upcoming Oakland events

Lot's going on: Oakland Indie Awards, ACCFB Empty Bowls, Open Studios, natural science at OMCA re-opens, ReWrite Oakland, and more. There's even a neighborhood yard sale that's been held annually for 37 years!

Wednesday

Oakland Walking Tours - Wednesday, 10am. Free downtown walking tours highlighting Oakland's history, architecture and people. Read about past Oakland Walking Tours. (free)

Thursday

Oakland Indie Awards - Thursday, May 30, 6:30-10:30 pm. Join the celebration for Oakland's local economy, a party for locals by locals. Enjoy an evening under the stars on the beautiful Kaiser Rooftop Garden and Terrace, overlooking Lake Merritt. Read about last year's awards and party. ($10-$15)

ACCFB: Empty Bowls - Thursday, May 30, 6-8pm. Join the Alameda County Community Food Bank for their annual Empty Bowls program to raise money for their work of feeding the hungry in Alameda County. In addition to enjoying a delicious soup dinner, guests will enjoy the music of accordionist Duckmandu, take home a hand-painted bowl and bid in a silent auction. ($25)

Friday

Bites off Broadway - Fridays, 5:30-8:30pm. My favorite food truck event, held Fridays outside Studio One Art Center just off Broadway. Read more about Bites off Broadway. (free)

Gallery of California Natural Sciences at OMCA opens - Friday, May 31. The long-awaited reopening of the natural sciences section of the Oakland Museum. (with admission)

Saturday

Redwood Heights' 37th Annual Block Sale - Saturday, June 1, 9am-3pm. Jordan Road and 35th Avenue. Over 20 homes participate in this neighborhood yard sale. Hits lots of sales in little time. Bring the kids and take a break from shopping at sunny "Jordan Park". (free)

East Bay Open Studios - Saturday, Sunday, June 1-2, 8-9; 11am-6pm. See the work of over 400 local artists as they open their studios to the public. Numerous artists and galleries are taking part, including Gray Loft Gallery and Fernando Reyes in Jingletown, the Crucible in West Oakland, and many more. (free)

Oakland Walking Tours - Saturdays, 10am. Free downtown walking tours highlighting Oakland's history, architecture and people. Read about past Oakland Walking Tours. (free)

"Finding Common Ground through Sacred Words" - Saturdays, 10am-4pm. The Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California hosts an interfaith art exhibit. In conjunction with Kehilla Community Synagogue and the Montclair Presbyterian Church. Each work incorporates words, text or letters in unique expressions that underscore interfaith understanding, spirituality, peace and cultural dialogue. (free)

ReWrite Oakland - Saturday, June 1. Help decipher and rewrite the obfuscated city of Oakland websites, making them accessible to all. Part of the National Day of Civic Hacking. (free)

ongoing events:

• Oakland Walking Tours (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
• Dancing Under the Stars at JLS (Thursdays)
• Art Murmur (1st Friday)
• Bites off Broadway (Fridays)
• Off the Grid at OMCA (Fridays)
• Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
• Oakland Urban Paths walk (2nd Saturdays)
  
• Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)
• Piedmont Avenue Stroll (3rd Thursdays)

looking further ahead:

Fairyland Gala Costume Party - Thursday, June 6, 6:30-9:30pm. Help support Children's Fairyland by attending this special adults-only gala party in Fairyland. ($75-$125)

Dancing Under the Stars at JLS - Thursdays, 8:30-10pm. Free dance lessons from Linden Street Dance Studio return! (free)

Oakland Urban Paths walk - Lake Merritt - Sunday, June 9, 10am-12:30pm. Join Oakland Urban Paths for a walk around Lake Merritt before the Love Our Lake celebrations begin. We'll check out the improvements from Measure DD and visit the Cleveland Cascade. (free)

Love Our Lake: Oaklavia + Measure DD Celebration - Sunday, June 9. Come celebrate the work accomplished as part of Measure DD, improving the areas around Lake Merritt. Streets around the lake will be closed for pedestrian and bicycle friendliness. There will be food trucks, live entertainment, and activities for kids. (free)

Fairyland for Grownups - August 16. Your chance to visit Fairyland without a child on an adults only night. Ever wanted to drink a beer inside a whale? This is your chance. A fundraiser for Children's Fairyland.

