Are we Montclair in name only, or more?
Lately, a larger group of Montclarions are declaring independence from Mother Oakland. Neighbors peer over to Piedmont, which shares our zip code, as historic inspiration for peaceful co-existence with Oakland. Splitting from Oakland is hardly a new idea, but it’s picked up steam during the recession.
We are going to leave aside all the discussion about whether this is realistic or desired. You may join a Facebook or Yahoo group for more discussions, and you should check out neighbor Tony Morosini’s original Montclarion piece as well as nascent presentation.
Whether we’re together or not, our zeitgeist is already established. We are well-defined by our Village and shopping district, weekly newspaper, canine mayor and overall sense of hills identity.
Our borders are a little murky, extending slightly north beyond Highway 24 and west beyond Route 13. We’re represented by two city council districts and two police beats. The lines would need to be drawn more clearly.
Even this blog had to struggle to be known as a real place, often clashing with Montclair, NJ more than any other locale. While Montclair, CA exists, we have experienced very few online clashes except in the directories.
Let’s consider the naming opportunities
Today denizens and visitors say they are in Montclair, Montclair District, Oakland Hills or just plain ‘ole Oakland. Maybe we should mull over other candidates, presented for your worthy consideration:
- District Montclair – Nice vibe, but a little hoity-toity.
- Montclair Hills – Well, it’s really straightforward.
- Montclair Canyons – How about the flip side of the coin?
- Oakclair – Keeping the history intact, sort of.
- Thornclair – Recalls the first big logger, Hiram Thorn.
- Peralta – Honors our first Europeans appropriately.
- Chabot Hills – Will the East Bay Park District object?
- Feltre – Our Italian inspiration would be in the hills.
- Tuscany – We hear this pedestrian name was proposed before.
- Phoenix Hills – Perfect reference to our rising from the ashes.
One neighbor suggested some great alternatives, especially if we could loosen up and bestow a unique moniker on our place. How about Redwoods-No-More? Weather Perfection? Gentle Green? Or should we continue status quo, after all?
Today in Montclair, 94611 
I vote for North Oakland Hills. I like living in “Oakland” – it’s the city government I could do without.
I’m with Andy K. I like living in Oakland, but the city government I’m less enthused about. But I’d just say “Montclair”, like you’d say “the Laurel”, “Fruitvale”, or which ever neighborhood in Oakland. I think of Montclair as going north to 24, west to 13 and Piedmont, and south to Joaquin Miller park. See http://ouroakland.blogspot.com and look at the “my Oakland map” link for a Google Maps version of how I think of Oakland neighborhoods (as opposed to the “neighborhoods” map that includes every neighborhood, official or not, that I could find.)
This idea is about as silly as “energy independence.”
That idea led to Bush and Obama together letting the Minerals Management Service become a royalty volume driven promoter rather than a regulator. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is taking the same path, considering 20 year license renewals on 30 year old nuclear power plants a decade or more before the current licenses expire.
The Piedmontization of Montclair neighborhoods will simply create more administrative jobs in already inadequate police and fire response forces. Why not elect a mayor (human and pet) for every block in the City and give everyone a gun. (Whoa, don’t let the Tea Party and Open Carry crowd see that idea.)
Why not leave Oakland and merge with Piedmont?
Whatsa matter Kenneth, drink too much Messiah Koolaid today? Montclair tax money is what Oakland lives on and Montclair would have much better services without the drain of the flatlands. The hills have a fire tax and the rest needs a crack tax to pay for all of the crime
I would just like to keep calling it home but not with the way things are going!
We need to break from Oakland unless we get our own Police department based here in the village, not 20-25 mins away! We are easy pickings from criminals looking for relatively unprotected residents (that pay a bulk of the taxes). If there is a petition I would sign it today. A move to join Piedmont might work since our neighbors spend most of their free time time and money in our village.