Our Oakland

There and Back Again: an Oaklander's photo tale

2012-01-27T08:46:00.000-08:00

"I don't want any sort of adventure!" But Gandalf would not be swayed. He seemed distracted, lost in thought, referring to me as hairy even though I had recently shaved. Perhaps he was referring to my toes, of which we hobbits are justifiably quite proud. In any event, there was no changing his mind.

So after packing entirely too few provisions, I raced out the door, unsure if I would ever see my home again. I could only hope I would find a decent tavern or two during my journey, as I hadn't yet eaten my second breakfast. I hadn't even done the dishes from the first! With a long sea voyage ahead of me and because time was of the essence, I rode to the quay in the Rainbow Havens aboard the wagon of one of the 'big people' named Bart. It was a quick but comfortable trip, though I must say some of the way stations could do with a good cleaning.

I walked the short distance to the ship and set about familiarizing myself with my new surroundings. The ship seemed sturdy enough, but sensible hobbits are none too fond of boats of any sort, so I was cautious. And a good thing, too—within minutes the ship was moving. As I watched my now-distant home fade into the haze, I wondered what lay ahead.

The ship passed several islands, one looking to be almost entirely covered by a deserted castle. A much larger island appeared to be inhabited, though I could not see any people moving about. Perhaps elves were moving silently through the forest, watching us as we sailed past?

The ship entered shallower water as we neared land, and slowed I thought, to avoid the treacherous shoals. I heard later that the huge fortress on the nearby shore held thousands of prisoners, so perhaps the captain was right to sneak past, lest we join them.

The sun was beginning to set as we made port, and I was a bit apprehensive. I could no longer see my home in the distance, and what sort of strange people inhabited these lands? But the oddly pale Northern peoples were friendly enough, though. Perhaps they took me for one of their not-as-well-to-do Southron cousins.

I mounted my trusty pony Bill ^*1 and we proceeded up the river. As the last rays of light disappeared from the sky, I made it to my destination. The lovely and talented K and I then proceeded to a nearby ~~pizza/pasta place~~ tavern and settled into a good meal and a few pints of the fine local ale ^*2.

After such an exciting journey, the return trip seemed uneventful ^*3. But it was good to be home again!

more images of my journey:

*1 Yeah, I know Bill wasn't until Lord of the Rings. Work with me here!
*2 I know, I know...Lagunitas or something from Marin Brewing Company would be more local, but they didn't have it.
*3 Except for the announcement in the BART station that trains weren't stopping at West Oakland because of a 'police action'. Maybe it's just me, but 'police action' always makes me think of the euphemism for the Vietnam War.

Crossroads: Gimme (Green) Shelter

2012-01-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

This guest post is by Tim Eyre.

Crossroads
Emergency
Housing

About a month ago, driving farther down International Boulevard than my business usually takes me, an impressive building caught my eye that I'd failed to notice before. What corporation was this sleek building the headquarters for? With its mint green walls and fanciful yellow tower, the Crossroads Emergency Shelter stands as a beacon of modern architecture and progress in an otherwise hardscrabble neighborhood.

Looking further into the building, I discovered that it opened in 2008 after an $11 million construction effort. That stopped me in my tracks. With all the causes that need funding, why drop such a hefty figure on the homeless? They're not exactly contributing to our tax base, right?

It only took a minute to realize my own ignorance and appreciate the virtues of Crossroads. The East Oakland Community Project's 125-bed building has solar panels on its roof, a brightly colored mural in the lobby (painted by the community), and hydronic heating using grey water to heat the building. If green building is the approach we should be taking with all new construction, a principle that people of all political and philosophical backgrounds mostly agree on, then why not follow suit for the most needy?

Here's how I justified the expense to myself: Imagine you have some insurmountable problem, like having to come up with an extra $5,000 in income this month, doubling your regular salary.

You're going to need to find some other sources of income – probably something creative. That's going to require time and concentration.

Everything else will take the backseat for awhile, right? You need to focus fully on the task at hand.

Now imagine that your room is a wreck, with piles of clothes stacking up on the dresser and dust bunnies under the bed. Your kids are home sick, and someone needs to call the plumber before the kitchen sink backs up again.

With all the distractions constantly around us, it's hard enough to concentrate on a major task until all the other pieces of our daily lives are back in place.

Now imagine that you're starting off with nothing; penniless, with no assets, and you're HIV positive. You're given a bed and a hot meal once a day at the shelter, but you have to get in line early to ensure a spot each night. Your goal is to be self-sufficient, renting a room in an apartment with a steady job, within three months. It seems impossible, and it's easy to give up and turn to the bottle or drugs.

The goal of most shelters is to get the recipients of their care off the streets and back into a productive life. It's a task made more difficult by the environs of most shelters: bleak concrete bunkers with unnatural lighting and prison-like facilities. The dreary surroundings make it easier to give up and fall back into old substance abuse habits.

Crossroads recognizes that in a sunny, light-filled atmosphere of hope, people are more likely to take personal responsibility and stick with a plan to success.

"I wanted to help create an environment where people could wake up and say, 'Okay, things are bad, but I have a clean environment where I can work on my other issues,'" Crossroads executive director Wendy Jackson told Ode Magazine in 2008.

The shelter already boasts tons of success stories. Former resident Sharon Hicks ended up at Crossroads after suffering from domestic violence and losing her child. An AIDS sufferer, her depression led to drug use. Counselors at the East Oakland Community Project helped Hicks design a money management plan and to regain custody of her daughter. They now live together in an affordable apartment that Crossroads staff helped her find.

Countless other men, single mothers, and families share similar stories, not just at Crossroads but at shelters around the country. The trend that Oakland helped begin has spawned other green shelters around the country. At The Bridge in Dallas, crime rates in the surrounding community have dropped 18 percent in the three years since the award-winning building opened. Austin, Tex., and Boulder, Col., both boast shelters with amenities their users can take pride in.

A friend even sent me a link to a new shelter being built by the nonprofit Crisis Ministries in Charleston, SC. Rainwater collection and a silver LEED certification at a homeless shelter in the deep South? As is often the case, what starts in California slow trickles east.

If you haven't been out to Crossroads, I encourage you to volunteer. They're open to help of all sorts, from serving food in the kitchen to offering computer help. There's really no better way to directly help the needy in your community. Fortunately, for both the homeless and the volunteers, it's much easier to smile and look ahead from a naturally lit green building than the concrete bunker shelters of yesterday.

Tim Eyre works in the self storage industry, regularly traveling to see locations like this Oakland self storage facility near Jack London Square. Tim also contributes to the Extra Space Storage Blog on a regular basis.

upcoming Oakland events

2012-01-25T12:08:00.000-08:00

T his week's events are brought to you by the letter B. There are birds, bikes and beer, along with some civic engagement about the budget. And Oakland Restaurant Week is still going until Sunday—lots of great deals at great restaurants around Oakland. Including, of course, B Restaurant and B-Side BBQ.

City Council / Redevelopment Agency meeting - tonight, Wednesday, January 25, 5:30pm. Meeting about cuts needed because of the elimination of redevelopment agencies. Amongst the programs that are slated to for cuts are the downtown Oakland walking tours, a wonderful program led by Annalee Allen. Also facing cutbacks are Children's Fairyland, Peralta Hacienda, and the Oakland Zoo.

Impact of a Recall - tonight, Wednesday, January 25, 6pm. The Oakland Tribune, the League of Women Voters of Oakland and the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education are holding a public forum on the possible effects of a mayoral recall. At Nile Hall in Preservation Park.

Winter Bird-a-Thon for Kids - Saturday, January 28, 9:30am-12:30pm. Families are invited to participate in this day of birding and citizen-science! Naturalists will assist a bird walk around Lake Merritt to discover and count bird species such as ducks, cormorants and herons. For kids of all ages and their families. This free event is inspired by the Audubon traditions of the Christmas Bird Count and Great Backyard Bird Count. Please RSVP with Golden Gate Audubon: ggaseducation@gmail.com or 510-508-1388. more info. (free)

Oakland Museum White Elephant Sale preview - Sunday, January 29, 10am-4pm. Preview sale for the Oakland Museum annual fundraiser. ($15-$20)

Oakland Restaurant Week - January 20-29. Oakland has a ton of great restaurants, so why not support the local economy and eat well? Oakland Restaurant Week includes dozens of restaurants from Amba to Yoshi's, from B-Side BBQ to Faz, each featuring prix-fixe specials during the celebration.

looking further ahead:
Victorian Valentines at CSH - Saturday, February 4, 10:30am-12:30pm. Join Camron-Stanford House for the first of their new Decorative Arts Workshops and create Victorian-inspired works of art. ($20-$25, 12+)

Urban Geology Lecture with OHA - Thursday, February 9. Hear about Oakland's geology with the Oakland Heritage Alliance and Oakland geologist Andrew Alden of Oakland Geology. ($10-$15)

Oakland Urban Paths geology walk - Saturday, February 11. Explore Oakland's geology and urban walkways with Oakland geologist Andrew Alden of Oakland Geology. (free)

Tour de Bière 2012 - Sunday, February 12. Take a bicycle tour of breweries in Oakland and Berkeley, and raise money for the East Bay Bike Coalition. Limited tickets, so order quickly. ($25, 21+)

plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)

Chapel of Memories

2012-01-24T08:36:00.000-08:00

Continuing with the Taphophile Tragics meme, today features the Chapel of Memories. Oakland Daily Photo introduced some people to the word columbarium a couple of weeks back. To reference that, I went to the Chapel of Memories Columbarium and Mausoleum. It's next to Saint Mary's Cemetery, very near Mountain View Cemetery and Chapel of the Chimes.

More Taphophile Tragics from around the world.

Oakland Urban Paths: Lakeshore to Park Blvd.

2012-01-23T13:40:00.000-08:00

up to Oak Grove park

For the first Oakland Urban Paths walk of 2012 on Saturday there was a great turnout, despite the spotty weather. Eighteen people and 3 dogs came out to explore the paths and stairs between Lakeshore and Park Blvd.

We started near Lakeshore Ave. by examining one of the ornate gateposts that date back to the early 1900s when the area was first developed. We heard a bit about the history of the area from Gerry Montmorency, president of the Lakeshore Homes Association (LHA), one of the oldest homeowner associations in the country. The streets were laid out by the Olmstead brothers, and some of the houses designed by noted architects Julia Morgan and Maybeck & White. You may recall that Mt. View Cemetery was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, the father of the Olmstead brothers. Read more about the history of the Lakeshore area on the LHA website.

From there we headed up Mandana Blvd. and into the long, narrow Oak Grove park. The park is owned and maintained by the LHA, and sits between lots on Mandana and Longridge. The neighborhood is known as Trestle Glen, for the rail trestle that once crossed the canyon to Sather Park. That was built in 1893 by F.M. "Borax" Smith, the real estate magnate of the Realty Syndicate who eventually developed the Key System. Before that it was known as Indian Gulch, named by early Anglo settlers for the seasonal Ohlone village there.

We then walked into Crocker Highlands, once part of the Charles Crocker estate. The area is full of beautiful homes, many also dating back to the original development. That was started in 1911 by Wickham Havens, son of Frank Havens of the Realty Syndicate.

Then it was over to the Glenview neighborhood and Park Blvd. We had to cross the gulch without benefit of a train or trestle, so there was a lot of going down stairs then up the other side. The gulch was formed by Trestle Glen Creek, which is mostly underground now, but still feeds into Lake Merritt. After we climbed up to Park Blvd., we took a brief coffee break, then it was back down into Trestle Glen and to our starting point.

Another great walk. The next Oakland Urban Paths walk is coming up Saturday, February 11th, and will be led by Andrew Alden of Oakland Geology. The walk features 3 old quarries and a focus on geology.

Lots more pictures:

signs: High Street Pharmacy

2012-01-20T11:01:00.000-08:00

Another two-fer on signs, the before and after at High Street Pharmacy in the Laurel. I can't say as either version of the sign is amongst my favorites, but at least the new one has some neon.

stop SOPA and PIPA

2012-01-18T11:26:00.000-08:00

You've doubtless noticed all sorts of sites blacked out today, in protest of SOPA and PIPA. SOPA and PIPA would basically allow censorship of the web. Read more and sign a petition against them here. On a related note, you won't be able to use any of the Wikipedia links in my articles today.

upcoming Oakland events

2012-01-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

The big event coming up is Oakland Restaurant Week, but there's lots going on Saturday, too, including the first Oakland Urban Paths walk of the year. If you enjoyed doing some gardening for the MLK Day of service, a number of organizations that have their regular gardening events this Saturday. See the events calendar for more on those. With most of the outdoor events, heavy rain cancels, light rain doesn't.

Oakland Restaurant Week - January 20-29. Oakland has a ton of great restaurants, so why not support the local economy and eat well? Oakland Restaurant Week includes dozens of restaurants from Amba to Yoshi's, from B-Side BBQ to Faz, each featuring prix-fixe specials during the celebration.

Oakland Urban Paths Lakeshore to Park Blvd. - Saturday, January 21, 10am-12:30pm. Explore urban stairs and walkways between Lakeshore and Park Boulevard with Oakland Urban Paths and their first walk of 2012. (free)

Living Concrete - graffiti art at OMCA - Saturday, January 21, 11am-5pm. An Oakland Standard event, where a 520 sq. ft. blackboard will become a mural for four Oakland graffiti artists: Ras Terms, Safety First, Resta, and Tecka. Live DJ music (with admission)

looking further ahead:
Oakland Museum White Elephant Sale preview - Sunday, January 29, 10am-4pm. Preview sale for the Oakland Museum annual fundraiser. ($15-$20)

Urban Geology Walk with OHA - Thursday, February 9. Explore Oakland's geology with the Oakland Heritage Alliance and Oakland geologist Andrew Alden of Oakland Geology. ($10-$15)

Oakland Urban Paths geology walk - Saturday, February 11. Explore Oakland's geology and urban walkways with Oakland geologist Andrew Alden of Oakland Geology. (free)

plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)

Saint Mary's Cemetery

2012-01-17T16:28:00.000-08:00

G.E. Lubatti, 1923-1924

Next door to the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland is Saint Mary's Cemetery. It's a Catholic cemetery serving parishes in Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda, and opened in 1863, two years before Mountain View.

I mentioned St. Mary's in last week's taphophile tragics post. It's where Domingo Ghirardelli moved his granddaughter's body from after a priest had refused to administer last rites as she lay dying.

There's a lot of other Oakland history represented in St. Mary's, though. It's the resting place of Edward and Virginie Rémillard. You may recall the Rémillard name from the Preservation Park walking tour. One of his brothers started a brick company in Oakland, and the company's bricks were used all over the Bay Area. Interestingly, most of the Rémillards are buried in Mt. View with Pierre, but Edward and Virginie are in St. Mary's. Read more about the Rémillards on Wikipedia and at Lives of the Dead.

