Oakland, CA (PRWEB) January 6, 2006
Shopping just got a whole lot easier in Central East Oakland thanks to the new âOakland Heartlands Merchants Directoryâ produced by Councilperson Desley Brooks and the District 6 Main Street Project. Councilperson Brooks said the Directory, which is hot off the press, serves two functions; it helps to market the wealth of products and services available in the business districts within Central East Oakland and it provides its users with a comprehensive shopping guide at their fingertips.
Central East Oakland has five (5) business districts: Foothill-Seminary, Havenscourt-Bancroft, Eastmont-MacArthur, International Blvd., and Millsmont. We call these areas collectively the âOakland Heartlandsâ. The Heartlands have a variety of shopping, service and eating opportunities; from national retailers like Ross, Auto Zone, Athletes Foot and Best Hardware to local home grown experiences like Heavenly Grounds, Golden Finish Detail, 5 Points Bar-B-Q, and Sudearâs Flowers. The Directory is designed to help Oakland residents discover these special venues and experience the charm of shopping in the comfort and convenience of these neighborhood business districts.
âMarketing is always a difficult task for small businessesâ, said David Macon, Co-owner of Sudearâs Flowers. âThanks to Councilperson Brooks the businesses in the Heartlands have an impressive and professional marketing toolâ. The Directory has close to 200 merchant listings. It includes retail, fashion, and home furnishing stores, hair salons, eateries, car service professionals, and many more local businesses.
Councilperson Brooks has been working with the Central East Oakland business owners to revitalize the business districts within Central East Oakland. To that end, Councilperson Brooks established the District 6 Main Street project and has worked to make infrastructure improvements, add signage, destination mark the areas, and help build capacity within the business districts. The Directory is yet another project borne out of these efforts.
Oakland Heartlandsâ merchant directories may be found at most of the establishments listed in the Directory, or at Councilperson Brooks’ Eastmont Town Center or City Hall offices. Feel free to contact Councilmember Brooks at 510.238.7006.
You can also download an electronic version of the directory. Hereâs how:
1. Go to http://www.shopoakland.com/explore.html, where youâll see a list of Oakland shopping districts.
2. Click on links for *any* of the Heartlands Districts: choose Eastmont, Havenscourt/Foothill/Bancroft, International Blvd., or Millsmont
3. Click on the âShop & Save in Oaklandâs Heartlandsâ shopping guide link, which youâll see on the right hand side. This will download a 750MB pdf file.
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