8th St, Chinatown

As an Oakland/Berkeley native, Chinatown has always been a part of my life. 8th street in particular, is one of my favorites. My first introduction to Chinese herbs connected me to this street in particular. My acupuncturist would write prescriptions for me and I would get them filled at Cathay Herbs. After getting my herbs I would always stop by the market a few doors down to see what fresh produce they had outside or to buy my favorite Chinese soaps, candies, dishes...I love to see people walking around with the pink plastic shopping bags. The surrounding area is filled with so much culture. You can buy authentic Chinese herbs, fresh fish, fresh produce, gifts, gold, clothing and cooked food galore (many restaurants). Of course with all of these sight and sounds of living culture, you get a ton of traffic. You have buses from and traveling to Alameda and the rest of Oakland coming through here, tourist, residence and shoppers. It is very difficult to find street parking and many often double park. There are parking lots in the area, but during special events these fill up pretty fast. Bus or BART is a great way to get to this street.