A Worldview at The Atlas

TopA Taste of the

Gaining perspective from Oakland’s highest cocktail lounge

BY Daedalus Howell

Wanna get high? I mean really, really high?

Before you answer that, you should know I’m afraid of heights. Not all the time, but sometimes, when it’s least convenient. Like, when I’m driving over that three-dimensional Dr. Seuss illustration we call the Richmond Bridge. And when there’s no nearby bar at which to self-medicate with a gulp of grenache.

Somehow, my situation became known to the universe—perhaps when I was praying, at the top of my lungs, that the Big One wouldn’t hit before I made it to the Pt. Richmond exit and the house red at Hotel Mac. And now my prayers have been answered by Atlas, a “transit-oriented, luxury living and retail destination in Oakland.”

A 40-story high-rise tower with 17,350 square feet of retail space that spans an entire city block, the Atlas is the tallest and largest residential property in Oakland. Cresting it, on the 41st Floor and surrounded by stunning Bay area views, is its Sunset Lounge.

Mere stumbling distance—and a swift elevator ride—from the 12th Street BART Station, the lounge features a cocktail bar and sweeping Oakland views, not to mention a fireplace and a library. This is either the East Bay lair of the next James Bond villain or the perfect place for a chump like me to sip away the vertigo while enjoying the view. Or perhaps it’s both, Mr. Bond—bwahaha!

There’s more than a view to a thrill, however. The Atlas also boasts an outdoor terrace, a pool, a coworking lounge—remember coworking?—an indoor-and-outdoor club lounge with a full kitchen, a pet spa, a dog park and more. Additionally, residents have access to a game room, a fitness studio and a sports-and-media lounge. In short, it’s the perfect venue to gain a literal perspective on all the area has to offer as the world reopens and the East Bay’s sights, sounds and tastes—some of our favorites of which we profile in this edition—become available once again. As Michelangelo said, “Your greatness is measured by your horizons” and, for the East Bay, they look good from here. ❤

CLOUD ATLAS One view from the Sunset Lounge.