Former Oakland train station — © Brian Rose

One of the housing complexes I’m photographing is located in West Oakland adjacent to the former train station. It’s been abandoned for years. This was the terminus of many of the great transcontinental trains like the Zephyr. Amtrak still runs a train of that name, but it’s just another generic Amtrak service. The new housing is the first phase of an urban renewal plan that will encompass the station, which will be preserved and adapted for some undefined use. As much as I like the new development, it seems a bit alien to the gritty surrounding neighborhood.