One of most significant names in Oakland history is Peralta. Luís María Peralta was a soldier for the Spanish government in Mexico, and was given a large land grant which included most of the East Bay. According to Beth Bagwell's Oakland: The Story of a City, about 75 members of the Peralta family are buried in St. Mary's. And of course Peralta Hacienda in East Oakland is now a museum and historical site.

Lugrezia Vinella, 1921-1922

Knowing a little more about graves now, I noticed different things looking at various graves. There are lots of beautiful markers and even a number of larger mausoleums, though smaller than those at Mt. View. There are lots of 'standard' grave symbols used in the cemetery (no Masonic symbols, of course), though many more that are associated with Catholicism, like the Blessed Virgin. As with older graves in other cemeteries, the markers frequently list the birth country of person, e.g., "natives of County Galway, Ireland".

But I saw a couple things that I hadn't seen as much of before, including text in the native tongue of the deceased's family -- there were a fair number of markers in Italian. There were also a lot of markers with pictures of the deceased affixed. I saw a few of those in Mt. View and the Home of Eternity, but there are many of them in St. Mary's.

Lots more pictures:

More Tapophile Tragics from around the world.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

2012-01-16T22:59:00.000-08:00

Shepherd Canyon Park

Despite the return of winter temperatures, people turned out all over Oakland to serve, celebrate, and further the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It was cold when I left home in the morning; our birdbath was frozen. So it was a brisk ride over to my first stop, Shepherd Canyon Park. Several groups were doing various tasks, including pulling invasive species and planting milkweed, which is good for monarch butterfly caterpillars. Local regulars were there, including Mike Petouhoff (he led the OHA walking tour of Shepherd Canyon), and council member Libby Schaaf and her two children. The sun was just starting to make it into the canyon by the time I left, which meant it was plenty cold, and slippery with frost on the trails.

Stop the Gunfire rally

My next stop was Re:generation Church for the "Stop the Gunfire" rally. A large, diverse group was in attendance to hear different speakers and musicians, and then people networked, all in an effort to stop the violence in Oakland. I found Brenda Grisham's speech particularly moving and compelling. She's the mother of Christopher LaVell Jones, who was shot on his way to church and died trying to protect his mother and sister. See @tdlove's blog post for a nice write up about the event.

Lake Merritt cleanup

My final stop was Lake Merritt, where hundreds of volunteers descended to help clean up around the lake and in the gardens of Lakeside Park. The gardens at Lake Merritt are much more extensive than many Oaklanders realize, and are largely maintained by volunteers. So it was great to have a lot of fresh energy put into their maintenance. See the post at The Gardens of Lake Merritt for more about the event.

By the way, if you'd like to help with the gardens and are looking for a once-a-month thing to do to help make Oakland better, they work the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of every month, and welcome more volunteers. See The Gardens at Lake Merritt website for more info.

There was a lot more going on in Oakland today for Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, but I only had a chance to sample a little of it. I'll add more links about the events as I find them. What did you do in honor of MLK Day?

More reading on the 2012 MLK events:
POPNA - Oakland's dedication to MLK
ACCFB MLK Day video
Oakland Local - Day of Service draws hundreds to East Oakland

Lots more pictures:

signs: OHA + Neon Works

2012-01-14T13:39:00.000-08:00

Neon Works warehouse

Ilove Oakland, I love history, and I love interesting signs, so I was in heaven Thursday night. The Oakland Heritage Alliance held an event about neon signs at Neon Works in the Gaskill. OHA board member Michael Crowe gave a lecture on the technology and history of neon signs and showed photos of various great neon signs around the U.S. But for me the real treats were seeing master sign-maker Jim Rizzo's amazing collection of vintage signs, and then watching Jim bend some glass and prepare the tube for installing on a sign. As Michael said, neon isn't rocket science—the physics of it are well understood. But creating a beautiful neon sign is definitely an art, and one that requires a lot of patience and skill.

The first practical neon lights were created by Frenchman Georges Claude and demonstrated in 1910. His company, Claude Neon, became so well known people thought that was his name. Neon signs became extremely popular in the U.S. from the 20s to the 60s. The first neon signs in the U.S. were created and sold to two Packard dealerships in 1923, and literally stopped traffic in LA with people stopping to stare at them. The first neon lights were made with neon gas in clear tubes, which has a distinctive orange-red color. But other inert gasses like argon (along with a drop of mercury) can be used, and combined with different phosphor coatings to produce a variety of colors.

Once a sign has been designed, making the lights for it requires several steps. First is figuring out the two- and three-dimensional layout. Then the difficult task of heating and bending 4' glass tubes to match the pieces of the layout. The glass is heated to about 1500°F to allow it to bend, but air needs to be blown into the tube while working to keep it from collapsing. The workshop has different types of gas flames with different shapes, depending on what sort of bend is needed. Becoming a glass bender requires a lot of practice and a lot of patience.

Once the tubes have been bent to the necessary shapes, they may be joined into longer lengths up to 16'; different sections can have different phosphor coatings, so a single tube can have different colors. An electrode is inserted into one end which is sealed, then a vacuum pump removes as much air as possible from the tube. Other impurities are burned off using high voltage. The tube is filled with the desired gas, another electrode inserted, and the end sealed. If all has gone correctly, it's now a functional neon light, waiting to be mounted on a sign.

While Neon Works mostly creates new signs, they also restore old ones. The G&G Hardware sign on Telegraph above Pizzaiolo was recently restored by them, as was the Kwik Way sign for its reopening. One of their best-known creations was the Yahoo! sign near I-80 in San Francisco, which was recently taken down. The pieces now sit behind Jim's warehouse.

We also heard that the Clancy's Cantina sign will be coming down. Either Jim will get the sign, or it will go to the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale, CA. That's how Jim has gotten the majority of his vintage signs. Someone sells or redesigns a building, and they don't want the old sign anymore. I heard that Jim has offered to repair the Children's Hospital sign, but the city has turned down his offer.

Neon signs aren't as popular as they once were, but there are still lots around, and Neon Works installs new ones on a regular basis. Although more expensive than plastic signs, neon signs can last for decades, and many people (myself included) find them more attractive and interesting than modern plastic signs.

more pictures:

more reading and links:

Neon Works website
Iconic Yahoo billboard is coming down (Mercury News)
Jim Rizzo, neon king of the Bay Area (SFGate)
Light Bright Knight: Champion of Neon Treasures (Oakland Magazine)
Renovated Kwik Way opens (Oakland Local)
Original Joe’s puts up its sign (Inside Scoop)
Museum of Neon Art - Glendale, CA
Neon Museum - Las Vegas, NV

upcoming Oakland events

2012-01-11T12:36:00.000-08:00

After a relatively quiet week, there's plenty of interesting stuff coming up, with lots planned to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Arroyo Viejo Park cleanup - Thursday, January 12, 8:30am-12:30pm. Oakland Parks and Rec is holding a park cleanup for Arroyo Viejo Park in East Oakland to celebrate and honor Dr. King. more info (free)

Speeches of a Dream MLK celebration - Thursday, January 12, 5pm at the Malonga Casquelourd Center for The Arts. Celebrate the life of Dr. King through poetry, music, and art. more info (free)

National Parks free - Saturday-Monday. Not specifically an Oakland thing, but good to know if you're planning on visiting one of the national parks this weekend. In honor of MLK Day, all 397 national parks and monuments will be open for free on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. (free)

In the Name of Love at the Paramount - Sunday, January 15, 6pm. The 10th annual musical tribute to Dr. King, at the Paramount Theatre. This year features Mavis Staples, Oakland group PopLyfe, the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir and more. Congresswoman Barbara Lee will present the Seventh Annual City of Oakland Citizen Humanitarian Award to Derrick B. Johnson for his service to the community. MC'd by Aimee Allison of Oakland Seen. Read more at Oakland Local. ($8-$18)

Alameda County Community Food Bank Food Drive - Monday, January 16, 9am-noon. Join the ACCFB on January 16 for the 3rd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service! Drop off food at 7900 Edgewater Drive. Canned tuna, peanut butter, and complete meals like beans and rice or pasta and sauce are in high demand. A Virtual Food Drive is set up for those who can't get out to East Oakland. For every $1 donated, ACCFB can distribute $5 worth of food. (more info)

MLK, Jr., Celebration at McClymonds High - Monday, January 16, 10am-2pm. A celebration of MLK called Dream: Let’s Make it Real. Lots of live entertainment, a keynote speaker, and special guest Matthew Fox. Read more in the Oakland Post and the Oakland Tribune. (free)

Stop The Gunfire gathering - Monday, January 16, 10am. An event to fight crime in Oakland and celebrate the memory and life of MLK. Read more at Oakland Local (free)

Day of Service at MLK Shoreline - Monday, January 16, 8:30am-noon. Work with the East Bay Regional Parks District doing habitat restoration. more info (free; pre-register)

other events:

Machine: A Fire Opera - opens Wednesday, January 11. The Crucible, presents an amazing sci-fi short story performed in a fiery industrial universe. Times and days vary. More info ($45-$65)

Jack London's 136th Birthday @ Heinhold's - Thursday January 12, 5pm. Fans of Jack London are gathering at his favorite watering hole, Heinhold's First and Last Chance Saloon, to celebrate his 136th birthday. more info (21+, free)

looking further ahead:

Oakland Restaurant Week - January 20-29. Oakland has a ton of great restaurants, so why not support the local economy and eat well? Oakland Restaurant Week includes dozens of restaurants from Amba to Yoshi's, from B-Side BBQ to Faz, each featuring prix-fixe specials during the celebration.

Oakland Urban Paths Lakeshore to Park Blvd. - Saturday, January 21. Explore urban stairs and walkways between Lakeshore and Park Boulevard with Oakland Urban Paths and their first walk of 2012. (free)

Urban Geology Walk with OHA - Thursday, February 9. Explore Oakland's geology with the Oakland Heritage Alliance and Oakland geologist Andrew Alden of Oakland Geology. ($10-$15)

Oakland Urban Paths geology walk - Saturday, February 11. Explore Oakland's geology and urban walkways with Oakland geologist Andrew Alden of Oakland Geology. (free)

Plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)

taphophile tragics #3: Aurelia Ghirardelli

2012-01-10T12:37:00.000-08:00

Herein lies the tale of how the Ghirardelli family of chocolate fame ended up buried in Mountain View Cemetery.

Domingo Ghirardelli was born in Italy, and came to the SF Bay Area by way of Uruguay where he opened a confectionery, and changed his name from the Italian Domenico to the Spanish Domingo. After a short stint in the gold fields near Jamestown and Sonora trying prospecting, he returned to San Francisco and founded the signature business.

In 1879, his teenage granddaughter Aurelia became gravely ill, and the Catholic priest refused to administer the last rites. There are several stories as to why: it was raining too hard, or the priest felt Ghirardelli hadn't given enough to the church, or one story says the priest was drunk. In any event, the girl died without receiving last rites. Domingo's wife Carmen was devastated, and Domingo forbid the family from entering a Catholic church again.

Domingo had the Ghirardelli mausoleum in Mountain View built, including a Masonic symbol above the door. The Vatican forbids Catholics from being Freemasons, so this was doubtless very intentional. Then in the middle of the night, Domingo and his sons took a wagon to St. Mary's Catholic cemetery and moved the Ghirardellis buried there (including Aurelia) to Mountain View next door.

Domingo died in 1894 during a trip to Italy. His bodied was returned to Oakland and buried in the Mountain View Cemetery.

Read more on the Lives of the Dead site.

More Tapophile Tragics from around the world.

signs: 400 Club / El Potrillo 400

2012-01-09T16:46:00.000-08:00

old sign

Here's a two-fer with signs, an old version and the new. In the middle of Jingletown near the Park Blvd. bridge from Alameda is El Potrillo 400 Restaurant and and Bar. El Potrillo is "the foal", as you might guess from the sign (though the icon makes me think horse or stallion.) But not that long ago, the bar was called 400 Club. The 400 part of the name makes sense because it's at 400 29th Avenue. But why the name change? I haven't been to the bar, before or after the rename, so I can only speculate. Maybe 400 Club sounded too much like Pat Robertson's 700 Club?

new sign

bits and pieces 7

2012-01-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

The big news that has everyone atwitter is that Oakland was #5 in the New York Time's "45 places to go in 2012". Even @JerryBrownGov tweeted about it. Those of us who live here already know it, but it's nice to see a mainstream publication giving some positive press, too. With restaurants like Plum, Bocanova, Boot and Shoe Service, and more opening all the time, plus great music, amazing weather, and a diverse, wonderful population, what's not to love? Check out Monteskewed's Top 10 Reasons Why He Loves Oakland. For a nuanced response to the NYT article, check out 38th Notes. Late addition: also check out the response on examiner.com

Also in the great-to-see-its-about-time category is a report in the Tribune that West Oakland's 7th Street district is going to get a blues walk of fame. The area was once home to music locales like Esther's Orbit Room, which hosted legends like Billie Holiday, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, and BB King. So it's nice to see the area getting some recognition.

There are a variety of restaurant openings and and one closing. Oakland North reports the Silver Dragon in Chinatown is going to close, and it will become an Asian health services clinic.

I still haven't been, but apparently Arbor Cafe in the Temescal is now open. Always glad to see another bike-friendly place.

According to Diablo Magazine, Faz has opened in downtown Oakland. It features Mediterranean food, and sounds good. Anyone been yet?

Haven opened in Jack London Square. Another restaurant by Daniel Patterson (of Plum fame), it sounds quite promising.

Rumbo al Sur opened in the long-vacant spot on Park Blvd. in the Glenview. It was Compadres for a number of years, but sat empty for the last several. Rumbo al Sur features Mexican and pan-Latin American food, from the folks who brought us À Côté.

The lack of rain (and snow in the mountains) has been bad for air quality and terrible for skiing and our water supply, but it's made for some beautiful sunsets.

And last but not least, some photos that didn't get used elsewhere.

happy cats

2012-01-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

happy cats

Yesterday on my way home from the bank and other errands I spotted these very happy cats catching the last rays of the sun. There were actually four cats on this set of stairs (one not shown below), and another on the stairs next door.

upcoming Oakland events

2012-01-04T08:44:00.000-08:00

There aren't a lot of events happening in Oakland this week that I know about, but there are some of the regular events. I confirmed that the Art Murmur is happening this Friday, but haven't heard yet about the tour at the Paramount. No special mention on the website, so I assume it's on.

What interesting events are happening in Oakland this week? Let me know in the comments!

