upcoming Oakland events

Lots going on this weekend while the Bay Bridge undergoes surgery: Oakland Wiki Day, Oakland Pride, Hiero Day, and more.

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)

Dancing Under the Stars - Fridays, 8:30-10pm. The popular free dance classes at Jack London Square are back for another season. (free)

Saturday

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

Oakland Wiki Day at Peralta Hacienda - Saturday, August 31, 11am-2pm. Join the Oakland Wiki to write about Oakland at the historic Peralta Hacienda. (free)

Sunday

Oakland Pride festival - Sunday, September 1, 11am-7pm. Oakland's annual LGBTQ festival. Entrance 20th and Broadway. ($10)

Monday - Labor Day

Hiero Day - Monday, September 2, 11am. A family-friendly celebration of pioneering hip-hop collective Hieroglyphics. Featuring live performances, skateboarding demos, face painting, a petting zoo, food and more. Read more about Hiero Day in the East Bay Express. (free)

Wednesday

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

ongoing events:

• Oakland Walking Tours (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
• Bites off Broadway (Fridays)
• Off the Grid at OMCA (Fridays)
• Dancing Under the Stars at JLS (Fridays)
• Art Murmur (1st Fridays)
• Jack's Night Market (1st 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:

Dim Sum Then Sum opening - Saturday and Sunday, 12-5pm, starting September 7. Black Universe opens a new exhibit, Dim Sum Then Sum, featuring the work of Jackie Lo, Tamara Chang, Tracy Piper, and Mary Luong. Look for a party on the 20th! (free)

Green Street Party in Glenview - Sunday, September 15, 1-4pm. Join Glenview neighbors in learning about climate change and ways to address it. (free)

Delilah Beasley Tea - Sunday, September 15. Join the Pardee Home for the 2nd annual Delilah Beasley Tea, honoring women with a pioneering spirit. ($5/$15)

Eat Real Festival - September 27-29. The annual food festival is back, with tasty eats, beer, music, and how-to sessions. (free)

Fences - from the Lower Bottom Playaz - opening in October. The Lower Bottom Playaz continue working their way through August Wilson's remarkable Century Cycle.

Black Cowboy Parade - Saturday, October 5. The long-running Black Cowboy Parade, a staple of West Oakland for almost 40 years. Read about the 2011 parade. (free)

Rockridge Out and About - Sunday, October 6, 12-6pm. Food, music, activities for kids, crafts, and more at the annual Rockridge street festival. Check out coverage of Rockridge Out and About 2011. (free)

signs: Fairview Motel

I'm always happy when I find an interesting sign in Oakland that I didn't know about. Not that I'm running out of signs to photograph; I've still got a backlog of signs to visit and some I've already photographed but not posted about. In any event, I noticed this sign out of the corner of my eye as I was heading north/west on MacArthur. It turns out I'd seen the front many times over the years, as it's next to the on-ramp from MacArthur onto eastbound I-580 at Fairmount. But the front is covered with a plastic marquee, below a newer plastic sign.

photo of the week: Giraphics

It looks like the painted giraffe is trying to keep the underside of I-580 free of vines, but imagine that's actually a Caltrans crew that does the work. The giraffe is part of a set of murals where Harrison and Oakland Avenue pass under I-580. Read more about the Giraphics mural on Oakland Wiki and see a full set of photos.

upcoming Oakland events

The big event this week is the annual Chinatown Street Fest, but there's lots more going in Oakland.

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)

Dancing Under the Stars - Fridays, 8:30-10pm. The popular free dance classes at Jack London Square are back for another season. (free)

Saturday

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

Chinatown Street Fest - Saturday, August 24 and Sunday, August 25. The 26th annual Chinatown Street Festival, featuring foods, arts and crafts, special services, and more. With music and other entertainment on two stages. Read about the 2011 Chinatown Streetfest. (free)

Three Views - Closing Reception - Saturday, August 24, 2-6pm. Closing reception for Three Views, a three person exhibition featuring paintings by Lynn McGeever, glass sculpture and paintings by Bruce Pizzichillo, photography by Elizabeth M. Williams. At the Gray Loft Gallery. (free)

