An urban respite, Lake Merritt is a popular place to stroll or go running (a 3.5-mile paved path circles the lake), with bonsai and botanical gardens, a children's amusement park, bird sanctuary, green spaces, a boathouse and gondola rides. The two main commercial streets skirting Lake Merritt are Grand Ave, running along the north shore, and Lakeshore Ave on the eastern edge of the lake.
![](https://lp-cms-production.imgix.net/2019-06/8bef188d9c2fe98f74102efd52890f0c-lake-merritt.jpg?w=1920&h=640&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cedges&auto=format&q=75)
Lake Merritt
Oakland
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