Art Murmur - Friday, January 6, 6pm-9pm. It's the First Friday of the new year, so it's time for the Art Murmur. The galleries are installing new displays, so come check out the latest artwork in Oakland. (free)

tour the Paramount - Saturday, January 7, 10AM. Tour the historic Paramount Theatre, an Art Deco gem of Oakland and get to see behind the scenes. ($5)

Saturday Stroll - Saturday, January 7, 1-5PM. The mellower daytime cousin of the Art Murmur, the Saturday Stroll features many of the same galleries. (free)

Blog Launch Party @ Oakollectiv - Saturday, January 7, 7-10pm. Come celebrate a new blog with the fashion collective, Oakollectiv. Champagne toast to the new blog at 7:30pm, music by Ge-ology and DJ Yaddos. (free)

Blow Out Sale at Montclair Plaza Collective - Sunday, January 8, 9am-2pm. The initial stage is wrapping up, so they're shutting down for a while to figure out the next stage, a sustainable food market. Come get great local, hand-made items at a discount! (free)

Plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)

taphophile tragics #2 - Frank Ogawa

2012-01-03T08:42:00.000-08:00

The other day I stopped by Mountain View Cemetery again, but not for a tour. This time was to explore one of the large mausoleums at Mountain View Cemetery, because I have relatives interred there. I got a description of the location of my paternal grandparents' vault and my uncle's vault within the structure from my parents, and set off exploring. While looking for them, I found the vault for the Ogawa family. Frank H. Ogawa is well-known in Oakland, if nothing else because the plaza in front of city hall is named for him.

Frank Ogawa was a Nisei (2nd generation Japanese, born in Lodi, CA), but like many Japanese Americans during WWII he and his wife Grace were forced to sell their possessions and were imprisoned in an internment camp. Their daughter, Nancy, was born in the Topaz War Relocation Center in 1942 and died at age 2 in 1945. But the mistreatment didn't turn Frank against the U.S. After release, Frank returned to Oakland and became active in the community and civil rights. Originally a nurseryman, he served on the city council for almost 30 years, and held various other public offices.

While exploring the mausoleum, I noted a fair number of vaults with flowers, but quite a few decorated for the holidays with poinsettias, wreaths or even small trees. Having recently been on the symbols tour, I also took note of various symbols that were used. While not as common as on older graves, there were a fair number used on vaults in the mausoleum. Many were related to Freemasonry, but there were other symbols used, too: crosses, a painter's palette, American Federation of Musicians, United States Marine Corps, Professional Engineer, and even a Santa Clara County fire captains badge. Certainly more literal than the symbols used on older graves, but nice to see the use of symbols hasn't completely disappeared.

More pictures from the mausoleum at Mountain View:

More Taphophile Tragics from around the world.

2011 in photos

2011-12-31T08:48:00.000-08:00

It was a busy, interesting year. I had a hard time limiting myself for photos to show 2011 in review. I'm not sure of the exact count, but I posted between 2,800 and 3,000 photos of Oakland in 2011, across 80 albums. I attended a wide variety of Oakland events; went on walking tours of downtown, different neighborhoods, stairs in the hills, and cemeteries; ate at a bunch of restaurants and food trucks and drank at a bunch of bars, breweries and wineries; rode a lot of miles on my bike; and of course, saw a lot of cool signs.

Oakland is a pretty darn awesome place to live. Here's hoping 2012 is happy, peaceful, and prosperous for Oaklanders, and it becomes even more awesome.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

blog pulse: Sanjiv Handa

2011-12-30T13:51:00.000-08:00

Inever met Sanjiv Handa, but everyone who follows Oakland politics knew who he was. He passed away unexpectedly this week at age 55. Sanjiv was a fixture at city council meetings; a council meeting without Sanjiv didn't seem like a real meeting. He was best known for haranguing city officials about transparency in government, or to be more accurate, their lack of it.

Sanjiv always seemed to stay within the rules. When the council changed things to further limit speaker time (informally referred to as "the Sanjiv rule"), he collected speaker cards from others to maximize his speaking time, and he always used the full time allotted to him. And even though everyone on council certainly knew who he was, per the rules he always began by stating his name: "For The Record, I'm Sanjiv Handa, East Bay News Service."

Some blog posts and articles remembering Sanjiv:

He wasn't universally loved, and was strongly disliked by more than one city official, but his absence at city council meetings will be noticed. Hopefully someone else can step up and work to try to keep Oakland's government working in the open as it's supposed to.

A memorial service is planned for Sanjiv this Saturday in Fremont. @OaklandBecks and others on Twitter also came up with the idea of riding bikes (to honor cycling advocate Ron Bishop who also recently passed away) to an upcoming city council meeting and delivering pastries and pizza for attendees. (Various remembrances above refer to him bringing food to share at meetings, and to victims of a fire not far from his home in Oakland.) Rest in peace, Sanjiv, though you'd probably rather haunt city officials to make sure they're following the rules.

Matthai's coverage of the memorial service

additional reading:

some of Sanjiv's articles:

photo meme: taphophile tragics

2011-12-29T08:36:00.000-08:00

One of the Oakland blogs I follow and enjoy is Oakland Daily Photo. Besides showing great photos from around Oakland, Carolyn also takes part in various photo memes. One that caught my attention recently is called called "taphophile tragics", and was highlighted in her recent post featuring the Schmidt angel.

A taphophile is someone who is interested in funerals, graves and cemeteries. Which I guess includes me, at least for the graves and cemeteries part. In the last couple of months I've taken hundreds of pictures of the Mountain View Cemetery (250+ posted, no idea how many total I took.) My addition to the meme is a some of my favorites, shown below.

Related posts:
Mountain View Cemetery: Founders
Mountain View Cemetery: Symbols
Mountain View Cemetery

Mountain View Cemetery: Founders

2011-12-28T17:03:00.000-08:00

Tubbs mausoleum

The day after Christmas is significant for Mountain View Cemetery, as it marks the day when a group of early Oaklanders met in 1863 to discuss the founding of the cemetery. In honor of that meeting, Monday morning there was a special tour of the cemetery, led by docents Stafford Buckley and Michael Colbruno and supported by docent Jane Laroe. All three are extremely knowledgeable about the Mountain View Cemetery, though Michael may be the best known because of his amazing blog, Lives of the Dead, which features history about different individuals and plots around the cemetery.

The group of early Oaklanders was invited to meet at the home of Dr. Samuel Merritt to discuss the need for a new cemetery for Oakland. At the time, Oakland had other cemeteries including one on Webster Street, and where Mountain View Cemetery now sits was almost 2 miles outside of town. But Oakland needed a new cemetery with more space, further from the rapidly growing town.

Merritt mausoleum

The founders were an elite group. I've listed them below, along with links to the corresponding page on Lives of the Dead (LotD).

Dr. Samuel Merritt - doctor, businessman, later 13th mayor of Oakland (LotD, Wikipedia)
Richard RW Heath - Mexican War hero, vintner, politician; captained ship around Cape Horn (LotD)
Rev. Samuel Taggert Wells - preacher, 1st superintendent of Mt. View (LotD)
Joseph Stickney Emery - stonecutter, businessman; supervised dredging of Oakland Estuary; founder of Emeryville (LotD)
Hiram Tubbs - hotelier east of Lake Merritt, rope maker, landowner (LotD)
Addison Crane - judge on cases versus Adams, Carpentier; politician (LotD)
George E. Grant - businessman, investor in the Key Route (LotD)
Solomon E. Alden - farmer, bank director; owned most of Temescal district (LotD)

George Grant monument

Jeremiah Whichter - surveyor, mapmaker (LotD)
William Faulkner - publisher (LotD)
Rev. Isaac Brayton - pastor, early principal of College of California (predecessor of the UC system) (LotD)
Gen. Ralph Kirkam - Mexican War hero, businessman, philanthropist; wife Kate helped found Fabiola Hospital (LotD)
Joseph Addison Mayhew - sheriff, businessman; oversaw first legal hanging in Alameda County (LotD)

We heard about all of the founders above, lots more than I've listed, so check out the associated links to Lives of the Dead. We also did "drive-bys" of a number of other graves of note, including the Schmidt angel, the yet-to-be-occupied March Fong Eu monument, the Ghiradelli mausoleum, and the Crocker angel. Speaking of the Schmidt angel, check out the nice pic of it recently on the Oakland Daily Photo blog. The Schmidt angel and the Crocker angel are almost identical, though the markers they sit on are very different.

Another blog that was mentioned briefly on Monday was Andrew Alden's Oakland Geology. That was in reference to determining if a large rock was natural or added, by probing the ground below it to see if there's a foundation.

Speaking of Oakland geology, in February, Andrew is scheduled to lead a pair of tours about Oakland geology, one with Oakland Heritage Alliance and the other with Oakland Urban Paths. Both are scheduled for February.

Lots more pictures from the tour:

Related posts:
Mountain View Cemetery: Symbols
Mountain View Cemetery

beautiful backyard visitor

2011-12-23T07:19:00.000-08:00

Khad just finished saying how it seemed like we get a bigger variety of birds in our yard since we added a birdbath a couple years back when this beautiful bird landed. It's a female red-shafted northern flicker, which neither of us had seen before. What the picture doesn't show is how large this bird is—about 12"-14" from beak to tail. The northern flicker is a type of woodpecker, and while we haven't seen or heard it feeding, we thoroughly enjoyed its stop for a drink.

new books on Oakland

2011-12-22T11:49:00.000-08:00

Apair of new books about Oakland were released last week, and the reprint of a classic on Oakland history is in the works.

My Town Montclair is a gift from portrait photographer Reenie Raschke to her children and to the people of Montclair. It's both a snapshot of Montclair and its residents as they are today and some history, too. It's hard to avoid history when some of the people and stores have been around for decades. Rocky at the Montclair Barber Shop is pictured at work on the cover and has been cutting hair seemingly forever, and Sarbers Camera has been in Oakland since 1921 and the village since 1964. But things change; a then and now picture of one stretch of stores shows more than half the stores changed in 3 years. Similarly, Raimondi's Paint shop is long gone, Montclair Village Hardware is now over in Woodminster off Joaquin Miller, and Montclair Estates is moving to Piedmont Avenue.

A great gift for someone with a past or current connection to Montclair, the book is available at the Montclair Plaza Collective (where you can buy all sorts of other unique gifts, too) and online. You have a good chance of running into Reenie there and getting your book signed. She and her husband Greg started the collective in the long-vacant space there, and are hoping to make it a permanent fixture in the village and include fresh, 'slow' food amongst the offered items.

pictures from the book release:

Oakland Landmarks is the work of Oakland historian Annalee Allen and artist Heidi Wyckoff, and is a tribute to Oakland's amazing architectural heritage. Annalee Allen is in charge of the city-sponsored Oakland walking tours and a columnist with the Oakland Tribune. Heidi Wyckoff is a Bay Area artist who has works hanging everywhere from local stores to the Smithsonian. From Camron-Stanford House to Children's Fairyland, they explore 35 landmarks around Oakland. Each is illustrated with a lovely watercolor painting, and Annalee Allen gives a brief history of the landmark and the people associated with it. Not all the landmarks are buildings (e.g., the USS Potomac), amazing architecture (e.g., Heinhold's First and Last Chance Saloon), or even that old (e.g., Christ the Light Cathedral), but they are all part of Oakland history. Oakland Landmarks is a beautiful book, and a great gift for anyone interested in Oakland and its history. It's available online or at the Montclair Plaza Collective, along with some of Heidi's watercolors and postcards.

pictures from the book release:

Speaking of Oakland history, I was fortunate to meet Dave Newhouse at the book signing for Oakland Landmarks. He recently retired, after writing for the Oakland Tribune for 47 years. Check out his farewell column. I think he's enjoying retirement, but I did hear something about some book ideas.

Oakland, The Story of a City by Beth Bagwell has been out of print for a while, but used copies can sometimes be found in your local Oakland bookstore. It covers Oakland from the time of the Ohlone, through Spanish California, the birth and growth of Oakland, up through the 1970s, and is the book to read about Oakland history. As Living in the O blogger Rebecca Saltzman says, "it should be required reading for anyone who cares about Oakland." It's easier to understand where the city is by knowing some of where it's been. The Oakland Heritage Alliance is working on publishing a second edition, with improved images and an additional chapter to bring it up to the present. If you're interested in supporting the work, see the OHA website for more info.

happy winter solstice

2011-12-21T21:28:00.000-08:00

Happy winter solstice. On this longest night of the year, we welcome the return of the sun, the light in the darkness. May there be peace on earth and the light of wisdom for all.

WOBO and EBBC celebrate new bikeways

2011-12-17T13:09:00.000-08:00

Cyclists, city officials, and business leaders gathered on Friday to celebrate bike improvements around Oakland in 2011. Walk Oakland Bike Oakland and East Bay Bike Coalition organized the event, in recognition of 18 miles of new bikeways created this year.

During the press conference, workers were busy painting a new bike lane on Webster Street one direction and sharrows (markers for a shared car and bike lane) in the other. It's not just downtown and uptown that got new bikeways. During 2011, there were bike lanes or sharrows installed on Fruitvale, Foothill, MacArthur, East 12th, 38th Avenue, and more. There were also bike wayfinding signs installed on Fruitvale, Shafter, and East 12th. It brings the total for Oakland to over 100 miles of bike lanes, sharrows, and other bikeways, and much more is planned for the future.

"Oakland is proud to invest in better bicycling," said Mayor Jean Quan. "We are seeing cutting edge companies like Sungevity choose to locate in Oakland because their employees value being able to bike to work. These [new] bikeways help make Oakland a great place to live, work, and shop and are another reason Oakland continues to gain recognition for being a top bike friendly city."

"Oakland’s expanding bike infrastructure is helping us to attract young, hip, and smart people. We see this as an important element in promoting Oakland as a vibrant place to live." said council member Libby Schaaf (District 4).

"The bike lanes installed this year go a long way to fulfilling WOBO’s goal of connecting Oakland’s neighborhoods with safe, reliable and affordable transportation options. Bicycling is fun, it’s healthy, and people want to do it. Despite the budget and other challenges, the City is moving forward quickly to build the network and we applaud them for that," said Gloria Bruce of Walk Oakland Bike Oakland. "Safe biking makes a big difference in people’s lives."

Besides new bikeways, nearly 100 new bike parking spots were installed in 2011. Plans for 2012 include more bikeways and a bike parking station at 19th Street BART.

Special thanks to Bicycle Coffee Co. which was on hand to serve delicious slow-brewed coffee from their bike-powered coffee cart, and nearby Bay Area Bikes for the support.

More pictures:

More coverage:
East Bay Bike Coalition (includes map)
TransForm (video)
Oakland North
SF Streets Blog

signs: Paramount Theatre

2011-12-16T08:05:00.000-08:00

Paramount Theatre

It's 80 years since the beautiful Paramount Theatre opened its doors in 1931. The theater ran for many years showing movies, then fell into disrepair. It was restored in the 1970s as a home for the Oakland East Bay Symphony. The outside of the theater features prominently in the city's walking tour of Uptown, which focuses on Art Deco buildings. The Paramount also gives tours of the theater (something still on my to-do list), on the first and third Saturday of each month. Which is all to say it's a remarkable building.

K and I have been there to see movie classics like A Streetcar Named Desire and Dr. Strangelove, but it also has Oakland Symphony and other concerts, hosts graduations, naturalization ceremonies and a variety of other events. K's mom remembers being taken there as a child to see The Wizard of Oz in 1939. Speaking of which, The Wizard of Oz is the upcoming movie classic on December 30th.

Read Annalee Allen's article about the building and restoration of this Art Deco gem, and check out the theater in person -- it's beautiful, inside and out.