Sunday

Yoshi's Jazzfest at JLS - Sunday, August 25, noon-5pm. Celebrate all things music with Yoshi's at this free event at Jack London Square, with live music, food and more. (free)

Wednesday

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

ongoing events:

• Oakland Walking Tours (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
• Bites off Broadway (Fridays)
• Off the Grid at OMCA (Fridays)
• Dancing Under the Stars at JLS (Fridays)
• Art Murmur (1st Fridays)
• Jack's Night Market (1st 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:

Eat Real Festival - September 27-29. The annual food festival is back, with tasty eats, beer, music, and how-to sessions. (free)

Fences - from the Lower Bottom Playaz - opening in October. The Lower Bottom Playaz continue working their way through August Wilson's remarkable Century Cycle.

Black Cowboy Parade - Saturday, October 5. The long-running Black Cowboy Parade, a staple of West Oakland for almost 40 years. Read about the 2011 parade. (free)

Rockridge Out and About - Sunday, October 6, 12-6pm. Food, music, activities for kids, crafts, and more at the annual Rockridge street festival. Check out coverage of Rockridge Out and About 2011. (free)

Oakland Heritage: Redevelopment and the Revitalization of Downtown

If you're new to Our Oakland, note that the links below marked with the oak tree logo will take you to the corresponding article on the Oakland Wiki where you can read more about the topic. Just be sure to come back—it's easy to start following trails through Oakland's history on the wiki.

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Sunday was another Oakland Heritage Alliance walking tour, focused on different redevelopment projects and the effects on downtown. The tour was led by Jeff Chew, who was the project manager for redevelopment of the Fox Theatre and numerous other projects in Oakland. He was assisted by local historian and columnist Annalee Allen and several other OHA volunteers.

The tour started in the Pacific Renaissance Plaza in Chinatown. One thing that was notable about the area on a Sunday was how active it is. It was noticeably quieter everywhere else we went later. Jeff pointed out several things the average person may not notice. One is the 3rd-floor roof garden that's set aside for residents; from below all you can see is a hedge. Another thing (which contrasted strongly with some other redevelopment projects we saw later) is the presence of retail around the perimeter of the area.

From there we went through one of Chinatown's "scramble" crosswalks and across Broadway into Old Oakland. Although the area is hopping much of the week, it was quiet on Sunday, and it was quiet for many years. From after WWII until the 1970s it became increasingly rundown and desolate. Architects Glenn and Rich Storek saw it in the late 1960s and saw the potential. They were better architects than they were developers, and ended up going bankrupt. As a result, it took almost 15 years for the work to be completed, and even longer for the area to start to pick up again. We walked past Swan's Market and saw a couple of residential developments of varying degrees of success.

We walked past the Oakland Convention Center. From a design standpoint, it's a classic example of what not to do. The perimeter is hard and uninviting. The only ways to interact with much of the building is to avoid getting hit by cars entering or exiting the parking structure. It's also apparently too small for a lot of uses. And it closed off Washington Street which used to go through to the city hall plaza.

Then it was up to City Center. It is part of a larger pedestrian mall along what was 13th Street, which extends from Preservation Park, through the Federal Building, all the way to Broadway. Although it has lots of retail, almost all of it was closed on Sunday, and so it was very quiet.

From there we walked towards uptown, stopping in the Oakland Ice Center to check it out and cool off a bit. Across the street is some successful affordable housing, Fox Courts. Around the corner is one of the best-known redevelopment projects in Oakland, the Fox Theatre.

We headed back towards our start for a special treat—a chance to go up in the Tribune Tower. It's one of my favorite buildings in Oakland, so I was very excited. Led by building owner Tom Henderson, we took the elevator up to the 20th floor. Tom led us through a small conference room to the balcony which is just behind the clocks. As you might expect, there are great views all over Oakland from there. Plus a chance to see lots of downtown from above.

