In the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 , the Cypress Freeway collapsed . 42 people were killed despite rescue efforts by West Oakland residents . West Oakland residents successfully resisted efforts to rebuild the freeway in the same location . With the freeway now removed , West Oakland started to undergo gentrification . Cypress Street was renamed Mandela Parkway , a recently finished wide thoroughfare with a pedestrian path and greenway in its median , including a park commemorating the 1989 earthquake . It is lined with condominiums and new and established businesses . Several of the surrounding warehouses now serve as artist studios . Most notably the former facilities for American Steel are now Big Art Studios , a unique facility for large-scale artists . Several pieces of work by the constituent art groups within can be found on display outside the complex . Mandela Gateway , a mixed retail and residential development at the south end of Mandela Parkway , surrounds the West Oakland BART station . The old Victorian houses are being refurbished , and new condominium , townhouse , and live-work loft residences have sprung up . The growth of Emeryville on the border of West Oakland , West Oakland 's proximity to San Francisco via the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge and BART , and the slightly more affordable rental and home prices have attracted many new residents
Loma Prieta earthquake
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
West Oakland, Oakland, California