More pictures of the Paramount:

Oakland sunset

2011-12-14T17:35:00.000-08:00

Just watched a lovely sunset over Oakland.

upcoming Oakland events

2011-12-14T14:34:00.000-08:00

Celebrate better bike access, view the heavens, and of course, shop local. There are a couple of Oakland book signings coming up, too.

My Town Montclair book signing - Thursday, December 15, 7-10pm. Author and photographer Reenie Raschke will be signing her new book, My Town Montclair. She created it as a gift of memories for her children, but is a great book for anyone with roots in Montclair. (free)

Celebrate new bikeways - Friday, December 16, 10:30-11am. Press conference with Walk Oakland Bike Oakland, East Bay Bike Coalition, and city officials to celebrate 18 miles of newly painted and signed bikeways around Oakland. (free)

NightSchool at Chabot Space and Science Center - Friday, December 16, 7-11pm. Check out Chabot's NightSchool: Holiday Kitchen Science Lab, Telescopes 101 and Stargazing 101. (18+ only, $5/$15)

Oakland Landmarks book signing - Saturday, December 17, 2-5:30pm. Oakland historian Annalee Allen and artist Heidi Wyckoff will be at the Montclair Plaza Collective to sign their new book, Oakland Landmarks. (free)

Lakeshore: Holiday Fun - Friday, December 16, 5-7pm. Saturday, December 17, 3-5pm. Fun for the holidays, with merchant specials, Santa visits, free carriage rides, and more. (free)

Use Your Money Uptown Crawl - December 16-18. Opening December 16, 7-10pm. Join Ella Baker Center at the Betti Ono Gallery to celebrate the burgeoning arts scene in Uptown with a 'use your money' crawl. (free)

Holiday Popup Artisan Market - Sunday, December 18, 12-4pm. Urban Legend Cellars hosts a popup artisan market featuring Tina Tamale, Boucherie Meats, Semita Dulce, The Uncommon Pickle, Urban Preserves, Sajen Jamu, Baia Pasta and more.

Plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)

Oakland Urban Paths: walk and shop

2011-12-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

Davidson Stairs

Saturday was the 2nd annual Oakland Urban Paths (OUP) walk and shop. Ten people (to say nothing of the dog) explored urban walkways between Lakeshore and Piedmont Avenue and back again.

We met at Mandana Plaza, a small park across from Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church. From there we headed up and over the hill to Grand Avenue, using some stairways that had been created to get people to and from the Key System trains. There are tons of urban paths and stairways around Oakland, but only some of them have signs. OUP is working with the city to make sure urban paths are signed, and stairs have proper handrails, but it's a long, slow process. OUP is also working with the city and neighborhoods to have people "adopt a spot" with different urban stairs and paths around Oakland.

After crossing Grand Avenue and up the hill, we walked to the Morcom Rose Garden. This Oakland gem, named after then Oakland mayor Frank Morcom, has been around since the 1930s, and has a dedicated group of volunteers that tends it along with city gardeners.

We then cut over to the end of Piedmont Avenue, across from the Chapel of the Chimes. Here we took a planned break for people to shop or get a snack. We reconvened and worked our way down to Oak Glen Park in the Glen Echo neighborhood. This little park is tucked away beneath I-580 between MacArthur and Piedmont Avenue. Across Harrison, up some stairs, across Oakland Avenue, and up more stairs took us into Adams Point. From there we crossed I-580 on a pedestrian overpass behind Lakeview Elementary, walked past the Grand Lake Theater, then up Lakeshore to return to our starting point.

Lots more pictures:

Google Map of our route.

Popup Hood grand opening

2011-12-12T13:50:00.000-08:00

The Popup Hood in Old Oakland had its grand opening on Friday. Popup Hood is the brainchild of Alfonso Dominguez (of the bar and restaurant Tamarindo) and Sarah Filley, and fills some long-empty store fronts in Old Oakland.

Unlike most popup markets, this one (like the Montclair Collective) hopes to become permanent. Currently the shops are operating rent-free for six months, but the founders are hoping the shops are successful and become permanent stores. Current retailers include Manifesto Bikes, Marion and Rose’s Workshop, Sticks + Stones gallery, Piper and John General Goods, and Crown Nine jewelry. Part of the idea is that by having a critical mass of shops, they can help support each other and existing businesses by drawing more foot traffic to the area.

K and I headed down to 9th and Broadway in Old Oakland on Friday evening. When we got there about 6, there was a good crowd checking out the shops. By the time we left (after dinner and drinks at Tamarindo), the shops were packed. There are a wide variety of items for sale, including jewelry, clothes, art and bicycles, but the common theme is that they're locally and lovingly made. It's also great to see that part of Old Oakland filled up with people in the evening. Friday afternoons there's a farmers market that closes down the streets, and they kept 9th between Washington and Broadway closed for the evening. For the grand opening, you could get tickets punched by each of the popup retailers, and other businesses in Old Oakland gave various discounts for collecting them all.

Check out the Popup Hood in Old Oakland, and shop local!

More pictures:

Check out the great video about the Popup Hood by Eva Kolenko:

Popup Hood from Eva Kolenko

More coverage:
New York Times
Oakland North
SFGate
East Bay Express
Smart Planet

Vintage Christmas Popup

2011-12-11T15:26:00.001-08:00

Miles

Another chance to shop local for some unique, vintage gifts for the holidays is going on right now (Sunday 12/11) until 6pm. In Cleveland Heights east of Lake Merritt is the latest of a number of popup markets around Oakland. This one is focused on vintage Christmas gifts, from old LPs (actual vinyl) to vintage clothes to photos of old signs. Tina Tamale (and the indefatigable Gil) of La Borinqueña are serving up yummy Tamales, and Monique of Semita Dulce is there with sweets.

There's lots of interesting, cool stuff for sale. It's even worth stopping by just to see the interesting art cars. Stop by, greet Miles Davis at the door, and hang out with some fun music playing.

More pictures:

upcoming Oakland events

2011-12-07T10:46:00.001-08:00

Avariety of events coming up, and more opportunities to shop local.

Oakland Local Holiday Party - Wednesday, December 7, 6pm. Come celebrate another year of local news coverage and community building with Oakland Local.

Oaklandish Holiday Giveback - Wednesday, December 7, 7pm. A benefit show at The New Parish, sponsored by Oaklandish. FiveTenBurger and El Taco Bike will be there to serve up tasty food. ($15)

Oakland Grown benefit at Farley's - Thursday, December 8, 5-9pm. Oakland Grown is the non-profit of the month at Farley's East. Thursday during happy hour, 20% of proceeds go to OG.

Oakland Heritage Alliance Membership Meeting - Thursday, December 8, 7-9pm. OHA meeting includes board member election; slideshow will highlight our 2011 events, feature past preservation efforts, and preview exciting 2012 activities! Followed by reception. ($10 donation)

Oakland Urban Paths Walk and Shop - Saturday, December 10, 10am-1pm. Explore urban paths between Lakeshore and Piedmont Avenue, and do a little local holiday shopping. (free)

Oakland Youth Chorus holiday concert - Saturday, December 10, 6-8pm. Holiday concert by the Oakland Youth Chorus at First Presbyterian Church, Oakland. ($10-$25)

holiday shopping events:

Old Oakland: Popup Hood - Saturday, December 9, noon-9pm. Grand opening celebration of the Popup Hood in Old Oakland. (website)

Rockridge: Holiday Jazz and Wine Stroll - Friday, December 9, 5-8pm. Music, food and drink, local merchants. (website)

Northgate/Uptown: Indie Artisan Holiday Faire - Saturday, December 10, 12-5pm. 25+ local craft and food artisans. At the New Commodity warehouse.

Eastlake/Cleveland Heights: Christmas Past Vintage Finds, Handmade Gifts & Art - Sunday, December 11, 12-6pm. (website)

Lakeshore: Holiday Fun - Friday, December 16, 5-7pm. Saturday, December 17, 3-5pm. Merchant specials, Santa visits, free carriage rides, and more. (website)

Plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)

Looking further ahead:
Use Your Money Uptown Crawl - December 16-18. Opening December 16, 7-10pm.

Jingletown Holiday Art Walk

2011-12-06T20:56:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was the annual Jingletown Holiday Art Walk. The area is full of artists working in different media, and regularly have open studios to show it off.

It's also just an interesting place to walk around. In part because the area is decorated with mosaics, murals and sculptures created by the local artists. It's a fun, funky place. I went to a lot of different studios, but I don't think I hit all of them:

Institute for Mosaic Art

Kathy Cronin, photography, czphotoart.net
Jill Gibson, sculpture and jewelry, gibsonarts.com
Delanie Hackney, mosaic portraits and mixed media, delainemosaic.com
Susan Laing, handfelted textiles
Grant Marcoux, metalwork, grantsforge.com
Jill McLennan, paintings, prints & ornaments, jillmclennan.com
Bill Silveira, metal, automaniastudios.com
Sarah Swell, jewelry, sarahswell.com
Susan Tuttle, jewelry and photography
Deborah Weber, stained glass holiday items, deborahweber.com
Jon Zax, photography & stuff, lotuscolor.net
Mary McDonald, oil on canvas, marymcdonaldfineart.com
Nancy LaRose, leather, paper, ceramics, nancyklarose.com
Jan Watten, photography, janwatten.com
Stephanie Williamson, photography, swilliamsonphoto.com
Karyn Yandow, photography, artslant.com/karynyandow
Russ Osterweil, Photography, rofoto.com
Lisa Levine, photography
Peter Tonningsen, photography, petertonningsen.com
Institute of Mosaic Art, multiple artists, mosaics
Elena Baikova, painting
Peter Dreyfuss, Steel Sculpture, peterdreyfuss.com
Todd c. Hartman, photography, LIGHTBondage.Info
Chris Kanyusik, ceramic sculpture, chriskanyusik.com

Larry Lesterud, photography
Sage Moore, sculpture - clay, plaster
Stan Peterson, wood sculpture & drawings, stan-peterson.com
Fernando Reyes, painting, printmaking, drawing, freyesart.com
Mariah Carle, photography, bayareaboudoir.com
PJ Reptilehouse, photography, pjreptilehouse.com
Petey Barma, resin jewelry, sculpture, furniture
Laurel Davis, found objects, concrete wares, resurrected vintage furniture, lancasterlaboratory.com
Danielle Feinberg, photography, ink drawings, mixed media, daniellefeinberg.com
Bret Parker, prints, textiles, clothing, accessories and pillows
Kimberly Russell, watercolor, kimrlustudios.com

Special shout-outs to Jan Watten who put it all together, and to Fernando Reyes, who designed the piece that was used for the 2011 Art Walk logo.

Lots more photos:

Also check out the great photos by Howard Dyckoff on Oakland Local.

Oakland maps

2011-12-06T10:01:00.001-08:00

Maps of Oakland have long been one of the most popular features here on Our Oakland, and one of my favorite things to work on. I love maps, I love Oakland, so what's not to like?

A recent question reminded me about the map of taco trucks in Oakland (which was created by a Google maps user named Krys). Unfortunately, the map hasn't been updated since 2008. The most recent change I noticed in taco trucks was El Ojo De Agua taco truck and stand at Fruitvale and 12th St. is now another Taqueria Sinaloa, replete with an orange paint job. I haven't been by the original at 22nd Ave. to see if there are changes there.

In any event, I've listed the Oakland maps I know of below. What interesting maps of Oakland do you know of?

Oakland maps created by others

taco trucks - A map of taco trucks around Oakland. As noted above, the map hasn't been updated in a while.

food systems - A map of community gardens, farmers markets, and other alternative food sources around Oakland.

fire stations - Ever wonder where the nearest fire station is? This map will show you. I've been to a number of the stations over the years working with Oakland Firefighters Random Acts, and there's a wide variety in ages, building styles and capacities amongst the different stations.

Oakland maps that I've created

neighborhoods map - A map of every neighborhood in Oakland I could find a reference to. Some names are official, some are unofficial, some are no longer used, but they're all a part of Oakland history.

council districts - The 7 city council districts of Oakland, plus 1 at-large. These districts can be adjusted every 10 years to reflect the current population distribution.

planning districts - Districts of Oakland; used on the city of Oakland general plan and zoning map.

how I visualize Oakland - How I visualize Oakland, which is by definition not very useful and is ever-evolving. Because of the other maps, I know of many more neighborhood names, but don't always think of the areas that way.

Our Oakland signs - Shows all the signs I've posted in the Our Oakland signs feature, and some that I haven't yet covered.

news by neighborhood - A frequency map of how newspaper articles define neighborhoods across Oakland.

neighborhood name signs - A companion to the neighborhoods map -- what do neighborhoods label themselves?

DIY resources map - Resources in the East Bay for do-it-yourself home improvement types.

Oakland Grown joins forces with Sustainable Business Alliance

2011-12-05T13:51:00.001-08:00

OG+SBA luncheon

Friday afternoon, members of the Sustainable Business Alliance (SBA) met at Swan's in old Oakland to hear about Oakland Grown. The SBA recently 'adopted' Oakland Grown, which is a natural fit because local is usually more sustainable, and is definitely good for local businesses. The main speaker was Erin Killmer-Neel, who told SBA members about Oakland Grown and the new gift card program.

Kilmer-Neel is the program officer for the One Pacific Coast Foundation, one of the co-founders of Oakland Grown, and a driving force behind the recently released Oakland Grown Gift Card. You may have seen her emceeing the Oakland Indie Awards.

There was also a discussion with SBA board member Jenny Kassan about the new relationship between the SBA and OG. Kassan is the CEO of Cutting Edge Capital, a community development consultant, and a lawyer, specializing in environmentally friendly and socially responsible ventures. Katovich and Kassan Law Group's clients include Awaken Cafe, Mandela Marketplace, Oaklandish, Rock Paper Scissors and a host of other local businesses and organizations.

One thing we heard about from Kassan is HR2930, the "Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act" which legalizes investment in small local businesses. Basically it makes crowd funding a business legal, and easier for the 99%. (The 1%, i.e., "accredited investors", can already invest in whatever they like.) Read more at the Change.org petition and sign it! The bill recently passed the house, but still needs to get approved by the Senate and the President.

Besides hearing about the joining of forces of the SBA and Oakland Grown, we also broke out into small groups to discuss the gift card and what impact it would have on different local businesses. The consensus was that in its current form it makes sense for retailers, but it would have to change some before it became more of local currency and useful for business-to-business transactions. Personally from a consumer standpoint, it makes a lot of sense -- it says you care not only about the recipient, but about the community we live in, too.

More pictures:

Speaking of the Oakland Grown Gift Card, Farley's East on Grand is having a fundraiser for Oakland Grown. Join Oakland Grown on Thursday, from 5-9pm for Happy Hour! Farley's will donate 20% of sales during the happy hour. Meet the OG crew, pick up an OG shopping bag, purchase hot drinks, beer, wine, delicious paninis & salads, learn more about The Great Oakland Grown Holiday Challenge & The OG Holiday Gift Guide.

upcoming Oakland events

2011-11-30T08:12:00.000-08:00

There are gobs of events coming up, with something for all ages. Various shopping districts in Oakland are having holiday events and there are popup markets all over -- more opportunities to shop local. There's lots happening, so be sure to look through it all so you don't miss your favorite event.

