When you spend a lot of time at Lake Merritt, you start to notice its rhythms. As a Tuesday-morning volunteer with Lake Merritt Institute for a year and a half, I’ve learned to read the lake’s seasonal cues. As the weather warms, I notice more friends gathering on the grass. I notice when the ducks arrive for winter, and when the Canada geese parade their springtime goslings around the lawns. I notice the fresh influx of trash after each heavy rain.

I also notice how the tide changes from day to day and season to season. The best lake-cleaning conditions are when the tide is in, so you can easily skim the water’s surface and reel in a satisfying haul. When the tide is out, though, you know to bring your boots in case cleaning up requires mucking in the mud. It’s not always glamorous, but it is deeply gratifying to move in rhythm with the lake and leave it better than I found it.

Whether you’re strolling the shoreline with your pup, jogging the 3.4-mile loop, having a picnic, or donning gloves for a trash cleanup, Lake Merritt has a rhythm all its own — and it deserves a soundtrack to match. Music deepens your connection to place, boosts your mood, and makes picking up litter feel like dancing.

Inspired by our favorite urban tidal lagoon, I’ve curated a playlist that celebrates what it feels like to move with Lake Merritt’s rhythms. With a shout out to Oakland and Bay Area artists, these songs about joy, community, and action keep me motivated in the midst of the deepest muck. I hope you enjoy it on your next visit to the lake, too.

Merritt Vibes

Laid back, scenic, diverse — like the lake itself

• • Lovely Day – Bill Withers
  • Golden – Jill Scott
  • Cruisin’ – Smokey Robinson
  • Cumbia del Olvido – Nicola Cruz

• The Loop – Toro y Moi (Oaklander!)

• • Feels Like Summer – Childish Gambino
  • Lovely Day / Good as Hell Mashup – Pomplamoose (Bay Area natives!!)
  • On & On – Erykah Badu
  • Get Up, Stand Up – Bob Marley & The Wailers
  • Happy – Pharrell Williams
  • Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

• I Got You – Michael Franti & Spearhead (Oakland natives!)

By Kathleen Nay