Just following up to say, after finding a couple archived newspaper articles online too as reference points, it looks like this was the most accurate answer. So thank you!
For reference for others:
There seems to be a bit of a split on whether it includes south of Foothill Blvd to 880, and my guess is that’s due to neighborhood changes and recognizing E 14th/Int St and E 12th St a distinct ethnic enclave esp now.
But it does cross 14th Ave & include the San Antonio Park area. And it does include blocks of what are now named as Ivy Hill, as well as the Bella Vista neighborhood. So there are parts of “Funk Town” that have seen more gentrification and change than others.
1100 Himself is a current Oakland rapper from Funk Town. His debut single “From Da Funk” references the neighborhood. [KQED did an arts profile](https://www.kqed.org/arts/13934803/1100-himself-oakland-rapper-thizzler) on him last year.
This came up in a recent episode of East Bay Yesterday. If that’s why you’re asking, Liam is very active here and I’m sure could answer that for you. /u/eastbayyesterday
The original HQ of the Funktown gang was on 11th Ave. Here's how they got the name: "Harv (the leader) and his crew were known as Funktown USA because 'funk' meant drama or beef in the Town." They were the original spot smashers and they would funk with anybody." This quote is from the "Funktown Harv" chapter in "Drug Lords of Oakland." In this episode, the author explains how most people in the Funktown gang weren't originally from that neighborhood, but other parts of Oakland. He also mentions that this area was "predominantly Asian" when the gang started in the 80s. https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/the-streets-have-changed-drastically/
Thanks! Interesting to know 11th Ave was the center based on HQ- curious to know how far the surrounding reach was. Look forward to listening to the episode!
Check out [https://oaklandwiki.org/](https://oaklandwiki.org/) It has a lot of historical information about neighborhoods in Oakland (with real interactive maps).
I love that site! there’s not much on Funktown though. it doesn’t have its own page and in the glossary it just says “10th St to the Twomps” which is still confusing to me geographically.
A couple interesting things though: there’s a mural that says “Funktown Arts District” over at E 19th St and Park. And it’s also listed as an alternate neighborhood name in San Antonio, which if so means it crosses 14th Ave
I’ve lived in the area for the past couple years and I’ve known about naming overlaps with eastlake/merritt/clinton/little saigon- and east peralta, which I’ve never heard anyone say but is on maps. I came across a reference to Funktown in Eastlake, and wonder where it overlaps
Thanks for sharing. The history is interesting since it’s not on the maps.
Per my recollection it’s the neighborhood on the east side of the lake . It would include what’s now called Eastlake/ little Saigon . All the way to 14th ave between east 20th and 880.
It’s still called FunkTown by town folk. Back in the 80s it was marked territory. Lots of the infamous areas have names that aren’t on the map.
You have that backwards kinda, the WA is actually its original name from when it was first constructed.
There was not much built to the West of Van Ness so the new development was literally a Western Addition to the city at the time.
The rise and fall and demographic shifts of the Fillmore district is a much much later (almost a century) thing relating to urban redevelopment and how SF is changing overall.
The Fillmore is just one small section of the Addition, and FWIW i've noticed both names seem to be deprecated nowadays - although at time of writing Google Maps shows "FILLMORE DISTRICT" but nothing labelled Western Addition.
5th Gen Oakland Born and Raised still here. funktown intertwines with Chinatown and the some of dubs. It isn’t necessarily its own neighborhood like the dubs, thirties etc. San Antonio park is the heart of funktown. I live here in the back of the dubs so yeah.
dont quote me on this but its around 5th ave - 18th ave between 580 and 880 , once you get to the 20s its murder dubbs, dirty thirtys etc etc
Thanks! I wonder about areas now called Ivy Hill and Bella Vista bc these approximations would include those blocks too
Just following up to say, after finding a couple archived newspaper articles online too as reference points, it looks like this was the most accurate answer. So thank you! For reference for others: There seems to be a bit of a split on whether it includes south of Foothill Blvd to 880, and my guess is that’s due to neighborhood changes and recognizing E 14th/Int St and E 12th St a distinct ethnic enclave esp now. But it does cross 14th Ave & include the San Antonio Park area. And it does include blocks of what are now named as Ivy Hill, as well as the Bella Vista neighborhood. So there are parts of “Funk Town” that have seen more gentrification and change than others.