WOBO/EBBC Walking and Wheeling Wonderland - Thursday, December 1, 6:30-9:30pm. Join WOBO and EBBC to celebrate a year of biking and walking advocacy. New Belgium beer, silent auction, DJ Crimson, and more. ($10 incl. drink)

Zorro by Night - Thursday, December 1. A fundraising gala for the historic Peralta Hacienda. Flamenco dancers, food, Zorro films, silent auction, and more. ($30-$50+)

City Center tree lighting - Thursday, December 1, 5pm. Seasonal music and the 3rd annual tree lighting at City Center Plaza. (free)

JLS lights up for the holidays - Friday, December 2, 5-7pm. Tree-lighting, holiday parade preview, children's holiday singing competition, and more. (free)

Linden Street Tasting Room - grand opening - Friday, December 2, 5pm. A grand opening celebration of the new tasting room at Linden Street Brewery. Live music with Lila Nelson and the Job, $4 beer, food trucks, and more. (note: no ATM on site)

Oakland Holiday Parade - Saturday, December 3, 2pm. The 12th annual holiday parade in Oakland is big. Marching bands, floats, giant balloons and more. (free)

Yule at the Zoo + Holiday Lights - Saturday, December 3, 1pm-2pm, 5:30pm for lights. Fun vocal group California Revels will be giving a concert at the zoo. All month the zoo will have a special light display. (free with admission)

Lighted Yacht Parade - Saturday, December 3, 5:30pm. The annual Lighted Yacht Parade. See dozens of Bay Area boats dressed up in their holiday finery. Benefitting two great non-profits, Oakland Firefighters Random Acts and the Alameda County Community Food Bank. (free; bring donations)

Jingletown Holiday Art Walk - Saturday and Sunday, December 3-4. Annual holiday open studios in the thriving art community of Jingletown. (free)

Popup Food Fest - Sunday, December 4, 12-4pm. Prepare for the holidays with a variety of local food vendors featured at Boucherie Marketplace at La Borinqueña.

Oakland Urban Paths Walk and Shop - Saturday, December 10, 10am-1pm. Explore urban paths between Lakeshore and Piedmont Avenue, and do a little local holiday shopping. (free)

holiday shopping events:

Montclair: Holiday Stroll - Thursday, December 1, 6-8:30pm. Special discounts, music (including a performance by the 35 member Pacific Boychoir), food and drink. (website)

Jack London Square Holiday Popup - Friday, December 2, 5-9pm. Holiday Popup market at Jack London Square. Proceeds benefit Wardrobe For Opportunity. (website)

Dimond Park Winterfest - Saturday, December 3, 10am-2pm. A pancake breakfast, local merchants, crafts for kids, and more. (website)

Piedmont Avenue: Tree-lighting and Stroll - Saturday, December 3, 5pm. Tree lighting, live performances, and more. (website)

Temescal Art Hop - Friday, December 3, 6-9pm. Part First Friday, part shopping, all fun. (website)

Temescal Labyrinth - Saturday, December 4, 12-5pm. Holiday food and craft fair. (website)

Old Oakland: Popup Hood - Saturday, December 9, noon-9pm. Grand opening celebration of the Popup Hood in Old Oakland. (website)

Rockridge: Holiday Jazz and Wine Stroll - Friday, December 9, 5-8pm. Music, food and drink, local merchants. (website)

Northgate/Uptown: Indie Artisan Holiday Faire - Saturday, December 10, 12-5pm. 25+ local craft and food artisans. At the New Commodity warehouse.

Lakeshore: Holiday Fun - Friday, December 16, 5-7pm. Saturday, December 17, 3-5pm. Merchant specials, Santa visits, free carriage rides, and more. (website)

Plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)

signs: The Layover

2011-11-29T08:24:00.000-08:00

The Layover

Today's sign post from The Layover is in honor of the amazing tweetup we had last Tuesday night. @OaklandBecks from Living in the O wrote a great post on #OccupyOakland, and given her knowledge of Oakland politics, got lots of takers when she asked if anyone wanted to talk Oakland + occupy politics. Even more when it was suggested it be done over drinks.

On to the sign. The original name is long gone, but the drink glass part is in good shape. The only problem with it is not the sign, but the description on The Layover website that says "look for the neon martini". I'm no expert on cocktails (beer or red wine are much more my speed, depending on the occasion), but that looks like a Manhattan glass with the curves, versus an angular martini glass. In any event, it's a cool sign, and I'm glad to see it still working.

For comparison, here are some of the glasses from other signs I've posted:

Mountain View Cemetery: Symbols

2011-11-27T19:29:00.000-08:00

angel

Awhile back I took a tour of Mountain View Cemetery. The cemetery also has tours about different things people find interesting; Saturday was a tour called "Symbolism in the Cemetery", about the different symbols used on graves.

Sometimes symbols on graves simply represent something of interest to the person buried there, such as musical instruments on the grave of a musician. But on older graves especially, there is usually a special meaning for symbols. Something broken like the string of a lyre or a broken ship's wheel represents the end of life. Something cut is frequently the symbol of a life cut short, as is a not fully-bloomed rose. There are lots of symbols used on older graves, but only a few symbols are still used on modern graves, such as the Christian cross or the Jewish Star of David.

A couple of interesting grave symbols come from Judaism. One is the custom of leaving a pebble or small stone on a grave marker. This dates back to ancient times when grave markers weren't used, and the grave was simply marked by a cairn, or pile of stones. Leaving a stone perpetuated the grave, and marked that someone had visited.

kohanim hands

Another symbol of note is the kohanim hands. It's used on grave markers to indicate someone descended from the priestly tribe of Aaron. Actor Leonard Nimoy created a one-handed version of this for the Star Trek series, to represent a Vulcan salute.

Some of the symbols we saw on Saturday:
rose - love, beauty, grace
fern - humility and sincerity
wheat - the harvest, a long life
ivy - fidelity, eternal friendship
palm frond - victory over death
willow - grief, sorrow
oak - longevity, endurance, loyalty
lotus - creation and rebirth, particularly on Egyptian-themed graves
lily - purity, innocence
anchor - hope
lyre (w/broken string) - end of life
torch (inverted or extinguished) - death, live snuffed out
torch (lit) - eternal life
pelican - self-sacrificing mother (see note)
sphinx - guardian, protection
hands (clasped) - farewell
crescent moon w/star - rebirth, or Islam
book, scroll - the scriptures, or a symbol of life recorded
dove - peace, messenger of God
IHS - first three letters of "Jesus" in Greek
angel - death and resurrection, a guide to heaven
lamb - innocence, Jesus (lamb of God)
urn - the soul
pile of stones - firm foundation
star of David - Judaism, divine protection
menorah - Judaism, enlightenment
kohanim hands - blessing, from the priestly tribe of Aaron
tree stump - Woodman of the World
3-link chain - (sometimes with F,L,T) Independent Order Odd Fellows
square + compass - Freemasonry
eye - the eye of God, usually a Masonic symbol

There seems to be some disagreement about the exact meaning of some of the symbols, but entire books have been written on the subject. One interesting website I found with explanations of the symbols is called Grave Addiction. Lots of people are interested in graves and cemeteries; there's even a special word for them: taphophile.

One local taphophile, Barbara Gibson, has started a new business called Last Wishes, to help people plan the ceremonial aspects of their funerals, along with practical considerations, including what happens to their online presence like Twitter accounts and blogs.

For more on the Mountain View Cemetery in general, including links to various resources about the cemetery and Oakland history and more pictures, see my post about the general tour.

Lots more pictures:

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T08:44:00.001-08:00

upcoming Oakland events

2011-11-23T18:21:00.000-08:00

The big events this week are Thanksgiving, of course, and a great opportunity to shop local or make a point to buy nothing at all. Need a place to get free food or a meal on Thanksgiving? Check this list on Oakland Local. There are lots of holiday events in the weeks to come. But remember to shop local!

Plaid Friday - Friday, November 25. Plaid Friday is the shop local alternative to Black Friday. Support local, independent businesses and keep your money local. (list of participating businesses; hours, events and discounts vary)

Oakland in the Black - Friday, November 25, 11am-6pm. Oakland in the Black is a shop local celebration centered around Downtown businesses taking part in Plaid Friday. They'll have DJs, live performances, and food vendors. (free)

Plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)

Looking further ahead:
WOBO/EBBC Party - December 1. Celebrate a year of biking and walking advocacy with WOBO and EBBC.
Zorro by Night - December 1. A fundraising gala for the historic Peralta Hacienda.
City Center tree lighting - Thursday, December 1, 5pm. Seasonal music and the 3rd annual tree lighting at City Center Plaza.
Lighted Yacht Parade - Saturday, December 3. See dozens of Bay Area boats dressed up in their holiday finery.
Holiday Popup at JLS - Friday, December 2, 5pm-9pm. Holiday Popup market at Jack London Square. Proceeds benefit Wardrobe For Opportunity.
JLS lights up for the holidays - Friday, December 2, 5pm-7pm. Tree-lighting, holiday parade preview, and more.
Jingletown Holiday Art Walk - Saturday and Sunday, December 3-4. Annual holiday open studios in the thriving art community of Jingletown.
Popup Food Fest - Sunday, December 4, 12-4pm. A variety of local food vendors featured at Boucherie Marketplace at La Borinqueña.

shop local - Plaid Friday + Oakland in the Black

2011-11-22T08:16:00.000-08:00

The Friday after Thanksgiving has been known as "Black Friday" (1) since the 1960s, and has become one of the biggest shopping days of the year in the U.S. On one hand it means discounts and new items for consumers before the year-end holidays, and increased sales for retailers. On the other hand, it's led to a frenzy of buying things we don't necessarily need or can't afford, and even the trampling death of a security guard a few years ago. This year, some of the big box retailers are starting even earlier, opening at midnight on Thanksgiving. Which means employees won't get to fully enjoy Thanksgiving with their families and friends, because they'll be busy preparing for shoppers.

One response is to shop local and independent businesses instead of at big box stores. Plaid Friday started here in Oakland, but has spread across the country. Rather than joining hordes of people trying to buy the latest electronics they don't need and can't afford, shop and eat locally. More of the money you spend locally stays local (73¢ vs. 43¢ of each dollar).

There are dozens of East Bay businesses taking part and even some places to stop for a break from shopping, like Actual Cafe, Caffe 817, Farley's East and The Rising Loafer. Actual Cafe will be celebrating the addition of Periscope Cellars wines and Linden Street beers to their offerings, and will have a DJ and be hosting a local craft bazaar.

A number of participants are part of different popup markets around Oakland, but most are small businesses that have been part of Oakland for years.

Another shop local event on Friday is Oakland in the Black. If focuses on downtown businesses, and features many of the same ones taking part in Plaid Friday. They'll have DJs, live performances, and food vendors from 11AM-6PM at Broadway and 14th.

Whether you choose to shop downtown or somewhere else in Oakland, or shop some other day, shop local and shop independent. Keep your money local by buying local!

More on shopping (and banking and eating) locally:

More coverage of Plaid Friday on Oakland Local.

(1) It's interesting to note that the other meanings are almost all negative, because increasingly, Black Friday is viewed as a negative. The original shopping-related meaning in Philadelphia was a negative, referring to the large crowds and heavy traffic, and that part hasn't changed.

fall colors

2011-11-21T13:33:00.000-08:00

Abit of fall color shot this morning in our back yard.

Random Acts at Fentons

2011-11-17T12:41:00.000-08:00

November is Oakland Firefighters Random Acts month at Fentons Creamery. All month long, 25% of the proceeds from each firefighter sundae (a yummy concoction made with vanilla and rocky road ice cream) goes to support Random Acts' mission of "firefighters creating a positive difference in the lives of individuals." This past weekend, firefighters, fire cadets and volunteers showed up to help serve and celebrate.

Random Acts brought the parade rig for people to climb on, toy fire hats for kids, and had lively music playing. But people come to Fentons for the ice cream, and there was plenty of that, some served up by firefighters and cadets. A few were drafted for the hazardous duty of the annual sundae building contest. This year pitted a crew of cadets versus seasoned firefighters, but none came through unscathed. Whipped cream ended up everywhere, including some on the crowd and photographers.

Lots more pictures:

Also of note is that Fentons is working on opening Myrtle's Lodge, a retail space across Piedmont Avenue. There was a sneak peek available on Sunday, so I took a look at the work in progress. It will have ice cream of course, but served from an antique soda fountain and rung up at an antique cash register. There will reproduction toys (plus plush Myrtle the cow dolls) for sale, art and a bit of history, too. I'll report more as info becomes available.

upcoming Oakland events

2011-11-16T08:53:00.001-08:00

Ashort but eclectic list of upcoming events. There's plenty of other stuff going on, too, like Goapele at Yoshi's (sold out all 4 nights) and various other shows around Oakland. What are you doing this week in Oakland? If nothing else, get out and support downtown restaurants and businesses affected by #OccupyOakland.

ICA Business Reception & Entrepreneur Marketplace - Thursday, November 17, 6pm. Inner City Advisors brings together several hundred entrepreneurs, advisors, funders, and community leaders that are working together to create quality inner city jobs and wealth. ($40)

Oakland Symphony Chorus - Saturday, November 19. The Oakland Symphony Chorus performs Haydn’s Harmonie Messe at the beautiful Christ the Light Cathedral. (free)

EBRPD Sunday Strolls - Sunday, November 20. Join East Bay Regional Parks for a hike in Redwood Regional Park. Meet at noon at the Canyon Meadow Staging Area. (free)

Plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)

Looking further ahead:
WOBO/EBBC Party - December 1. Celebrate a year of biking and walking advocacy with WOBO and EBBC.
Zorro by Night - December 1. A fundraising gala for the historic Peralta Hacienda.

new markets popping up for the holidays

2011-11-15T19:41:00.000-08:00

Marshall's Honey

The current economy has left a lot of empty storefronts around Oakland. Friday on my way home from Habitat, I came across a creative way of dealing with it, a collective popup market. The force behind the Montclair Plaza Collective is photographer Reenie Raschke, and she's hoping to make the collective a permanent fixture in Montclair Village.

Reenie ran a photography studio in the village for 12 years before rising rents forced her to run her business from home. After talking with other village merchants about the vacant storefronts, Reenie and her husband Greg Fieler came up with the idea of a sustainability-based collective market. During the initial two month trial run, the market has artwork and pre-packaged food items. They're hoping to get the necessary permits to have fresh food such as seafood, and to be a drop-off point for CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes, like the Beet Box from Phat Beets. Think slow food and slow money.

