Community Resource: The Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council

  One of the best resources we've come across for the Maxwell Park Community is the Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council. The council meets monthly to discuss funding for community projects, crime statistics, and important neighborhood news. Some meetings feature guest speakers ranging from city officials and members of law enforcement to presentations on family activities. Meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month from 7-8:45 pm, and are open to the community.
   The Neighborhood Council's website is also a great resource, providing minutes of Council meetings, links to local businesses and community resources, and historical information on the neighborhood provided by its residents. 

Maxwell Park's Most Famous Resident: Bruce Lee

In 1964, Bruce Lee drove from Seattle, Washington to Oakland, California where Kung Fu master James Yimm Lee operated a martial arts studio in the garage of his Maxwell Park home, at 3039 Monticello Avenue.
 Bruce moved to Oakland to “live and train with James. Together they ran a martial arts school in that garage and developed the Jeet Kune Do style now associated with Bruce’s fame. So it was that for two years Bruce, his newlywed wife Linda, and their firstborn Brandon lived in Maxwell Park.”

Source: Historical account from Maxwell Park resident Russell Yee of the Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council. Read more at http://www.maxwellparknc.com

A Brief History of Maxwell Park

Maxwell Park was founded in the early 1920s as a private whites-only covenant, “restricted as to Orientals, Asiatics, and Africans.”  Purchased by John P. Maxwell, a native of Illinois and later a resident of Adams Point, the development was advertised as "Oakland's Addition Beautiful". The new addition to the city would have beautiful views, schools and access to public transportation. A streetcar line was extended into the neighborhood, along with a Southern Pacific electric line that allowed for fast transportation to San Francisco. All homes in Maxwell Park were also built in different styles to add distinction and a sense of place for each resident. At the time, home and lot prices ranged from $600- $1400 dollars with a down payment of only $1 dollar!

Source: Historical accounts from Maxwell Park residents Russell Yee and Erika Mailman of the Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council. Read more at http://www.maxwellparknc.com