The Alley, one of the last remainders from a rich history of Oakland piano bars, was founded in 1934. It is located on Grand Avenue in Oakland, CA, near the Grand Lake Theatre and the Lake Merritt estuary. Most of the piano bars in the area closed decades ago, but The Alley is very much alive.
The bar is part saloon, part 1920’s alley, a design the East Bay Express once described as “Dashiell Hammet in Disneyland.” Complete with wood shingles, telephone wires, and windows in the interior, and graced by the silhouette of a busty dame above one rooftop as well as a fake pawn shop along the back wall, The Alley’s interior is a snapshot frozen in a time of constant change. Cozy booths fitted throughout the venue are similar to those found at a diner, and the walls are bedecked with approximately 40,000 to 50,000 business cards stapled up by visitors from all over the world for decades. Business cards from Jerry Brown, Gregg Allman and more can be found.
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