Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt

History and Development

The Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt, also known as Frog Park, is a public park and greenway that connects the neighborhoods of Temescal and Rockridge in Oakland, California. The park spans several blocks, stretching from Hudson Street to Clarke Street, running parallel to Claremont Avenue.

The land on which the park sits was designated as a public space during the 1960s when the Temescal Creek was undergrounded. The park's development began in 2001, led by a community volunteer group called Friends of the Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt (FROG), which continues to maintain and improve the area.

Park Areas and Features

The Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt encompasses two older parks: Hardy Park on its northern edge and Redondo Park on its southern edge, popularly known as Big Frog and Little Frog parks respectively. These areas feature community-built play structures designed by Leathers & Associates, which were constructed during a "Big Build" event in October 2001 involving 1,300 volunteers.

A notable feature of the park is a reconstituted creek that runs intermittently through the greenbelt. This water feature is filled by water pumped up from the culvert below, serving as a reminder of the buried Temescal Creek.

The park also includes artistic and interpretive design elements referencing the history and ecology of the creek, designed by Oakland artist Mark Brest Van Kempen.

Art and Community Events

Under the overpass of Highway 24, near the northern edge of the park, visitors can admire a 120-foot-long "Oceanus" mural. Painted in 1977 and restored in 2003, this artwork depicts an underwater panorama of sea creatures and divers.

The Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt serves as a venue for community events, including semi-annual clean-up activities on Earth Day in April and Creek-to-Bay Day in September. Since 2006, the park has also hosted the Temescal Farmers Market on Sunday mornings in the adjacent Department of Motor Vehicles parking lot.