After the tour was over, many of us went to the Tribune Tavern for a late lunch. As if I hadn't had enough Oakland history goodness on the tour, it turned out I was seated next to the grandson of "Borax" Smith, a major figure in Oakland history. I showed Stephen and and his wife the entries we have on the Oakland Wiki for Smith and for the magnificent Smith estate, Arbor Villa. I was so excited I forgot to show them the entries for Smith's first wife, Mary ("Mollie") Thompson or Smith's second wife (i.e., Stephen's grandmother), Evelyn Ellis, never mind the Home for Friendless Girls, the Key System, the Claremont Hotel, or any of the other two dozen "Borax" Smith-related pages.

Next Saturday is an OHA tour of Oakland Airport's North Field, and Sunday is the final OHA tour of the summer, Historic Downtown Churches. Check out the Oakland Heritage Alliance events page for more details.

Lots more pictures from the tour:

upcoming Oakland events

Friday has too much going on, with Bites off Broadway, Dancing Under the Stars, Black to the Future, Fairyland for Grownups and more. Too bad if you don't have your tickets for Fairyland—it's sold out! What other events are going on this weekend in Oakland?

Friday

Opening Celebration for Latham Square - Friday, August 16, noon. Come celebrate the opening of Oakland's newest public space, Latham Square! (free)

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)

Dancing Under the Stars - Fridays, 8:30-10pm. The popular free dance classes at Jack London Square are back for another season. (free)

Black to the Future reception party - Friday, August 16, 7pm. Join Blackball Universe to explore the work of Norman Maxwell, Deadeyes and Nelson Enriquez in Black to the Future - Afro-Futurism Defined. The show runs at the Blackball Gallery until August 31.

Fairyland for Grownups - Friday, 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. SOLD OUT!

Saturday

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

Sunday

Oakland on Two Wheels - bicycle tour with OMCA - Sunday, August 18, 10am. Explore Oakland and its environs with the Museum's bike-tripping docents on the third Sunday of the month. (free)

Wednesday

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

ongoing events:

• Oakland Walking Tours (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
• Bites off Broadway (Fridays)
• Off the Grid at OMCA (Fridays)
• Dancing Under the Stars at JLS (Fridays)
• Art Murmur (1st Fridays)
• Jack's Night Market (1st 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:

Chinatown Street Fest - Saturday, August 24 and Sunday, August 25. The 26th annual Chinatown Street Festival, featuring foods, arts and crafts, special services, and more. With music and other entertainment on two stages. (free)

Yoshi's Jazzfest at JLS - Sunday, August 25, noon-5pm. Celebrate all things music with Yoshi's at this free event at Jack London Square, with live music, food and more. (free)

Eat Real Festival - September 27-29. The annual food festival is back, with tasty eats, beer, music, and how-to sessions. (free)

Black Cowboy Parade - Saturday, October 5. The long-running Black Cowboy Parade, a staple of West Oakland for almost 40 years. Read about the 2011 parade. (free)

Rockridge Out and About - Sunday, October 6, 12-6pm. Food, music, activities for kids, crafts, and more at the annual Rockridge street festival. Check out coverage of Rockridge Out and About 2011. (free)

time off in Kings Canyon

Last week K and I took time off work (as well as Our Oakland and the Oakland Wiki) and spent time in Kings Canyon National Park. Despite water restrictions and no fires because of the dry conditions, we had a great time. We hiked, we walked, we sat by the river, we even went horseback riding. And we spent each night star gazing and watching for Perseid meteors and other "shooting stars". It's been hard re-adjusting to work and "normal" life after a week outdoors.

On a related note, there are a number of phone calls and emails I owe people regarding events and Our Oakland things; I'm still getting caught up on work, so it may be a bit before I get to yours. My apologies if I missed anything time-sensitive.

In any event, here's a sample of photos from our trip:


For the hardcore, here's more than 100:

Piedmont Avenue Dishcrawl

The other week I joined the folks from Dishcrawl East Bay for a 'crawl' of Piedmont Avenue. As with the Old Oakland Dishcrawl, we didn't know ahead of time where we'd be eating, just the general location. There are a ton of restaurants along Piedmont Avenue, so it wasn't easy to guess which ones we'd be visiting.