The list of vendors is growing, and currently includes:
Back to The Roots
Little Paper Monkeys
Glashoff Farms
Origin Spices
Gypsy Blue
Marshall’s Honey
Montclair Skin Care
Heidi Wyckoff
MRCW
My Town Montclair Book
Handy Gal
Big Paw
King Bag Co

You probably recognize some of those, like Back to the Roots (aka the mushroom guys) and Heidi Wyckoff, the artist who painted the images for the soon-to-be-released Oakland Landmarks book done in collaboration with columnist and historian Annalee Allen.

Montclair Plaza Collective
Thursday-Saturday: noon-7pm
Sunday: 10am-3pm

Another place markets are popping up for the holidays is Old Oakland. The Popup Hood is making use of currently vacant storefronts in Old Oakland. Such a setup is a win all around, as the neighborhood gets the space used, the landlord gets to show off a space that's not empty, and the vendor gets a space to use for a while. Current vendors include:

Manifesto Bikes
Crown Nine
Marion and Rose's Workshop
Piper and John General Goods
Sticks+Stones Gallery (@815 Broadway)
Turtle & Hare

food: B Restaurant

2011-11-14T17:14:00.000-08:00

Last week K and I decided to eat out for a small celebration. Given the effect of #OccupyOakland on local businesses, we wanted to make a point of eating downtown. A downtown restaurant that's been on our "to try" list for some time is B Restaurant, on Washington and 9th in Old Oakland, so we decided to dine there.

I was a little unsure, because the menu didn't seem especially vegetarian-friendly. I was even more unsure when shortly before we left home I saw news on Twitter that someone had been shot just outside the #OccupyOakland encampment in Frank Ogawa Plaza. We discussed it, but decided to go anyway. I did modify our route downtown to steer clear of the street closures.

In any event, I'm glad we went. The service was great, the food was great, and there were plenty of vegetarian (though no vegan) options for me to choose from. The food was delicious, and beautifully prepared.

We arrived early in the evening and the restaurant wasn't very busy, though there was a decent crowd at the bar. By the time we left, the place was packed. It's a good sign for the restaurant, and for downtown businesses in general. The only distraction was the news helicopter that hovered throughout the evening.

We started with a squash medley and B Restaurant's well-known truffle fries. The squash were great, but the truffle fries were amazing -- doubtless not on our diet. For an entree, K had the petrale sole (after we verified it was Pacific-caught sole; Atlantic-caught is over fished), and I had a Caesar salad. I was excited about it because it actually had anchovies, something many so-called Caesar salads are lacking. Romaine lettuce plus shredded Parmesan cheese does not a Caesar salad make.

Short review: we'll definitely be going again.

Oakland Urban Paths: secret stairs, fire and BART

2011-11-14T14:28:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning, Oakland Urban Paths led a walk called "Secret Stairs, Fire and BART." The walk gives some beautiful views over the Bay Area, and some unusual views of the Claremont Hotel. A group of about 30 people met across from the Claremont Hotel, just over the border in Berkeley.

Given the shape of the border between Oakland and Berkeley, we crossed it several times during our walk. Besides an interesting border, the area is also known because it was devastated by the 1991 Oakland - Berkeley Firestorm. As a result, many of the homes are new, rebuilt after the fire, and use more fire-resistant materials like stucco, concrete and metal.

Along with seeing some interesting houses, we learned a bit about the history of the area. Hiller Highlands was named for Stanley Hiller, Sr. (both Stanley Sr. and Stanley Jr. were inventors.) Amongst Stanley Sr.'s inventions was a single channel for for underground utilities in the 1950s. He was unable to get PG&E interested, so he divided part of their property into a development of 27 lots, complete with underground utilities. The lots stood empty until 1963, when resistance by PG&E had faded. The Hiller mansion still stands, and is the main building of the Bentley School.

An area resident told us about the new-ish looking stairs that were thought to have been built by BART (they are on a hill above the BART tunnel to Orinda). It turns out that the original stairs had been built by Stanley Hiller at the time of the development. Those stairs were badly damaged in the '91 fire, and were rebuilt.

lots of photos:

A Google Map of our route for Secret Stairs, Fire and BART.

Be sure to join Oakland Urban Paths for their next walk on December 10th, Walk and Shop. It's a chance to explore some of the urban paths between Lakeshore and Piedmont Avenue, and to do a little holiday shopping while supporting Oakland businesses.

photo: run tom, run!

2011-11-13T09:28:00.000-08:00

Isaw this ~~turkey~~ seasonal refugee on my ride home up Old Tunnel Road after the Oakland Urban Paths walk in Hiller Highlands. A little while later I saw four more, including two doing the iconic tail feather spread.

thank you, veterans

2011-11-11T07:55:00.001-08:00

my grandfather in Italy

Imay not always agree with why you're sent, but thank you to all the veterans out there.

A fellow DIYer wrote this great post a couple of years ago.

signs: G&G Hardware

2011-11-10T16:48:00.000-08:00

G&G Hardware

One of my favorite signs. I've posted it before shot during the day, but it's worth another look. I love that they've maintained it, and it's not even for a business that's still around.

upcoming Oakland events

2011-11-09T09:39:00.000-08:00

Avariety of events coming up in Oakland. The current forecast has rain Thursday night and Friday, but don't let that slow you down. I'm hoping for better weather on Saturday for the Urban Paths walk, though.

Jobs Fair in East Oakland - Thursday, November 10, 10am-3pm. Come out to a free jobs fair at the Oakland Coliseum clubhouse. There will be a career expo, resume review, a course on social media and career networking (by Susan Mernit of Oakland Local), and more. Read more at Oakland Local. (free)

Mysteries of the Oakland History Room - Thursday, November 10, 7:30pm. The OHA reveals the mysteries of the Oakland History Room! What's in there? How can you find it all? How can you tell how old your house is? How do the librarians make searching the resources look so easy? ($10-$15)

Urban Paths: Secret Stairs, Fire and BART - Saturday, November 12, 10am-noon. Check out stairs, Vicente Creek and a special BART stairway along the Oakland/Berkeley borderlands with Oakland Urban Paths. (free)

Party at 16th Street Station - Sunday, November 13, 1-4pm. Celebrate and contribute to restoring this amazing Oakland building. More info. Also check out the article in the East Bay Express. (weather permitting)

Firefighters Weekend at Fenton's - Saturday and Sunday, November 12-13, 12-4pm. All month long 25% of the proceeds from the Firefighter Sundae goes to support the works of OF Random Acts. On Saturday and Sunday, firefighters will be there to wait tables, and kids can climb on the parade fire engine. Don't miss the sundae building contest at 3pm.

Plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)

Looking further ahead:
ICA Business Reception & Entrepreneur Marketplace - November 17, 6pm at Jack London Square.
Oakland Symphony Chorus - Saturday, November 19 at Christ the Light Cathedral. Oakland Symphony Chorus performs Haydn’s Harmonie Messe
WOBO/EBBC Party - December 1. Celebrate a year of biking and walking advocacy with WOBO and EBBC.
Zorro by Night - December 1. A fundraising gala for the historic Peralta Hacienda.

signs: Scream Sorbet

2011-11-08T14:39:00.000-08:00

Scream Sorbet

Scream Sorbet not only has great sorbet (available in their store on Telegraph and at various farmers markets), but they have a pretty darn cool sign, too. I'd only seen it during the day before, but I was over in the Temescal for their First Friday art walk and got to see it at night.

But seeing one of their photos from the Google Maps entry, it's clear I need to get back over there with my tripod at dusk some time:

shop locally with the Oakland Grown gift card

2011-11-07T14:59:00.000-08:00

Oakland Grown is an organization for independent local businesses and artists in Oakland. Shopping locally is one of the best ways to keep money local—shopping at a locally-owned business keeps an average of 73¢ of each dollar in the local economy versus 43¢ of each dollar spent at a non-locally owned business. To make shopping and gift-giving locally even easier, Oakland Grown is creating a new gift card.

Gift cards have grown increasingly popular because they make gift-giving easier. No more wrong thing, wrong color, wrong size, because the recipient gets to pick it out. But gift cards can be impersonal: "I care about you enough to get you something—go get something from this generic big-box national retailer." The Oakland Grown gift card gives the recipient flexibility, but at the same time says "I care about you, and I care about the city we live in and its people, too—support a local, independent business." If you enjoy shopping or exploring Oakland, you could even join your friend or loved one to see what they choose.

Oakland Grown is starting with a small pilot program, with a few dozen Oakland merchants participating, but they're planning on scaling it up in time for the holidays. And if you're wondering, the company powering the card is an Oakland business, too. The list of businesses accepting the card includes restaurants, salons and a variety of stores, and is growing weekly.

Besides buying and using the cards, there are other ways to support the card. First, you can provide seed money to help get the program started. Second, encourage your favorite Oakland businesses and artists to join Oakland Grown and register to accept the gift cards.

And yes, they're using a stylized version of one of my old sign photos, the heart on East 12th. I also used the photo in my recent Oakland Local article on banking locally, put your money where your heart is.

upcoming Oakland events

2011-11-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

Today's big event is the rain that's supposed to fall in the afternoon and through the night. Hopefully that will wash away the few troublemakers from #OccupyOakland but stop in time for the Art Murmur on Friday.

Oakland East Bay Symphony Opening Night - Friday, November 4, 8pm. Celebrate opening night with the Symphony, celebrating the rich, vibrant tradition of American music. At the beautiful Paramount Theater.

Food Justice: Honoring our Roots - November 4-8. Conference begins with short courses and Food Justice Tours throughout the Bay Area, and will look back to the roots of the food movement, discuss the Food & Farm Bill, and examine where the movement is heading. Read more at Oakland Local.

West Oakland Specific Plan Workshop - Thursday, November 3, 6-8pm. The West Oakland Specific Plan is under preparation and, once completed, will guide future use of sites in West Oakland. This workshop will identify locations throughout West Oakland that provide opportunities for neighborhood revitalization, and align community development goals and desires expressed at Community Workshop #1.At West Oakland Senior Center, 1724 Adeline Street, Oakland. Please RSVP by phone or email - 510-238-3322 or ujonsson@oaklandnet.com

Plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)

Looking further ahead:
Urban Paths - November 12. Secret Stairs, Fire and BART - Check out stairs, Vicente Creek and a special BART stairway along the Oakland/Berkeley borderlands.

signs: Clancy's

2011-11-01T17:51:00.000-07:00

Clancy's

More recently known as Sweet Jimmie's, it was Clancy's Cantina before that. Sadly, it's probably best known as where 6 people were shot back in April, 2 fatally.

put your money where your heart is

2011-10-27T15:55:00.000-07:00

Whether you want to take part in #OccupyOakland, or you disagree with the protesters, odds are that you're part of the 99%. While some executives from big financial companies may face charges and be convicted of fraud, odds are most of them won't, and even some of the other 1% are unhappy about that. Unsurprisingly, it all makes people want to keep their money closer to home.

I've written about shopping locally and even eating locally before. But another way to keep your money closer to home is to bank locally. Instead of keeping your checking and savings at a big bank like B of A or Chase, keep it at a local bank or credit union. Protesting against banks is one thing, but hit them financially to really get their attention. Individually, none of us has enough money for big banks to notice, but if we all invest our money locally, they'll feel it.

I'm not the first* to think of this, and plenty of others have done or are planning to do the same thing. Bank Transfer Day (on November 5th) is a rapidly-growing movement for people to move their money from big financial companies to local banks and credit unions. Credit unions have already noticed an uptick in new accounts.

It may not be as easy or convenient as banking with a big bank that has branches and ATMs everywhere, but credit unions and local banks are surprisingly well-connected with various ATM networks even if they don't have as many branches. It does take time and some work to move your money, but if you want to keep more it, bank closer to home.

I started** by opening an account at One PacificCoast Bank which is headquartered here in Oakland, and is partnered with the One PacificCoast Foundation which is the sponsor of the Oakland Indie awards. The foundation actually holds the economic rights of the bank, meaning dividends go to the foundation. Their mission is "to build prosperity in our communities through beneficial banking services delivered in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner."

There are a lot more options for joining a local credit union. Credit unions are not-for-profit because they operate to serve their members rather than to maximize profits. They have differing membership requirements, so you may not be able to join just any credit union, but odds are you can find one or more that you can. For example Patelco is open to people living in Alameda County; living, working or shipping in Oakland; or an employee of any of the 1100+ companies, associations, trade groups, chambers of commerce, or federal government agencies that use Patelco.

Tools to help:
You can find local credit unions with the Find a Credit Union website. The Google Advisor page allows you to compare checking and savings accounts (as well as mortgages, CDs and credit cards) at a variety of financial institutions. But one of the best tools is word of mouth: ask your friends which local bank or credit union they bank with.

Who do you bank with? If they're not local, have you thought about putting your money where your heart is?

* Special thank you to formerly Oakland-based photographer Valerie Cochran who tweeted about moving her money to a local bank or credit union earlier this year and got me started thinking about it, too.
** Several months later, I'm still in the process of moving things. Autopay for bills is mostly great, but makes switching accounts harder. As does laziness, but recent events are helping overcome that.

upcoming Oakland events

2011-10-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

Not surprisingly there are a lot of Halloween and Day of the Dead events coming up. Many neighborhoods and churches are putting on kid-friendly Halloween parades and events. But the end of October also brings about the conclusion of the city walking tours for 2011. As always, be aware of current conditions, but doubly so for events around city hall.

'Thriller' record attempt - Saturday, October 29, 7pm. An attempt to set a new world record of people dancing to Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'. The local event is at Studio One Art Center, 365 45th Street.

Dia de los Muertos - Sunday, October 30, 10am-5pm. A community celebration of the Day of the Dead in the Fruitvale. Lots of live music, rides and games for kids, Aztec dancers, and more.

OMCA Family Tour | Days of the Dead - Sunday, October 30, 12-3pm. Take a special docent-led Family Tour of the exhibition Love & Loss: Los Días de los Muertos 2011 at 1 pm. Drop into a family art-making activity from 12 to 3.

Halloween events
Piedmont Avenue Halloween Parade - Saturday, October 29, 11:45am. Head to Piedmont Ave. for the Halloween Parade, followed by Treat or Treating, music on the plazas and an annual pet contest at Paws on Piedmont.

Annual Pumpkin Festival - Saturday, October 29, 12-3pm. The 6th annual Pumpkin Festival at Mountain View Cemetery, with pumpkins, bounce houses, face-painting, and more.

Boo at the Zoo - Saturday October 29, 10am-3pm. Visit the Oakland Zoo for their annual Halloween event, Boo at the Zoo! Stroll the Zoo in costume and collect yummy treats. Ride the spooky boo train, then be part of the costume parade. Plus, you'll get to see how the animals at the Oakland Zoo celebrate Halloween.

Jack O' Lantern Jamboree! - Saturday October 29 & October 30. A "More Delightful than Frightful" event at Children's Fairyland. Little kids' and bigger kids' bouncer, face painting, balloon twisting, creatively crafted environments, special entertainment, costume parades, unlimited rides, free give-aways and the spooktacular Old West Junction Ghost Town!

Children's Halloween Parade - Sunday, October 30, 11:45am. A chance for children to trick or treat and show off their costumes on College Avenue. Meet at College Avenue Presbyterian at 5951 College in Rockridge.