a fresh bite of Oakland food news

Some Oakland food news that's so fresh it's still sizzling. On my ride to Fruitvale BART this morning I noticed a brightly colored building near Brookdale that I didn't remember seeing with some extra activity. Riding home after work I stopped briefly to get the scoop, and it's a new restaurant featuring Filipino street food. They don't have a website yet, and they're still figuring out the menu. I'm not even sure if they have a name yet. This is a soft opening; they'll have a formal opening in a couple weeks, I think. I'll post more as I hear about it. In the mean time, stop by and say hi to Art and his crew, or call 510-789-6343 to order ahead for take-out.

walking tour: churches and temples

It's been a while since I went on any of the city of Oakland's walking tours. The tours are available May through October, so it's been at least since last fall. And although I've been on all eight of the tours, there's no reason not to go on them more than once. I still learn things, different guides emphasize different things, and they're free! I also look at things differently as I learn more about Oakland and its history. There are connections between things that I didn't know about before.

(note: if you're new to Our Oakland, links with the Open Oakland oak logo in front of them go to Oakland Wiki where you can learn more. Several of the tour participants and I discussed the desire to preserve our the amazing Oakland knowledge of our guide and others; the Oakland Wiki is an attempt to do some of that.)

First Presbyterian

This tour was focused on some of Oakland's historical churches and temples. We met in front of the First Presbyterian Church of Oakland. The current building was constructed in 1914, but the congregation goes all the way back to Oakland's founding, and began meeting in a tent near the waterfront at the foot of Broadway in 1853. Our guide was Don Tyler, a retired Oakland history teacher, and the same guide who led the tour when I last took this one two years ago. Don began by telling us about the various religious services that pre-dated the first congregation, including the Ohlone people and the Spanish.

Then we headed to nearby Temple Sinai, the current home of Oakland's First Hebrew Congregation. Like many other houses of worship in Oakland, it had started downtown, but had moved over the years as Oakland grew. Since it was Saturday, services were in progress, so we couldn't go see the interior. The architect of the building also designed movie theaters, so there are a few features reminiscent of the movie palaces of the day.

We walked over Pill Hill to Saint Augustine's Episcopal Church. It's a bright red wooden church building on Telegraph. Through a bit of luck, we were able to go inside to see the interior and hear about the church's history. It began as two separate churches, Trinity Episcopal Church and St. Augustine's. The wooden building narrowly avoided being badly damaged by the Loma Prieta earthquake; seismic retrofit work was finished weeks before the earthquake struck in 1989.

Further down Telegraph we came to First Baptist Church. We were shown around by church member and historian Phil Meads (whose grandfather was one of the church founders). The remarkable building had just been completed in 1904, and Julia Morgan hired to finish the interior in 1906. It was badly damaged by the 1906 earthquake, and so Ms. Morgan was instead hired to repair the structure as well as finish the interior. First Baptist and the nearby Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales had a close relationship, working together on many projects. After the Loma Prieta earthquake, the church was used by the Oakland diocese for services. For more info about First Baptist, see Phil Meads' website.

Then it was over to Lake Merritt to check out the new Catholic cathedral, the Cathedral of Christ the Light. There was some sort of event going on (possibly the installation of the new bishop), with overflow seating filling the plaza, so we couldn't get a very good look at it.

Around the end of Lake Merritt we walked past the Veteran's Memorial Building, and Don told us a bit about it. Before it was built, there were questions about whether a building could be constructed there because it was donated park land. The building was designated a "memorial", and the structure built.

A short distance away is St. Paul's Episcopal Church. The all-brick building is built on land that had been the marshy edge of Lake Merritt, and so was damaged in the Loma Prieta earthquake. It required significant seismic retrofit work. Almost next door is the Whole Foods Market, which is the third major thing that's been in the building. Before the grocery store, it was a car dealership, the Cox Cadillac Showroom. But originally it was a car barn and power plant for the Piedmont Consolidated Cable Company's cable car line. The waste steam was used to heat water for the Piedmont Baths next door. Don and I talked a bit about "Borax" Smith and the Key System since most of people on the tour didn't know about them and were curious about Oakland having cable cars and street cars.

The tour was already running long, but we crossed Harrison to the last church on the tour, the First Congregational Church. Unfortunately we weren't able to go inside, but while Don was checking on that I told people about the Judith Offer play that was going to be performed that evening. Compared to What? is a story set against the backdrop of the Pullman Porters in West Oakland.

A long tour, but a good one!

Lots more photos from the walk:


Read more about the churches and temples on the tour on my post from 2011. There are pictures of the interiors of some of the churches we didn't get to go into this time.

a bite of Oakland food news

Just a quick bite of food news. I got a press release that the new restaurant replacing Hudson on College Avenue in Rockridge is opening this month. A16 (named for a scenic highway in Italy) will be under the direction of Executive Chef Rocky Maselli. It will have pasta, pizza, and "a focus on dishes from Italy’s Puglia region, a destination known for its seafood." They'll serve Linden Street Brewery beers, and co-owner/wine director Shelley Lindgren is an award-winning sommelier so they should have a great wine list.

