Telegraph Avenue, Shopping street in Oakland, US

Telegraph Avenue is a commercial street running through Oakland and toward UC Berkeley, lined with bookstores, record shops, cafes, and restaurants alongside everyday retail. The strip mixes new and used merchandise, with storefronts that range from chain stores to small independently owned businesses.

Telegraph Avenue grew from separately named roads. In 1859 the Alta Telegraph Company built a telegraph line between Oakland and Martinez, and the roads alongside it were renamed Telegraph Road. The stretch from downtown Oakland to the Peralta estate in Temescal had been Peralta Road; the canyon route was Harwood's Road. Berkeley's Choate Street became Telegraph Avenue in 1890, and Oakland's Humboldt Avenue took the name as well.

Independent record shops, art galleries, and bookstores line the street, drawing students, music fans, and artists who gather to browse and discover local work. The mix of stores reflects the neighborhood's identity as a place where creative people and thinkers naturally congregate.

The street runs between Downtown Oakland and the UC Berkeley campus with regular bus service making navigation straightforward. Walking is easy, and you can explore different sections at your own pace, stopping at shops and cafes as you go.

The name comes from a telegraph line built in 1859 by the Alta Telegraph Company between Oakland and Martinez; the roads beside it were renamed Telegraph Road. Berkeley's stretch was Choate Street until 1890, when the trustees' alphabetical street names gave way to Telegraph Avenue.