last time I checked water was two H’s and one O. If you throw another H in there, what do you get? H3O just does not sound like a thirst quencher to me. But silly me—a few days later, I spotted some actual hydrogen water at a health food store. Discounted.
Pills must be cutting into their business like weed is cutting into coffee.