This news is so fresh, their website, www.A16Rockridge.com isn't even up yet. I was in the area yesterday, but didn't know to look for any activity. Anyone seen signs of the opening yet?

upcoming Oakland events

It's Memorial Day weekend. Lots going on, including various special events on Memorial Day.

Wednesday

Oakland Walking Tours - Wednesday, 10am. Free downtown walking tours highlighting Oakland's history, architecture and people. Read about past Oakland Walking Tours. (free)

Friday

Bites off Broadway - Fridays, 5:30-8:30pm. My favorite food truck event, held Fridays outside Studio One Art Center just off Broadway. Read more about Bites off Broadway. (free)

Compared to What? play - May 24,25 - A play by Judith Offer about the Pullman Porters and life in West Oakland. Held at the First Christian Church. ($15-$20)

Saturday

Rod and Custom Car Show at JLS - Saturday, May 25, 10am-4pm. More than 65 classic cars from the 1920s to 1960s will be on display. Enjoy live music, food and fun! (free)

Oakland Walking Tours - Saturdays, 10am. Free downtown walking tours highlighting Oakland's history, architecture and people. Read about past Oakland Walking Tours. (free)

"Finding Common Ground through Sacred Words" - Saturdays, 10am-4pm. The Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California hosts an interfaith art exhibit. In conjunction with Kehilla Community Synagogue and the Montclair Presbyterian Church. Each work incorporates words, text or letters in unique expressions that underscore interfaith understanding, spirituality, peace and cultural dialogue. (free)

Monday

Memorial Day Commemoration - Monday, May 27, 10am. Honor all veterans in this special ceremony at Mountain View Cemetery. It will be followed by a tour led by local historian Dennis Evanosky. Read about last year's ceremony. (free)

4th Annual Jamaican Jerk Cook Off - Monday, May 27, 1-5pm. Bay Area connoisseurs offer up unlimited Jerk tastings (if you dare!), $4 Linden Street Beers, raffles, DJ's and it all benefits a great organization, My Yute Soccer Camp. Held at Linden Street Brew($20-$25)

ongoing events:

• Oakland Walking Tours (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
• Art Murmur (1st Friday)
• Bites off Broadway (Fridays
• Off the Grid at OMCA (Fridays)
• Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
• Oakland Urban Paths walk (2nd Saturdays)
  
• Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)
• Piedmont Avenue Stroll (3rd Thursdays)

looking further ahead:

Oakland Indie Awards - Thursday, May 30, 6:30-10:30 pm. Join the celebration for Oakland's local economy, a party for locals by locals. Enjoy an evening under the stars on the beautiful Kaiser Rooftop Garden and Terrace, overlooking Lake Merritt. Read about last year's awards and party. ($10-$15)

ACCFB: Empty Bowls - Thursday, May 30, 6-8pm. Join the Alameda County Community Food Bank for their annual Empty Bowls program to raise money for their work of feeding the hungry in Alameda County. In addition to enjoying a delicious soup dinner, guests will enjoy the music of accordionist Duckmandu, take home a hand-painted bowl and bid in a silent auction. ($25)

Gallery of California Natural Sciences at OMCA opens - Friday, May 31. The long-awaited reopening of the natural sciences section of the Oakland Museum.

ReWrite Oakland - Saturday, June 1. Help decipher and rewrite the obfuscated city of Oakland websites, making them accessible to all. Part of the National Day of Civic Hacking. (free)

Fairyland Gala Costume Party - Thursday, June 6, 6:30-9:30pm. Help support Children's Fairyland by attending this special adults-only gala party in Fairyland. ($75-$125)

Love Our Lake: Oaklavia + Measure DD Celebration - Sunday, June 9. Come celebrate the work accomplished as part of Measure DD, improving the areas around Lake Merritt. Streets around the lake will be closed for pedestrian and bicycle friendliness. There will be food trucks, live entertainment, and activities for kids. (free)

it's fire season again

In an annual rite, people across the Oakland hills are clearing away underbrush, cutting the grass, and trimming tree branches in preparation for fire season. It's something that's never too far from people's minds in the hills, at least since the 1991 firestorm.

According to the Tribune, Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said, "Already this year we've responded to a 50 percent increasing in wildland fires than last year." Eep. We didn't have an especially rainy year, but we did have some rain late. That means more growth, and more hazards.

