These former horse stables have been transformed into Oakland's hippest street

Melia Robinson/Business Insider

Stylists at Temescal Alley Barber Shop take a much-needed breather after a long day of trimming tresses.

The one-story, 20th-century structures that line Temescal Alley and Alley 49 used to horse stables. Horses pulled the town's trolleys from a nearby amusement park to the hills of Berkeley.

In 2011, the city rezoned the all-but-abandoned lot in Oakland, California, and four co-investors snapped up the parcels with intent to transform the microneighborhood.

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Today, the two dead-end streets - known collectively as Temescal Alley - form a hotbed of creativity and artisanship. Independent shops, restaurants, and artists' workspaces make it the perfect place to pass an afternoon.