Emeryville Art Walk
EMERYVILLE PUBLIC ART WALK: YES, THE UTILITY BOXES COUNT
Blurb:
Emeryville is tiny, but it contains a frankly unreasonable amount of public art. We’ll take a relaxed, mostly flat loop past giant sculptures, colorful murals and the city’s delightfully fun utility boxes! Along the way, we’ll leave plenty of room for good conversation and the kind of networking that doesn’t feel like networking. We’ll finish back at Public Market Emeryville, where anyone who wants can stay for lunch.
When:
Sunday, September 27, 2026, 10 AM–Noon
Location:
Meet beside the giant Chocolate Cake with Rainbow Sprinkles sculpture by Sofie Ramos in the northwest corner of Christie Avenue Park, 6200 Christie Avenue, Emeryville. The park is directly beside Public Market Emeryville.
Description:
We’ll take a relaxed, approximately 2.5–3-mile loop through Christie Park and Bay Street, across the South Bayfront pedestrian bridge, and past selected outdoor artworks along Horton Street and the Emeryville Greenway before returning to the Public Market.
After the walk, anyone who would like to stay can grab lunch at Public Market Emeryville. The Market is open on Sundays, and multiple food vendors will be open by lunchtime, although individual vendor hours vary. Everyone can purchase their own food and choose what sounds good.
Parking:
Free parking is available near the Public Market, but posted time limits apply, and many spaces are limited to two hours—too short for early arrival, the full walk, and optional lunch. Anyone planning to stay for the entire event could consider the paid Bay Street garage at 5680 Bay Street or another legal paid space, then walk to the meeting point. Please follow all posted signs and don’t leave valuables visible in vehicles.
Public Transportation:
This is accessible by BART plus a FREE shuttle. Take BART to MacArthur Station and transfer to the fare-free Emery Go-Round Shellmound/Powell shuttle, getting off at the Public Market stop. Sunday service currently runs approximately every 20 minutes; attendees should confirm the weekend schedule before traveling. AC Transit Line 57 also connects MacArthur BART with the Public Market.
Terrain:
Easy and mostly flat, with paved sidewalks and multi-use paths, urban street crossings and one gradual pedestrian-bridge approach. Approximately 2.5–3 miles at a relaxed pace with frequent stops to look at the art. Comfortable sneakers are fine.
Facilities:
Public Market Emeryville opens at 10:00 a.m. Restrooms are available once the Market opens and again when we return. There may not be guaranteed restroom access during the middle portion of the walk, so please plan accordingly.
Miscellaneous:
This is an urban art walk rather than a traditional trail hike. Some stretches have limited shade, and the route includes exposed corridors where it can be breezy enough to feel cooler than the forecast suggests. Bring water, sun protection and a light layer. No art expertise required; curiosity and comfortable shoes will do.
Map
Open the planned walking loop in Google Maps
Route at a glance
CAKE → CHRISTIE/SHELLMOUND + CHRISTIE/POWELL BOXES → SHELLMOUND/BAY → SOUTH BAYFRONT BRIDGE → 5858 HORTON → GREENWAY/5800 HOLLIS → 5885 HOLLIS → DOYLE HOLLIS PARK → 6100/5980/5959 HORTON → AMTRAK PEDESTRIAN OVERPASS → CAKE
This is a planned, exterior-first loop. Confirm the final crossings, construction conditions, and active artworks during the route scout.
Walking sequence
Stop 1 — Chocolate Cake with Rainbow Sprinkles, Christie Avenue Park, 6200 Christie Avenue | Meet beside Sofie Ramos’ giant cake sculpture in the northwest corner of the park. Allow 10 minutes for arrivals, introductions, and a quick safety briefing.
Stop 2 — Nearby Sign of the Times utility boxes | Walk south from the park, using marked crossings. Look for Seyed Alavi’s bright-yellow utility-box vignettes near Shellmound/Christie and Powell/Christie. The current City lookbook lists Painting Leg, Balancing on Infinity, Light the Way, and Taking a Brain in this area. | Organizer note: the lookbook marks Painting a Picture at Christie Park as missing, so do not promise it as a stop.
Stop 3 — Shellmound/Bay Street | Continue south toward Bay Street. Pause for the utility box at Shellmound/Bay and selected outdoor works around the Bay Street district, then use the signed approach to the South Bayfront pedestrian/bike bridge.
Stop 4 — South Bayfront Bridge + 5858 Horton Street | Cross to Horton Landing. Continue north to EmeryStation I, where exterior highlights include Eclipse and Blues Tower. Treat courtyards and interiors as unavailable unless Sunday access is specifically confirmed.
Stop 5 — Emeryville Greenway + 5800 Hollis Street | Use the Greenway connection east to All Together Now. This is a good regrouping and group-photo point; keep the bike path clear.
Stop 6 — 5885 Hollis Street / 59th Street | Continue north on Hollis. Look for Angel’s Hand and the Flag Head utility box. Discuss any interior-only works from outside unless access is confirmed.
Stop 7 — Doyle Hollis Park / 61st Street | Continue to Reflection of Time in Doyle Hollis Park and the Tree from Head utility box along 61st Street.
Stop 8 — Horton Street science-art sequence | Head west toward 6100 Horton, then south. Possible exterior highlights include Cascada at 6100 Horton; Commuting and Platter 143 at 5980 Horton; and DNA and Mitochondria at 5959 Horton. Cross the station pedestrian overpass to the Public Market side and return to the cake sculpture.
Finish — Christie Avenue Park | Close the walk where it began. Public Market Emeryville is next door for optional lunch.
Utility-box plan
The route is designed to pass at least six of Seyed Alavi’s Sign of the Times official utility boxes without a special detour. Installations can be removed or serviced, so verify them during the scout and describe the box count as “several” in public-facing copy.
Thanks to Randi Ervin for leading the hike!
To learn more about a related East Bay group, join Bio Pharma Networking Group - Diablo Valley at https://www.linkedin.com/groups/22730008/