One of the lessons of the 1991 firestorm was that eucalyptus trees are particularly hazardous. Not only are the trees not native to the Bay Area, people actively planted them. Joaquin Miller planted pines, cypress, acacia, and eucalyptus in what is now the park bearing his name. Developer Frank Havens imported millions of seedlings from Australia. He started the Mahogany Eucalyptus and Land Company, thinking that eucalyptus would be a good source of lumber for railroad ties. They weren't—they grow too fast and twist, and split and warp when dried. Further, the eucalyptus trees have a high oil content, and tend to drop lots of dry, very flammable leaf litter. There were various factors that led to the 1991 firestorm being so horrific, but eucalyptus trees were a significant part of it.

Today we got a reminder. A small fire broke out in Joaquin Miller Park overnight. Once they located it, the fire department made short work of it and had it under control by 4:30am. Then this afternoon a fire in Orinda meant a circling helicopter east of Oakland, an ominous sound to hear in the hills. So lets be careful out there, and be fire safe.

In Search of the East Bay's Best Ribs

If you enjoyed Dave Cambell's guest post The Improving State of the Pulled Pork Sandwich, be sure to check out his recent post on the new lOAKal blog, In Search of the East Bay's Best Ribs.

upcoming Oakland events

Lots going on this week. The biggest event is the 41st annual Oakland Greek Festival, but there are walking tours, concerts, plays, the Malcom X Jazz Festival, Bites off Broadway, and more.

Wednesday

Oakland Walking Tours - Wednesday, 10am. Free downtown walking tours highlighting Oakland's history, architecture and people. Read about past Oakland Walking Tours. (free)

Friday

Bites off Broadway - Fridays, 5:30-8:30pm. Beginning May 10th. My favorite food truck event returns for 2013. Read more about Bites off Broadway. (free)

Compared to What? play - May 10,11,12,17,18,19,24,25 - A play by Judith Offer about the Pullman Porters and life in West Oakland. Held at the First Christian Church. ($15-$20)

Oakland Greek Festival - Friday, Saturday, Sunday. The 41st annual Oakland Greek Festival. Celebrate the food, music, and culture of Greece. (free-$6)

Saturday

Walk to End Poverty - Saturday, May 18, 9am. A walk to help end poverty around Lake Merritt. The first 400 people to bring a non-perishable food item (no glass, please) will receive a free t-shirt. (free)

Oakland Walking Tours - Saturdays, 10am. Free downtown walking tours highlighting Oakland's history, architecture and people. Read about past Oakland Walking Tours. (free)

"Finding Common Ground through Sacred Words" - Saturdays, 10am-4pm. The Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California hosts an interfaith art exhibit. In conjunction with Kehilla Community Synagogue and the Montclair Presbyterian Church. Each work incorporates words, text or letters in unique expressions that underscore interfaith understanding, spirituality, peace and cultural dialogue. (free)

Malcolm X Jazz Festival - Saturday, May 18, 11am-7pm. The 13th annual Jazz Festival in San Antonio Park. Featuring a wide variety of musicians and dancers, plus a children's area and food court. (free)

Go in Peace - CD release concert - Saturday, 7pm. Free concert to celebrate the release of Katarina Stenstedt's debut album, Go in Peace. (free)

Notes & Words 2013 - Saturday, May 18, 8pm. Writers Mary Roach, Billy Collins, Kelly Corrigan and Lauren Graham join forces with musicians G. Love & Special Sauce, Good Night, Texas, Vocal Rush and LaToya London to raise money for Children's Hospital Oakland, at the Fox Theater. ($50+)

ongoing events:

• Oakland Walking Tours (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
• Art Murmur (1st Friday)
• Bites off Broadway (Fridays
• Off the Grid at OMCA (Fridays)
• Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
• Oakland Urban Paths walk (2nd Saturdays)
  
• Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)
• Piedmont Avenue Stroll (3rd Thursdays)

looking further ahead:

Rod and Custom Car Show at JLS - Saturday, May 25, 10am-4pm. More than 65 classic cars from the 1920s to 1960s will be on display. Enjoy live music, food and fun! (free)

Oakland Indie Awards - Thursday, May 30, 6:30-10:30 pm. Join the celebration for Oakland's local economy, a party for locals by locals. Enjoy an evening under the stars on the beautiful Kaiser Rooftop Garden and Terrace, overlooking Lake Merritt. Read about last year's awards and party. ($10-$15)

ACCFB: Empty Bowls - Thursday, May 30, 6-8pm. Join the Alameda County Community Food Bank for their annual Empty Bowls program to raise money for their work of feeding the hungry in Alameda County. In addition to enjoying a delicious soup dinner, guests will enjoy the music of accordionist Duckmandu, take home a hand-painted bowl and bid in a silent auction. ($25)

Gallery of California Natural Sciences at OMCA opens - Friday, May 31. The long-awaited reopening of the natural sciences section of the Oakland Museum.

