Welcome to Town Trippin'

Welcome to the Town Trippin website. Town Trippin is a travelogue where people can follow me as I show you how I like to Eat, Play, and Love in the city on the better side of the bay, my hometown…Oakland. In just a few weeks we will launch the first of 10 episodes that will be produced in our first season. The web-series is for homegrown natives, newly implanted residents, visitors and even San Franciscans trying to get away from all the a**holes and douche bags permeating the city. But this will not be your typical travelogue about the best bars, and restaurants in the Town. We will also feature the best of Oakland which is embedded in the very bones of the people of the Town. Folks in the Town pride ourselves on our sense social justice and community responsibility. That is what I like to call the “Love” when I talk about the Eat, Play, and Love.

Now you may ask yourself why, “Town Trippin?” Well if anyone knows anything about the Bay Area they know that the residents of Oakland affectionately call Oakland, “The Town.” I can’t tell you exactly when Oakland officially became The Town but it totally makes sense. I mean on the west side of the Bay we have San Francisco…Big lights, tall buildings, heavy tourism. That’s the city. Even growing up anytime we would plan to go to San Francisco we would say, “We are headed to the city.”  If you work in San Francisco you work where?  In the city....  San Francisco, the place where people come to visit, they might even stay as long as the money is good. It’s the place where people maintain their existence. Well I’m from The Town. Oakland. Where people actually live. Even the UrbanDictionary.com knows what I’m talking about.  See: Urban Dictionary-The Town

Don’t get me wrong, “Town Trippin,” has in no way been created to live in the shadow of San Francisco. This is the MF’N BAY and the Bay Area has a reputation all its own. I mean really, nobody has it better than us. We have mild weather year round, are centrally located to some of the best destinations in the world and the Bay is home to leading industries on the cutting edge of technology, medicine, and entertainment. The Bay is the future and it’s been like that for a long time. Oakland is a major contributor to that reputation and we ain’t ashamed.

It was less than two weeks ago that the New York Times ranked Oakland as one of the, “45 Places to Go in 2012.” Oakland was 5th on that list and was the highest ranking American city of which only 3 other US cities were ranked. We followed London who will be hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics.  Frankly, I didn’t need the New York Times to tell me that. I pretty much know that I am from one of the most fabulous places on earth. Oakland a.k.a. The Town is one of the most richly diverse communities in the world. Popular Science magazine ranks as one of America’s Greenest Cities and we are the birthplace of the Clint Eastwood, Keyshia Cole, and the Black Panthers.  We are the home of the Raiders, the newly renovated Fox Theater and the Chabot Space and Science Center.  Couple that with a thriving nightlife and the spread of unique vintage retail shops and presto! Fabulooous!

In closing I would like to address a yahoo video roaming the internet begging the question “Is Oakland the Brooklyn of the West Coast?”  Uh hell no!! Oakland is the Oakland of the West Coast.  Actually Oakland is the Oakland of the world now that I think about it. Just because both Oakland and Brooklyn have a growing art scene and thriving nightlife it doesn’t make us Brooklyn. We have a history here check the record books. Brooklyn? Is Brooklyn even a real city? Do they even have a mayor in Brooklyn?  Oh maybe the legendary NFL Raiders owner, Al Davis, was once the mayor of Brooklyn bless his soul. See: Al Davis dies at 82. But he moved to Oakland, twice. Everybody knows who our mayor is. And let me tell you that ain’t an easy feat. See: Occupy Protesters Find Jean Quan in D. C. But that’s a topic for another time. 

Listen up fans! I’m just one girl in this big town so you have a suggestion of a place I should check out. If you have a topic that represents Oakland be sure to contact me to let me know. You may also ask me any questions and I will be sure to answer them if possible. You may email all correspondence to towntrippin@gmail.com.

Be sure to visit often and share with friends. Remember, you can find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare.  Thanks for stopping by!  

Smuuchez!

Mekela Edwards

Creator and Host