Although the Bay Area is known for its technological innovation, restaurant scene, and cultural history, the region’s topography is truly what makes it shine. The rolling hills that engulf Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco help provide a picturesque backdrop for each city and always give tourists a run for their money. However, many hills call for a considerable number of stairs.
The tightly condensed neighborhoods in the Bay Area make it difficult to spot the overflowing staircases spilling through the cities. Avid dog walkers or joggers may have familiar stairs they see frequently, but people who prefer driving or public transportation and who haven’t explored their neighborhoods may be unaware of the steps that await them. Luckily though, Charles Fleming enlightened city goers with his book ‘Secret Stairs: East Bay: A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Berkeley and Oakland’, a novel that takes the reader on a journey through thirty-eight staircases in Oakland and Berkeley. Each trek provides detailed instructions and directions for the steps, sometimes even including restaurant or small business recommendations for staircases near metropolitan areas. Fleming uses street names as well as physical landmarks like redwood trees and architectural descriptions of houses to guide the reader around, all while sprinkling in historical details about influential figures who lived in houses the reader is walking by. The book provides an odyssey for Oaklanders and delivers a unique journey to people who love to explore and find hidden history in the city that surrounds them.
Lick Wilmerding High School student Dani Goldfein recalls how she felt after stumbling upon Fleming’s guide in Pegasus Books on College Avenue. “When I first saw that the book existed, I was super intrigued because it was such a unique concept. I looked at a map in the book and found a staircase that was farther up in the hills, and I was really excited to go explore and see where it would take me.”
Regardless of the general public’s aversion to stairs, the almost scavenger hunt-esque nature of ‘Secret Stairs’ is enough to convince anyone to get their legs moving. Inspiring people to learn about the Bay Area and appreciate all of the history and nuance it has to offer is crucial to keeping its culture alive, and our own neighborhoods can serve as museums. Getting outside and exploring is a unique and amusing way to learn about these cities and start treasuring them more.