Fairyland Gala Costume Party - Thursday, June 6, 6:30-9:30pm. Help support Children's Fairyland by attending this special adults-only gala party in Fairyland. ($75-$125)

Love Our Lake: Oaklavia + Measure DD Celebration - Sunday, June 9. Come celebrate the work accomplished as part of Measure DD, improving the areas around Lake Merritt. Streets around the lake will be closed for pedestrian and bicycle friendliness. There will be food trucks, live entertainment, and activities for kids. (free)

Go In Peace - CD Release Concert

An upcoming event I'm particularly excited about is the CD release concert for my wife's first album, Go in Peace. The concert is this Saturday, May 18th at 7pm at College Avenue Presbyterian Church and admission is free. Katarina will be performing with our friends Tess Evans Clark and Bobby Medcalf, plus one or two other special guests. CAPC is generously providing the space and snacks.

The album features ten songs, all written and performed by Katarina, with Bobby on drums and percussion. The creation of the album has been a labor of love; I did the engineering on the album and designed the artwork, and we've both put in ridiculous amounts of time over the past year to make it happen. For samples of the songs, album notes, and more, check out Katarina's website, Sleep on the Hearth. Hope to see you there on Saturday!

Oakland Urban Paths: Piedmont and the Rose Garden

In honor of Mother's Day, the Oakland Urban Paths walk on Saturday trekked through Oakland and Piedmont, and included a stop in the Morcom Rose Garden where celebrations for the Oakland Mother of the Year Award were going on. About 35 people and 5 dogs joined us for an unexpectedly warm walk on stairways in Lakeshore, Grand Lake, and Piedmont.

We met in Mandana Plaza to begin the walk, then headed up Lakeshore Avenue. At our first stairway, Paul talked about the Key System and how many of the stairways and pathways around Oakland were built to give people in the neighborhoods better access to the streetcars. The different lines of the Key System were assigned letters and unique symbols so that riders could see which train was coming from a distance.

I pointed out a cast-iron lamp on the stairway which has a lot of history in a little stamp near the base. The lamp was made by the Joshua Hendy Iron Works. The company was originally based in San Francisco and later Sunnyvale. They manufactured mining equipment, valves and control gates for such projects as Hoover Dam, but were probably best known for manufacturing marine engines for hundreds of Liberty ships during WWII.

Chris and Tim's garden

Our wanderings took us up and down more stairs, past lots of gardens, flowers and lovely homes, and eventually into Piedmont. And then right back into Oakland. In an OUP first, we got to tour one of the gardens, thanks to Tim and Chris (who is on the Walk Oakland Bike Oakland board). They graciously invited us in to see their garden, which is full of native plants with a particular eye to attracting wild bees. Their cat was understandably less pleased about the presence of the dogs in our group. Tim didn't have time to talk about it while we were there, but the garden also features a gray water system as well as a barrel for rainwater collection.

Then it was back into Piedmont, and time for some confusion. When I tested the walk route, I didn't go through Tim and Chris' yard, but took a slightly different route around to the next point. As a result, I wasn't able to help when there were doubts about where to go on the route next. Things got more interesting because I got my bearings and proceeded to tell some people where the correct route was, and that while most of the group had backtracked a bit, we'd meet up shortly. So, about that... We backtracked further than I'd expected, so we didn't rejoin the people I'd directed down the correct route. After a bit of running around, I found the sub-group and lead them on to the rose garden where we rejoined the main group.

Morcom Rose Garden

At the Morcom Rose Garden there were ceremonies for the Oakland Mother of the Year Award. It's been given annually since 1954, to honor people in the community who "symbolize the finest traditions of 'motherhood'." This year's winner is Annalee Allen, who writes a history column for the Oakland Tribune and also leads the city of Oakland's downtown walking tours program. I ran into lots of folks from the Oakland Heritage Alliance who were there to celebrate Annalee's award, as well as Robert Raburn of the BART board. Mayor Jean Quan and councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney were there, too.