Lions Club Halloween Parade - Monday, October 31, 3-5pm. The annual Halloween parade in Montclair Village for kids (and pets) gives them an opportunity to show off their finest Halloween outfits.

Temescal Trick or Treat - Monday, October 31, 4-6pm. Kids can stroll Telegraph Avenue and collect treats from local vendors.

Trunk or Treat - Monday, October 31, 5:30pm-9:30pm. Trick or Treating, Pumpkin Carving, Art and Crafts, Bounce House, Carnival Games, Taco Truck and Bake Sale at Regeneration Church.

Candy Giveaway - Monday, October 31, 12-4pm. Oakland Parks and Rec will be giving away candy to kids at 250 Frank Ogawa Plaza. Call 238-3791 or 238-7275 for more info.

Plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Downtown walking tours (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)

Looking further ahead:
Food Justice: Honoring our Roots - Conference begins with short courses and Food Justice Tours throughout the Bay Area, and will look back to the roots of the food movement, discuss the Food & Farm Bill, and examine where the movement is heading.
Urban Paths - November 12. Secret Stairs, Fire and BART - Check out stairs, Vicente Creek and a special BART stairway along the Oakland/Berkeley borderlands.

Red Cross 5k Fun Run

2011-10-25T16:14:00.000-07:00

On a beautiful Saturday morning, the Red Cross held its first ever Out for Blood 5k Fun Run. It was a fundraiser towards a new blood drive truck for use here in the East Bay. I'm not a runner, but K does some so she gamely signed up for it.

There was a good turnout for a first-time event (and only a little confusion with the Step Out: Diabetes Walk that was happening nearby at the same time.) While some people were clearly there to run it as fast as they could, a lot were there for fun, and were accompanied by children in running strollers or four-legged running/walking companions. K finished faster than her target time so she was pleased but tired.

More pictures:

progress on new Kaiser building

2011-10-24T23:30:00.000-07:00

new Kaiser building

It's been a work in progress for the last couple of years, but today before my dentist appointment I got a different look at the new Kaiser building on MacArthur between Broadway and Piedmont Ave. An existing Kaiser building is on the left, and I-580 runs across the foreground, all beneath a lovely autumn sky.

Pedalfest: fun, food, beer and bikes

2011-10-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

penny-farthing at Pedalfest

Saturday was Pedalfest, a celebration of bikes, cycling, food, family and fun. There was perfect weather for the large crowd that turned out.

There were handmade bikes of all shapes and sizes, a vintage bike museum, a BMX riding demo, the Whiskey Drome, a kids' area and bike parade, food, live music, beer (thank you, New Belgium Brewing!), and of course valet bike parking.

I checked things out in the morning, then volunteered in the beer garden with other East Bay Bike Coalition and Walk Oakland Bike Oakland members. It looked like everyone was having a good time (and only a few having a little too good a time), from kids in the bike parade to people watching the crazy cyclists in the Whiskey Drome, to people just marveling at the beautiful and creative bikes like the giant double high wheel bike.

Lots more pictures:

By Any Dreams Necessary

2011-10-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

When school budgets get cut, many times one of the first things to go are the arts. Yet numerous studies have shown that children learn a variety of subjects better when exposed to the arts. As artsusa.org says:

...for certain populations—including young children, students from economically disadvantaged circumstances, and students needing remedial instruction—learning in the arts may be uniquely able to advance learning and success in other areas.

It's this need for arts education that By Any Dreams Necessary founder and executive director Garrett Naiman saw and is helping to fill. The organization is a mostly volunteer effort by a collective of artists and educators dedicated to nurturing the creative spirit and educational aspirations of youth. They're new—they've only been at it about a year and half, and are still working on getting 501(c)(3) non-profit status.

By Any Dreams Necessary team

So far they've awarded half a dozen scholarships, two in 2010 and four in 2011. All the recipients were required to submit an application with both an essay/personal statement component, as well as an original art component. Some submitted poems, others mini documentaries or paintings. You may remember back in July when I linked to a poem called "One Oakland" by 2011 scholarship winner Kenya Hall. If you haven't already (or even if you have), go check out Kenya's poem. This year they'll be giving away another 4 scholarships, and are hoping to increase both the quantity and amount of the awards soon.

The other part of their work is the Artist in Residence program. It places an experienced arts-educator in a public middle school. The goal of the program is to provide art education to students who attend low-resource schools that are unable to consistently provide art in their school day curriculum. By Any Dreams Necessary provides funding for the program, including all art supplies and materials. Currently they have an arts-educator at the Urban Promise Academy off Fruitvale. The Artist in Residence works with the school in several ways:

basic arts instruction
arts integration across academic subjects
teach the faculty about how to use art in their classrooms

If you're interested in learning more or helping out, contact By Any Dreams Necessary.

Got a big idea? Start a company

2011-10-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

Mayor Quan talking with entrepreneurs

Have you ever had a great idea for something new? Or seen a niche and thought, "I could make something better to fill that"? That's what the five panelists in Wednesday night's panel have in common. And they started five of the most dynamic companies in Oakland.

You've probably heard of Pandora, the internet radio company that's based here in Oakland (I'm listening to Pandora as I write this.) But you may not be familiar with the others: Ecologic, Livescribe, Revolution Foods, and BrightSource Energy. The venture capital firm DBL Investors, which invested in all 5, hosted the Startup Oakland! forum Wednesday night at the Den at the Fox.

The panel included:

Julie Corbett, CEO, Ecologic
Joe Kennedy, CEO, Pandora
Jim Marggraff, Chairman & CEO, Livescribe
Kristin Groos Richmond, CEO, Revolution Foods
John Woolard, President & CEO, BrightSource Energy

and was moderated by Nancy Pfund, managing partner of DBL Investors. Despite some technical difficulties (like not enough light on the stage area), there was standing room only crowd house to hear what they had to say.

Starting a company isn't for everyone, and it's definitely not easy. But the potential upside is big, and it's a great way to create new jobs. (According to this informative and entertaining infographic, between 1977 and 2005, startup firms in the U.S. added an average of 3 million jobs per year while existing firms lost 1 million jobs per year. I'm guessing those numbers are even more skewed in the years 2006-2011.)

It takes a good idea, a lot of hard work, and a fair amount of luck to successfully start a new company. But beyond that basic knowledge, the 5 CEOs had some more specific advice if you're considering starting a new company. First, besides having a great idea, you need to be passionate about it. The people you find to work with you have to share that same passion. But it's also important to get people who are different from you (but still share the passion and mission), because a diversity of backgrounds is important for success -- that's one thing that Oakland excels at.

Some other points noted:
- you need to have a proof of concept of your idea
- if you need to raise investments, be patient. Even when the economy is good, it can a long time to cultivate a relationship with potential investors
- surround yourself with the best possible people -- people who can do their various jobs better than you could, and have them do the same. Your goal as CEO is to make yourself irrelevant in the day-to-day so you can concentrate on the bigger picture
- make needed personnel changes sooner rather than later, especially when the company is small
- realize that sometimes you need to trust your gut, and make a decision before you've got all the info
- get in conversation with (potential) customers early and often (note: I think this goes even for established companies)

If you're interested in starting a company in Oakland, come to the final Innovatate Oakland mixer of 2011 on Thursday, October 27 at the Kaiser Convention Center.

More coverage on Oakland Local and Thoughts from the Hill, the Valley and the Fields.

the BTTR mushroom guys

upcoming Oakland events

2011-10-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

The big events this weekend are remembrances, the 20th anniversary of the Oakland Firestorm and the Day of the Dead at OMCA. But for lots of fun, pedal over to PedalFest at Jack London Square or the final Bites off Broadway for 2011.

Bites off Broadway - Friday, October 21. This is the last Bites off Broadway for 2011, so if you've been meaning to go but haven't yet, this is your last chance for a while.

Red Cross 5k Fun Run - Saturday, October 22, 9am. A fundraising race around Lake Merritt to purchase a new mobile blood drive truck which will be used here in the East Bay.

Firestorm 20th anniversary - Saturday, October 22, 9am. A variety of activities to reflect on and remember the Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm of 1991. (free)

PedalFest - Saturday, October 22, 10am-5pm. Bikes, beer, food, and fun at Jack London Square, PedalFest will have a variety of bike-themed activities including stuff for kids. I'll be parking bikes with EBBC/WOBO or working in the beer garden, and hope to see you there. (free)

Days of the Dead - Sunday, October 23. The Oakland Museum comes alive with the tradition of Days of the Dead! Craft activities, food, music, dance, and ceremonies bring the community together for reflection and honoring the dead. There will also be free bike parking from EBBC. (with admission) [Insider's tip: OMCA opens at 11 am; arrive early to participate in the Opening Ceremony at Noon.]

National Food Day - Monday, October 24. The Bay Area will feature numerous events held by local foodies and activists, including free veggie food give-aways in Oakland and a "Fair Food: From Seed to Table" series of events with Berkeley Ecology Center. See the Food Day website and the Berkeley Ecology Center calendar for more info.

Plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Downtown walking tours (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)

Looking further ahead:
Dia de los Muertos - October 30, 10am-5pm. A community celebration of the Day of the Dead in the Fruitvale.
Urban Paths - November 12. Secret Stairs, Fire and BART - Check out stairs, Vicente Creek and a special BART stairway along the Oakland/Berkeley borderlands.

Oakland Firestorm anniversary

2011-10-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

firestorm memorial

Thursday will be the 20th anniversary of the Oakland-Berkeley hills firestorm. At the time it happened, I was house- and pet-sitting for some friends in Alameda. Like a lot of people, I learned about it first from TV -- I was watching the 49ers game, and John Madden circled a cloud of smoke with electronic chalk and said something like: "You see this? This is smoke. Apparently there's a big fire in the Oakland hills." I switched to another channel for news coverage, then ran outside to see for myself when I found out how big it already was.

photo by Richard Misrach at OMCA

It was a hot, dry, windy day and the fire spread quickly and burned for days. The firestorm changed Oakland in a lot of ways. Short-term of course, it literally changed the landscape, making the north hills look more like a moonscape. Thousands of people lost their homes and possessions, and dozens lost their lives. But longer term, it changed fire fighting in the Bay Area, building codes and how people think about living in the urban / wild interface.

There are a variety of events to commemorate the 20th anniversary, starting Saturday at 9am at Rockridge BART. See the city website for more info.

There's an exhibit at the Oakland Museum of photographs by Richard Misrach taken in the aftermath of the fire. There's also a special exhibit at the Oakland History Room. Read Annalee Allen's article for more.

Given the huge impact of the fire, there's a lot of press coverage leading up to the anniversary:

MacArthur Metro:
Oakland Remembers the 1991 Firestorm

Oakland Local:
call for photos and stories

Oakland North:
Local firefighters reenact the Hills Fire response
After fire, residents build off-the-wall homes
McClouds, Pulaskis, and brush hooks?

Oakland Tribune:
Events, exhibits commemorate 20th anniversary
Oakland hills fire: 20 years later
Voices from Oakland Hills Fire
She never thought the fire would jump the freeway
Wind, overgrown trees and brush still a hazard in the hills
By the numbers
After the inferno
Just the first wave of pain for survivors

CBS 5:
Families Still Struggling With Loss

strange days indeed

2011-10-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

Some days just don't go as planned. I had lots of Oakland-y goodness planned for today, starting with a ride down the hill to church at College Avenue Presbyterian, a short ride down to the East Bay Mini Maker Faire to volunteer with the East Bay Bike Coalition and check out the fair, then over to Peralta Hacienda for a walk and lecture made possible by Oakland Urban Paths and the National Park Service. All sounds like good stuff, no?

I hopped on the e-bike and headed to Lake Temescal, as the bike path around it is one of the quicker, more pleasant routes over to Rockridge for me. I was surprised to find an OPD motorcycle cop on the path who signaled me to stop. He said I couldn't go on the path, couldn't go through the park either, and couldn't say why it was closed, just that it was "for another agency." Another agency? The Girl Scouts, the fire department or Homeland Security? There's a lot of different possible reasons there. In any event, I rode back to Broadway Terrace, and down to Rockridge that way. The fact I saw two police cars on my way (which is two more police cars than I normally see on a Sunday) did nothing to assuage my concerns.

I arrived at church a bit later than planned, and noticed that Monte's video display was, well, a bit skewed -- the projector was showing the control screen, and his new laptop was showing the presentation. I checked in with him and quickly fixed it, but it was a further discombobulation for the morning. After the service including another great sermon by Monte, I rushed off towards the Maker Faire, again running a little bit later than I'd planned.

I arrived at Opal and 42nd, the designated place for bike parking for the Maker Faire, and saw...no bikes. After peering around for a bit, someone pointed me down the block to the next gate. I arrived to see the available space full of bikes. Apparently last year, they'd had maybe 40 bikes or so, so the Maker Faire gave EBBC that much space. Well, last year it rained, so a lot of people didn't ride (and probably some didn't go at all). This year, it was warm (and a little humid -- what's up with that?) and sunny, and the space was filled to overflowing. To complicate matters, normally EBBC gets an enclosed space to park bikes in, with one entrance to control access. This space was along the driveway used for musicians and makers to bring in their gear, so we had the back access to worry about, a steady stream of non-bike people going through, and we had to keep the driveway clear. Shortly after I arrived we had to start with a one-out, one-in policy, as we didn't have room for any more bikes until some left.

So when the end of my shift was approaching at 2pm, I asked Max if they'd had any volunteers sign up for the 2pm to closing shift. Given the day so far, I was completely unsurprised to hear that they hadn't. Given the extra challenges, I decided to stay and keep helping. During a bathroom break I checked out a few of the makers nearby, but didn't really get to spend much time there. The Crucible had some cool exhibits, including a truck with a fire calliope sort of thing that kids could trigger from a control panel. There was also a place where kids could make and decorate cardboard rockets, then have them launched into the air from a compressor-powered rig. There were a lot of happy kids I saw, so I'd say the event was a big success even if it wasn't the best organized.

All in all, it wasn't a bad day. Just different than I'd planned.

fall in Oakland

2011-10-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

We're blessed with an amazing climate here in the Bay Area. Even though we had a cooler than normal summer, we're having a beautiful fall (at least as much 'fall' as we get here). I shot this Tuesday at Lake Temescal on my ride home from grocery shopping. And it's a good example of when to break the rule of thirds.

upcoming Oakland events

2011-10-12T08:38:00.000-07:00

No big festivals, but still lots of stuff going on in Oakland like the East Bay Mini Maker Faire. If nothing else, it's a chance to check out one of the regular events like Bites off Broadway, an Oakland walking tour downtown, or the Saturday Art Stroll.