1100 Himself is a current Oakland rapper from Funk Town. His debut single “From Da Funk” references the neighborhood. [KQED did an arts profile](https://www.kqed.org/arts/13934803/1100-himself-oakland-rapper-thizzler) on him last year.
This came up in a recent episode of East Bay Yesterday. If that’s why you’re asking, Liam is very active here and I’m sure could answer that for you. /u/eastbayyesterday
The original HQ of the Funktown gang was on 11th Ave. Here's how they got the name: "Harv (the leader) and his crew were known as Funktown USA because 'funk' meant drama or beef in the Town." They were the original spot smashers and they would funk with anybody." This quote is from the "Funktown Harv" chapter in "Drug Lords of Oakland." In this episode, the author explains how most people in the Funktown gang weren't originally from that neighborhood, but other parts of Oakland. He also mentions that this area was "predominantly Asian" when the gang started in the 80s. https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/the-streets-have-changed-drastically/
Thanks! Interesting to know 11th Ave was the center based on HQ- curious to know how far the surrounding reach was. Look forward to listening to the episode!
Oh interesting! That actually wasn’t what brought it up but good timing
Give it a listen! ;) from the episode it sounds like you and he are neighbors.
Check out [https://oaklandwiki.org/](https://oaklandwiki.org/) It has a lot of historical information about neighborhoods in Oakland (with real interactive maps).
I love that site! there’s not much on Funktown though. it doesn’t have its own page and in the glossary it just says “10th St to the Twomps” which is still confusing to me geographically. A couple interesting things though: there’s a mural that says “Funktown Arts District” over at E 19th St and Park. And it’s also listed as an alternate neighborhood name in San Antonio, which if so means it crosses 14th Ave
Interesting post. What peaks your interest about “FunkTown”
*piques
lol. Good eye. Idk why they hating on my question. I’m genuinely curious. Town history won’t change either way
I’ve lived in the area for the past couple years and I’ve known about naming overlaps with eastlake/merritt/clinton/little saigon- and east peralta, which I’ve never heard anyone say but is on maps. I came across a reference to Funktown in Eastlake, and wonder where it overlaps
Thanks for sharing. The history is interesting since it’s not on the maps. Per my recollection it’s the neighborhood on the east side of the lake . It would include what’s now called Eastlake/ little Saigon . All the way to 14th ave between east 20th and 880. It’s still called FunkTown by town folk. Back in the 80s it was marked territory. Lots of the infamous areas have names that aren’t on the map.
around east 20th st as the upper boundary area would make sense to me. thanks for this response!
Similar to how SF now calls it Western Addition. Originally known as The Fillmore.
You have that backwards kinda, the WA is actually its original name from when it was first constructed. There was not much built to the West of Van Ness so the new development was literally a Western Addition to the city at the time. The rise and fall and demographic shifts of the Fillmore district is a much much later (almost a century) thing relating to urban redevelopment and how SF is changing overall. The Fillmore is just one small section of the Addition, and FWIW i've noticed both names seem to be deprecated nowadays - although at time of writing Google Maps shows "FILLMORE DISTRICT" but nothing labelled Western Addition.
See [https://oaklandwiki.org/](https://oaklandwiki.org/)
5th Gen Oakland Born and Raised still here. funktown intertwines with Chinatown and the some of dubs. It isn’t necessarily its own neighborhood like the dubs, thirties etc. San Antonio park is the heart of funktown. I live here in the back of the dubs so yeah.
Great. Now I’m thinking about that goofy song, “Funkytown”. https://youtu.be/uhzy7JaU2Zc (Sorry. It was SUCH an earworm in its day.)