After we left the rose garden, we climbed up Jean Street so we could descend some stairs down to Grand Avenue. After crossing Grand, we admired the mural at the foot of the Davidson stairs, then climbed up the stairs to Vernon Street. There we viewed the back of the Grand Lake Theater sign, and Paul told us a bit about that. The sign has 2,800 colored bulbs, and is the largest rotary contact sign west of the Mississippi. The light sequence is controlled by a device not unlike a music box.

Then we descended back to our starting point on Lakeshore Avenue. Another great walk—thanks to Paul for leading it, and to Tim and Chris for letting us tour their garden. And thanks to everyone and everywoof who came out for the walk. The next walk will be Saturday, June 8th at 10am. The walk is still being finalized, but will likely be along the waterfront. Hope to see you out there!

Lots more pictures from Saturday's walk:

signs: Piedmont Piano

I've posted this sign before, but it's worth checking out at night, too.

Bike to Work Day 2013

Yesterday was the annual Bike to Work Day, and thousands of people all over the Bay Area took part. I volunteered with the East Bay Bicycle Coalition near Coast Guard Island along the estuary.

I don't know the overall stats, but we had over 250 bicyclists go past the energizer station. Not all of them stopped, as some had already been to other energizer stations, but it was awesome to see so many people out biking. There were young and old (though technically the very young were biking to day care, not work); first-timers and regular bike commuters; and people of all shapes, sizes and colors. Hopefully some of them will start biking to work on a regular basis!

I also volunteered at the hella fun after-work bike party in Old Oakland. It included live and DJ'ed music, food trucks including Tina Tamale and Liba Falafel, and beer from New Belgium, and a variety of bike-related activities. The bike parking was so popular that we had to set up extra racks and temporarily slow down the incoming rate! Local businesses were also getting a lot of love; people were checking out the new Spokes bike shop, Marion and Rose's Workshop, and heading for restaurants as the party started winding down.

Check out the coverage of the after work party on Oakland North.

More pictures from Bike to Work Day:

upcoming Oakland events

This week's big event is the annual Bike to Work Day! There's also the return of Bites off Broadway, an Oakland Urban Paths walk, the opening for "Finding Common Ground through Sacred Words", a mother's day tea at Cohen-Bray House and more.

Wednesday

Oakland Walking Tours - Wednesday, 10am. Free downtown walking tours highlighting Oakland's history, architecture and people. Read about past Oakland Walking Tours. (free)

What I Hear, I Keep: Stories from Oakland's Griots - Wednesday-Saturday, 2:30-5:30pm. Visual and audio art installation at Peralta Hacienda based on African American stories of modern-day Oakland, with local residents telling about their lives and exploring their identities. (with $5 admission)

Vintage porcelain at the Pardee Home - Wednesdays, 2nd Saturdays, 2nd Sundays. View the historic Pardee Home and the collection of porcelain collected by the globe-trotting Mrs. Pardee. You can take the tour for $5 or have the tour and tea for $25. Read more at World of Mailman. Read about the tea service on the East Bay Express. ($5/$25)

Thursday

Bike to Work Day - Thursday, May 9. Join thousands of other people all over in biking to work. The East Bay Bicycle Coalition and other orgs will be hosting energizer stations around the East Bay, and you can join pedal pools of other cyclists. There's also a pancake breakfast at city hall, and an after-work bike party in Old Oakland. (free)

Friday

Bites off Broadway - Fridays, 5:30-8:30pm. Beginning May 10th. My favorite food truck event returns for 2013. Read more about Bites off Broadway. (free)

Estuary Art Attack - Friday, May 10, 6-9pm. Explore art galleries in Jingletown and across the bridge in Alameda. (free)

Closing reception for The Big Painting Show - Friday, May 10, 6-10pm. Features large scale paintings by eight accomplished Bay Area abstract artists. For a peek at some of them, check out my post on Slow Art Day. (free)

Compared to What? play - May 10,11,12,17,18,19,24,25 - A play by Judith Offer about the Pullman Porters and life in West Oakland. Held at the First Christian Church. ($15-$20)

Saturday

Oakland Urban Paths: Roses for Mother's Day! - Saturday, May 11, 10am. Join Oakland Urban Paths as we explore stairways and pathways between Oakland and Piedmont, as well as check out the flowers in landscaped yards, parks and the Morcom Rose Garden. (free)

Glenview Cottage Industries Show - Saturday, May 11, 10am-5pm. Featuring local artists and craftspeople in Glenview.