There were a number of familiar faces for this Dishcrawl, including Christina Mitchell of East Bay Dish and Leigh Costain of Eat Oakland. The large, enthusiastic group was led by Kealoha Pomerantz of Dishcrawl East Bay, and helped out by J.P. Fernandez who led the Old Oakland Dishcrawl.

We met at Vegan and Tikka Masala which features Indian and Pakistani Cuisine. From the street, it's a hole-in-the-wall place (which previously was home to a Caribbean restaurant). But it's bigger on the inside than on the outside, with a lovely patio area in back. We tried a variety of vegetarian dishes. I liked everything I tasted, and had to remember to pace myself because we had three more stops.

Our next stop was Baja Famous Fish Tacos. Unlike our first stop, Baja has been around for a long time (in restaurant terms), since 1992. While they're famous for their fish tacos (which were great the last time I tried them), we got some other tastes. Though I had to wait a bit, my vegi flautas were great—well worth the wait.

Then it was across the street to Bar César. You may recall that K and I ate there last year. As before, I liked everything except the empanadas. People had high praise for some of the drinks, and the servers brought out generous portions of food.

Our final stop was for something sweet at Sparky's. While they're best known for their burgers, we were were there to sample their milkshakes. We got tastes of blueberry, vanilla and coffee, and all were great. Like our first stop, Sparky's also has a nice patio area behind it.

The Dishcrawl concept is a great way to sample four restaurants in an area. Clearly a lot of people think so, because this month's Dishcrawl at Jack London Square is already sold out. It's also a very social experience, with a chance to talk with different people at each stop as well as the walks between stops.

More pictures from the Piedmont Avenue Dishcrawl:


Also check out the coverage on the Dishcrawl website.

upcoming Oakland events

This weekend's big event is the annual Art and Soul Festival, with music, food and more. If you go, take AC Transit or BART (while you can!) or ride your bicycle. The East Bay Bicycle Coalition will be providing free valet bike parking. If you're not going, be aware that multiple blocks are closed off downtown. Also coming up is the National Night Out on Tuesday, a chance to get to know your neighbors and raise crime prevention awareness. And of course tonight is a First Friday and Art Murmur.

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)

Get Famous or Die Laughing Comedy Jam - Friday, August 2, 8pm. Flow Presents is featuring the comedy of D'Lai, at Geoffrey's Inner Circle on 14th. ($15-$30)

Dancing Under the Stars - Fridays, 8:30-10pm. The popular free dance classes at Jack London Square are back for another season. (free)

American Craft Council Show - Friday-Sunday in San Francisco. An SF event, but featuring a number of Oakland designers including Alison McLennan and J. Brooke Patterson. Read about one of last year's featured Oakland designers, glass-blower Bryan Goldenberg. ($10)

Saturday

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

Art + Soul Saturday - August 3, noon-8pm and Sunday, August 4, from noon-6pm. The 13th annual Art and Soul Festival, with music, food, vendors and more. Read about past Art & Soul events: 2009, 2011. ($5-$15)

Tuesday

National Night Out - Tuesday, August 6. Join your neighbors for a BBQ. Get to know your neighbors, and raise crime prevention awareness. Last year Oakland hosted 600 parties, and they hope to have even more this year. (free)

Wednesday

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

ongoing events:

• Oakland Walking Tours (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
• Bites off Broadway (Fridays)
• Off the Grid at OMCA (Fridays)
• Dancing Under the Stars at JLS (Fridays)
• Art Murmur (1st Fridays)
• Jack's Night Market (1st 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:

Laurel Street Fair - Saturday, August 10, 11am-6pm. The 14th annual Laurel Street Fair, with food, music, vendors, a kid's zone, and more. (free)

Sing-Along Cinema at JLS - Wednesday, August 14, sundown. Come join a crowd and sing along with your favorite musical movies. First up is Grease. (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.

Eat Real Festival - September 27-29. The annual food festival is back, with tasty eats, beer, music, and how-to sessions. (free)