North Light

Located in Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood, North Light is a cozy all-day spot. Whether you want a place to work, get some lunch, meet a friend for an afternoon drink, write the next great American novel, have a date night, sit alone in a corner with a book and a cocktail, meet a stranger, throw a birthday party, or eat a meal at any time of day, North Light is your joint. We have an all-weather back patio, free wifi, and a special book and record shop curated by some of the best living writers, musicians, and artists. BOOKS & RECORDS For North Light’s bookshop, we asked some of our favorite writers, musicians, and artists to select the inventory. Special bookshelves have been curated by Patti Smith, Michael Chabon, George Saunders, Samin Nosrat, Rebecca Solnit, Tobias Wolff, Maureen Corrigan, Robert Pinsky, Ayelet Waldman, Daniel Handler, Lisa Brown, Michael Pollan, Pico Iyer, Greil Marcus, Dana Gioia, Michael Ondaatje, Jim White, and we’re adding new curators regularly. Our record store is organized into 9 drawers, each focused on a different artist and 3 degrees of their connections, collaborations, and influences. For example, 3 degrees of The Beatles, which includes 50 or so records of pop and rock by various artists, as seen through the lens of The Beatles. Other drawers are focused on the worlds of Aretha Franklin, Grandmaster Flash, Robert Johnson, Patti Smith, Dolly Parton, Duke Ellington, and Rogue Wave. We look forward to seeing you soon.