Oakland Walking Tours - Saturday, 10am. Free downtown walking tours highlighting Oakland's history, architecture and people. Read about past Oakland Walking Tours. (free)

"Finding Common Ground through Sacred Words" - Saturday, May 11, 5-8pm. The Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California hosts an interfaith art exhibit. In conjunction with Kehilla Community Synagogue and the Montclair Presbyterian Church. Each work incorporates words, text or letters in unique expressions that underscore interfaith understanding, spirituality, peace and cultural dialogue. (free)

American Steel Studios - Art + Industry - Saturday, May 11, noon-11pm. American Steel Studios hosts a huge open gallery, with art and demonstrations by artists. Meet the people that make up American Steel when they open their studios to the public, including interactive programs, demonstrations, artist talks, behind-the-scenes facility and studio tours, performances, fire art and so much more. (free)

Sunday

Mother's Day Tea at Cohen-Bray House - Sunday, May 12, 1, 2 and 3pm. Get a tour of the historic Cohen-Bray House in East Oakland, view Emma Bray Cohen's amazing hat collection, and have tea to celebrate mother's day. There are seatings at 1, 2 and 3pm. ($15-$25)

American Steel Studios - Art + Industry - Sunday, May 12, noon-5pm. American Steel Studios hosts a huge open gallery, with art and demonstrations by artists. Meet the people that make up American Steel when they open their studios to the public, including interactive programs, demonstrations, artist talks, behind-the-scenes facility and studio tours, performances, fire art and so much more. (free)

ongoing events:

• Oakland Walking Tours (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
• Art Murmur (1st Friday)
• Bites off Broadway (Fridays
• Off the Grid at OMCA (Fridays)
• Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
• Oakland Urban Paths walk (2nd Saturdays)
  
• Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)
• Piedmont Avenue Stroll (3rd Thursdays)

looking further ahead:

Notes & Words 2013 - Saturday, May 18, 8pm. Writers Mary Roach, Billy Collins, Kelly Corrigan and Lauren Graham join forces with musicians G. Love & Special Sauce, Good Night, Texas, Vocal Rush and LaToya London to raise money for Children's Hospital Oakland, at the Fox Theater. ($50+)

Rod and Custom Car Show at JLS - Saturday, May 25, 10am-4pm. More than 65 classic cars from the 1920s to 1960s will be on display. Enjoy live music, food and fun! (free)

Oakland Indie Awards - Thursday, May 30, 6:30-10:30 pm. Join the celebration for Oakland's local economy, a party for locals by locals. Enjoy an evening under the stars on the beautiful Kaiser Rooftop Garden and Terrace, overlooking Lake Merritt. Read about last year's awards and party. ($10-$15)

ACCFB: Empty Bowls - Thursday, May 30, 6-8pm. Join the Alameda County Community Food Bank for their annual Empty Bowls program to raise money for their work of feeding the hungry in Alameda County. In addition to enjoying a delicious soup dinner, guests will enjoy the music of accordionist Duckmandu, take home a hand-painted bowl and bid in a silent auction. ($25)

Love Our Lake: Oaklavia + Measure DD Celebration - Sunday, June 9. Come celebrate the work accomplished as part of Measure DD, improving the areas around Lake Merritt. Streets around the lake will be closed for pedestrian and bicycle friendliness. There will be food trucks, live entertainment, and activities for kids. (free)

Oakland Wiki Jane's Walk

Sunday a group met near the Lake Merritt BART station for a Jane's Walk. Jane Jacobs was an urbanist, activist and author. She's probably best known for The Death and Life of Great American Cities which argued that urban renewal did not respect the needs of most city dwellers. Each year since her death in 2007, people around the world gather for walks in her memory.

This walk was led by Himy, an Oakland Wiki contributor and neighbor of Jane Jacobs from Toronto. Although he lives in Toronto, he's been visiting family in the Bay Area and organized this Jane's Walk. He's been exploring Oakland and sharing his experiences from working on the Toronto Wiki. It was interesting to hear the viewpoint of a relative newcomer, albeit one who is an unabashed fan of Oakland in general.

It was fitting that we started our walk at Madison Square Park near Lake Merritt BART. The current location of the park between Jackson and Madison was not the original location. The park was originally between Madison and Oak, but was a victim of urban renewal. The park was moved and BART headquarters was built in 1971, and numerous residents were displaced by that and other urban renewal projects in the area.

From there we walked to Harrison Square, to view the site of the former Harrison Railroad Park. The park was dedicated in 1967, and came about in large part because a city council member, Howard Rilea, was a former railroad engineer, and championed the idea of a railroad history park. The central display was a huge Southern Pacific steam locomotive, and other displays were planned. At some point the railroad park was closed, probably because of liability concerns, and the locomotive removed. Now the park holds a Chinese senior center and garden.

