Laurel in Oakland

To the Editors:

As Michael Chabon’s essay about the Brown Sugar Kitchen [“Soul Pleasure,” NYR, November 6, 2014] makes plain, Oakland is a very special place. I would like to remind Mr. Chabon that one of the things Oaklanders really care about is their own particular neighborhood (like many cities, Oakland’s geography is subdivided by neighborhoods that each bear their own special characteristics). The joke about Oakland’s laurels was a good one, but come on, Mr. Chabon: everybody knows that the Laurel is MacArthur Boulevard between 35th and High Street. And there’s a lot happening there, too.

Stephen Hassett
Reverend
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
Orinda, California