We walked through Chinatown to the headquarters of the Oakland Police Department. Then we wandered through part of Chinatown and back to Broadway to DeLauer's Newstand, which has been a fixture in Oakland since 1907.

Further up Broadway we checked out The Realty Syndicate building which now houses Oaklandish, amongst other things. Across the street we checked out the Latham Square Fountain. It was erected in 1913 as a memorial for James R. Latham and Henrietta Marshall Latham by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Continuing along Broadway, we walked past the former location of Sweet's Ballroom, the gorgeous Paramount Theatre, and the Water Writes mural. On Grand, we checked out the Great Wall of Oakland, the parklet outside Farley's East, and continued to the Cathedral of Christ the Light.

We walked along the lake to the end of our tour at the Lake Merritt Hotel. Much of the group was headed back towards Lake Merritt BART, so we walked together past the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California. The building has an unusual architecture, not because of its current use, but because it was originally a Masonic Lodge.

All in all, a great walk—thanks to Himy for organizing it. We need to make sure Jane's Walks happen every year in Oakland!

Lots more pictures from Sunday's walk:

upcoming Oakland events

Lots going on, including First Friday, the restart of Jack's Night Market, an OaklandWiki Jane's walk, and more.

Wednesday

What I Hear, I Keep: Stories from Oakland's Griots - Wednesday-Saturday, 2:30-5:30pm. Visual and audio art installation at Peralta Hacienda based on African American stories of modern-day Oakland, with local residents telling about their lives and exploring their identities. (with $5 admission)

Vintage porcelain at the Pardee Home - Wednesdays, 2nd Saturdays, 2nd Sundays. View the historic Pardee Home and the collection of porcelain collected by the globe-trotting Mrs. Pardee. You can take the tour for $5 or have the tour and tea for $25. Read more at World of Mailman. Read about the tea service on the East Bay Express. ($5/$25)

Thursday

A Taste of Spring - May 2, 5:30-8pm. Join Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation for a fundraiser supporting Oakland park projects and helping underserved kids attend great OPR classes and camps. At the Lakeside Garden Center. ($50-$75)

Friday

Jack's Night Market - Friday, May 3, 6-10pm. A fun evening market at Jack London Square, featuring food, fun, vendors and more. Read about a Jack's Night Market last year. (free)

Saturday

Green the Block - Saturday, May 4, 11am-2pm. Join Bay Localize to help green the neighborhood! Gardening and planting at 35th and Chestnut. (free)

Paintings by Robert Akeley - A Retrospective - Saturdays, 11am-5pm. See an exhibition of paintings by long-time resident Robert Akeley at the Rise Above Gallery.

The Big Painting Show - Saturdays, 1-5pm. See paintings by 8 established Bay Area artists at the Gray Loft Gallery in Jingletown. The Big Painting Show: Layers of Abstraction features the work of Rick Arnitz, Mark Ashworth, Suzy Barnard, Jamie Brunson, Betty Jo Costanzo, Carol Lefkowitz, Simone Simon, and June Yokell. (free)

Sunday

OaklandWiki Jane's Walk - Sunday, 1-3pm. Join OaklandWiki for an urban walk past points of interest in Oakland, in honor of urbanist and author Jane Jacobs. (free)

ongoing events:

• Art Murmur (1st Friday)
• Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
• Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)
• Piedmont Avenue Stroll (3rd Thursdays)
• Off the Grid at OMCA (Fridays)

looking further ahead:

Bike to Work Day - Thursday, May 9. Join thousands of other people all over in biking to work. The East Bay Bicycle Coalition and other orgs will be hosting energizer stations around the East Bay. (free)


"Finding Common Ground through Sacred Words" - Saturday, May 11, 5-8pm. The Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California hosts an interfaith art exhibit. In conjunction with Kehilla Community Synagogue and the Montclair Presbyterian Church. Each work incorporates words, text or letters in unique expressions that underscore interfaith understanding, spirituality, peace and cultural dialogue. (free)

Compared to What? play - May 10,11,12,17,18,19,24,25 - A play by Judith Offer about the Pullman Porters and life in West Oakland. Held at the First Christian Church. ($15-$20)

Bites off Broadway - Fridays, 5:30-8:30pm. Beginning May 10th. My favorite food truck event returns for 2013. Read more about Bites off Broadway. (free)

Glenview Cottage Industries Show - Saturday, May 11, 10am-5pm. Featuring local artists and craftspeople in Glenview.

Measure DD Celebration - Sunday, June 9. Come celebrate the work accomplished as part of Measure DD, improving the areas around Lake Merritt.