Screening of "Fire Ruin Renewal" - Thursday, October 13, 7:30pm. The OHA screens the new film "Fire Ruin Renewal." The documentary commemorates the 20th anniversary of the firestorm disaster and its aftermath, but also celebrates recovery by telling a story of restoration. ($10-$15)

Remembering the Oakland-Berkeley Fire - Friday, October 14, 2011 7:30-9:00 pm. Part of the lead up to the 20th anniversary of the firestorm, join in a conversation with photographer Richard Misrach and OMCA Curator of Photography and Visual Culture Drew Johnson about Misrach's artistic practice. A book signing of Misrach's limited-edition book 1991 follows the discussion. (with admission)

East Bay Mini Maker Faire - Sunday, October 16, 10am-5pm. A Maker Faire is about celebrating learning and doing – not the finished and perfect end product. It’s a place to share what we’re learning with others, and celebrate the fun and freedom of being an amateur. ($10-$20)

Oakland on Two Wheels - Sunday, October 16, 10am-12pm. Explore Oakland with OMCA docents as you pedal your way through new and old Oakland. This tour will focus on the locations in the 10,000 Steps tour. (free)

Plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Bites off Broadway (Fridays)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Downtown walking tours (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)

Looking further ahead:
PedalFest - October 22. Bikes, beer, food, fun at Jack London Square.
Days of the Dead - Sunday October 23. Oakland Museum comes alive with the tradition of Days of the Dead! Craft activities, food, music, dance, and ceremonies bring the community together for reflection and honoring the dead.

Rockridge Out and About

2011-10-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

Other commitments meant I couldn't spend nearly as long as I wanted at this year's Rockridge Out and About, but what K and I did see was great. Tons of people (and dogs!) having fun, eating local food, hearing music and just hanging out. We saw @TinaTamale and @dto510, but we didn't even have time to walk the full length of the festival along College Ave., from Manila up to Alcatraz.

Lots more pictures:

More coverage at Oakland North.

Mountain View Cemetery

2011-10-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

Gwin mausoleum

On the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month, docents lead tours around Mountain View Cemetery. It's not just a great place to learn about Oakland history, it's 226 acres of beautiful open space with views out over Oakland and the Bay Area. While some people come to remember loved ones, many people come simply to enjoy the peaceful open space. We saw people jogging and walking their dogs; the docents said that some people come just to read, meditate, or eat their lunch; the cemetery even hosts weddings. I think most of the people on the tour this past Saturday were there to hear about the people who shaped Oakland and Bay Area history, but regardless, we had perfect weather to be strolling around outdoors.

There is a wide range of styles of markers, monuments, and mausoleums in the cemetery, based on beliefs, wealth, and prevailing styles at the time of burial. The cemetery was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, and while it has changed over time, still follows the basic plan. It was started when early city leaders decided it was time to move existing graveyards from the downtown area to make way for further expansion. The non-profit association was formed in 1863 and the cemetery was consecrated May 25, 1865, just 6 weeks after the Civil War ended.

Some of the people we heard about on Saturday are listed below. Where applicable, I've included links to Our Oakland (OO), Lives of the Dead (LotD), and Wikipedia (W).

Crocker mausoleum

William Gwin (1805-1885) - One of California's first two U.S. senators. Outspoken supporter of slavery. (LotD)
Edson Adams (1824-1888) - Acquired Peralta land with Andrew Moon and Horace Carpentier and laid out Oakland. His wife Hannah was Oakland's first teacher. The Adams Point neighborhood is named for him. (LotD)
Sara Plummer Lemmon (1836-1923) - Botanist who spearheaded the selection of the poppy as the California state flower. (LotD)
Annie Glud (1853-1929) - Masqueraded as a "drummer boy" for General Ulysses Grant during the Civil War. (LotD)
Julia Morgan (1872-1957) - California's first woman architect. She designed nearly 800 buildings around California and Oakland, including the YWCA building in downtown, College Avenue Presbyterian Church, and El Campanil at Mills College. (W)
Samuel Merritt (1822-1890) - Doctor, philanthropist, mayor of Oakland, founder of Samuel Merritt Hospital. (LotD, W)
Charles Crocker (1822-1888) - Businessman, railroad baron, banker. One of the "Big Four" builders of the Central Pacific Railroad. (LotD, W)
F.M. "Borax" Smith (1846-1931) - Mining magnate, real estate developer, put together the Key System. (OO, LotD, W)
Domingo Ghiradelli (1817-1894) - Chocolate maker. He was so upset when a Catholic priest didn't perform last rites for a granddaughter that he clandestinely moved all the family graves from St. Mary's Cemetery. (LotD, W)
Emily Fish (1884-1931) and Juliet Nichols (1859-1947) - Mother-daughter lighthouse keepers. (LotD, W)
Frank Norris (1870-1902) - Novelist, author of The Octopus. (LotD, W)

To answer a couple of questions that came up during the tour:
(1) I forget who it was who walked it as a teenager, but the distance from Oroville to Sacramento is about 70-80 miles.
(2) On Annie Glud's grave marker, Paul Glud was her second husband.
(3) Although the cemetery opened shortly after the war in 1865, the Civil War veterans section (Grand Army of the Republic) wasn't dedicated until 1893.

If you're interested in learning more about the people we heard about on the tour or others in the cemetery, there are a number of resources available. First is local historian Dennis Evanosky's book on the Mountain View Cemetery. Dennis was instrumental in restoring the civil war plot (of the "Grand Army of the Republic," aka the Union army) in the cemetery.

Next is a great blog by Michael Colbruno, called Lives of the Dead, which I linked to above. Michael focuses each post on a single person or plot.

Another great way to learn about some of the people in Mountain View Cemetery and Oakland history is through the city of Oakland free history walking tours. The tours cover a variety of topics around downtown, from Old Oakland to Uptown. Many of the people who shaped early Oakland are buried in Mountain View Cemetery.

"Borax" Smith mausoleum

Similar to the city walking tours, the Oakland Heritage Alliance leads walking tours during the summer that focus on different neighborhoods and people, e.g., the "Borax" Smith tour and the Women's History tour (which included Ina Coolbrith, Julia Morgan and others buried at Mt. View).

And of course, the Mountain View Cemetery tours are a great way to learn more about the people and history. The second Saturday tours cover the same basic ground, but are led by different docents who each bring a unique viewpoint and set of knowledge to the tour, and the fourth Saturday tours specialize on a wide range of topics related to the cemetery, including symbolism, "wild women", black history, trees in the cemetery, and more. If you can't make a regularly scheduled tour, the office also has maps showing the locations of many of the famous inhabitants.

Lots more pictures from the tour:

not quite thirds

2011-10-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

In photography and other visual arts, there's the well-known "rule" of thirds, which says one of the best ways to compose an image is by putting important things along imaginary lines at 1/3 and 2/3 vertically and horizontally. For example, if you shoot a sunset, place the horizon at 1/3 from the bottom to emphasize the sky, or 1/3 from the top to emphasize the foreground. There are plenty of times to break the rule, such as if you have something reflecting off water, in which case putting the horizon at the middle is sometimes the best.

In any event, I had it firmly in mind when I shot this image this morning at the Habitat for Humanity work site in East Oakland. I did my best to line things up visually, and unlike a lot of my images that I crop or otherwise tweak, this is "straight out of the camera":

It's not a perfect application of the rule, but I was pleased with the result, especially since it's completely unmodified. For those who are curious, the razor wire and wall are for an adjacent business. The wooden structure below are "corrals" for the future homeowners' trash and recycling bins. They'll have matching doors on the front to hide the bins when not being used.

bits and pieces 6

2011-10-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

More bits, more pieces.

signs: Kwik Way

2011-10-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

Kwik Way

Iposted this sign a year ago, before the Kwik Way Drive In had reopened. Last night when I stopped by to shoot some pictures, it was pretty quiet, but weekends it looks busy, especially during farmers markets on Saturday. In any event, it's a great sign, so I'm glad to see it working again.

upcoming Oakland events

2011-10-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

Lots of different stuff to do coming up in Oakland. It's a First Friday this week, so Uptown and Downtown will be hopping. The current forecast has the rains stopping by then -- let's hope the forecasters are right!

Great Wall of Oakland - Friday, October 7, 8pm-11pm. Friday's show is called "Fright Night", a family-appropriate selection of dark and creepy videos to delight your dark side. (free)

Estria Foundation Art Show - Friday, October 7, 6-8pm. Art from the last 5 years of Graffiti Battles at SMSHBX gallery, 18th and Telegraph. There's also a Graffiti Battle on Saturday as part of Life is Living, and more -- see Endless Canvas for more info. (free)

Life is Living Festival - Saturday, October 8, 11am-5pm in DeFremery Park. Life is Living is a celebration of urban life and movement for environmental action. There will be music, including Los Rakas, DJ Questlove, and the Pete Escovedo Jazz Orchestra; the 5th annual Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle; urban gardening demonstrations; a kids area (with a petting zoo), and more. (free)

Sit, Stomp and Play - Saturday, October 8, 1-4pm. A fundraising event for Playworks, to preserve safe, healthy and inclusive play and physical activity for children attending under-resourced elementary schools in the East Bay. An opportunity to stomp real wine grapes into juice, sample foods from Tina Tamale and Brown Sugar Kitchen, held at Urban Legend Cellars. ($15-$70)

Rockridge Out and About - Sunday, October 9, 12-6pm. Need another excuse for an Oakland street festival? Nope, me neither. Rockridge Out and About features local food producers, musicians, artists, and more. Free valet bike parking by East Bay Bike Coalition, lots of activities for kids including pumpkin painting and a petting zoo, and lots of Oakland love. (free)

Oakland Heritage Alliance house tour - Sunday, October 9, 1pm-5:30pm. This year's OHA house tour is bungalows in the Glenview district, "Glenview: Bungalow Heaven, Craftsman Paradise" House Tour, featuring ten lovely homes in the Glenview area. This former "streetcar neighborhood" straddles the upper reaches of Park Boulevard. Tree-shrouded streets along the winding streets enhance the charm of this early suburban area. ($30-$40)

Plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Bites off Broadway (Fridays)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Downtown walking tours (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)

Looking further ahead:
Oakland on Two Wheels - Sunday, October 16, 10am-12pm. Explore Oakland with OMCA docents as you pedal your way through new and old Oakland. This tour will focus on the locations in the 10,000 Steps tour.
PedalFest - October 22. Bikes, beer, food, fun at Jack London Square.
Days of the Dead - Sunday October 23. Oakland Museum comes alive with the tradition of Days of the Dead! Craft activities, food, music, dance, and ceremonies bring the community together for reflection and honoring the dead.

Oaktoberfest 2011

2011-10-04T22:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon was the 4th annual Oaktoberfest in the Dimond. We had perfect weather for this family-friendly event, with the early fog burning off to partly cloudy skies. Three stages featured a variety of music and dancing, and there was a climbing wall, face painting, and crafts for kids.

But naturally the center of things was the Bill Brand Biergarten (named for the late Bill Brand, long-time reporter and beer critic). At the center was Oakland favorite, Linden Street Brewery, with Adam himself serving up People's Common Lager. Next door was a nice discovery for me, Dying Vines. They do their brewing at Linden Street, and were serving up Hop Candi and the tasty Old Brick Bitter. Also serving were Oakland Brewing Company and Pacific Coast Brewing (Oakland), as well as Drake's (San Leandro), Trumer Pils (Berkeley), Anchor Brewing (San Francisco), and others.

There were plenty of yummy food vendors, too, including Fist of Flour Pizza, Guerilla Grub, and more. For more info on the beers and some nice pics, check out the coverage at the Brewed for Thought blog. All in all, a really fun, tasty event!

Lots more photos:

Oaktoberfest

Black Cowboy Parade

2011-10-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the annual Black Cowboy Parade. This event has been around a long time -- this was the 37th annual. It's intended to educate people about the role of black cowboys in the building and settling of the old west.

Although I've known about it for some time, this was the first year I went. Besides educating people, it's also a chance for Oakland residents to come together for a fun event. And it's a chance for a lot of kids who've never seen a horse before to see one first-hand.Along with area residents, mayor Jean Quan, assemblyman Sandre Swanson, and country singer Miko Marks were on hand.

Many of the people I talked with were long-time attendees. A fair number of those have been coming "since the beginning" back in 1975. It's easy to see why -- it's a lot of fun. In addition to the cowboys, there were school groups marching, classic Corvettes driving, food vendors with delectables, and the Oakland Fire Department with an engine on hand for tours. A local motorcycle club provided traffic direction for the parade, along with the Oakland Police Department escort.

Lots more pictures:

Black Cowboy Parade

Jingletown Open Studios

2011-09-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, the Exchange Studios in Jingletown had open studios for a number of the artists living there. It was a much lower-key event than something like the Art Murmur, and so I got a chance to chat with different artists. A nice reminder that bigger isn't always better. And to get out there and check out artists in Oakland.

more photos:

Jingletown Open Studios

Faces of Oakland

2011-09-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

Istarted a new art project a while back, and decided it was finally time to take the wraps off it. It's called Faces of Oakland - the diverse, beautiful faces of people in Oakland. One thing I enjoy at all these great Oakland events I go to is people watching. I love the diversity of Oakland, and find the variety of people beautiful and amazing. As the about page says:

All the people pictured here live, work, shop, and/or play in Oakland. Some I know; most I don’t. I was inspired to create this site in part by the work of Dariusz Majgier, a photographer in Poland who specializes in “5 second street portraits”. I wanted to capture some the diverse, beautiful people I see around Oakland every day.

The site is a work in progress. I'm happy with the general design, but I'm still tweaking the slideshow that plays on the first page. The project itself is ongoing and hopefully never-ending. I'm not as good a portrait photographer as Dariusz, and I'm definitely not as comfortable with asking strangers to take their pictures as he seems to be. So if you see me out there and I ask to take your picture for the project, this is what it's all about.

Faces of Oakland

upcoming Oakland events

2011-09-28T08:04:00.000-07:00

Once again way too much fun stuff to do in Oakland, and not enough time to do it all.

Waterfront Flicks - Thursday, September 29, 7pm. The final Waterfront Flick of the season, featuring Chocolat. Food from Miss Pearl's, beer from New Belgium and the EBBC, plus trivia, cooking demos, and more. As always, the weather can be variable, so dress in layers!

Oaklandish Party at Fairyland - Friday, September 30, 7pm-10pm. Children's Fairyland is designed for kids. No adults are allowed unless accompanied by one. But Friday, Oaklandish is hosting a party for adults to explore -- join them for free drinks, music, and Oakland-made magic -- and make sure this Oakland institution keeps on living happily ever after! ($10-$15, 21+)

Oaktoberfest - Saturday, October 1, in the Dimond. A family-friendly Octoberfest event in the Dimond, Oaktoberfest features a large biergarden with beers from local vendors, plus music, crafts, kid-friendly activities, and rootbeer garden for the kids. Come and celebrate the German heritage of the Dimond. Or just come and celebrate with local beer. (free)

Black Cowboy Parade - Saturday, October 1, 10am-4pm, DeFremery Park. A long-running event (this is the 37th annual), the Black Cowboy Parade celebrates the contributions of people of color in the "old west". (free)

Parlor and Politics - Saturday, October 1. A celebration of women's suffrage in California, Parlor and Politics takes you to three historic houses to for a tea to learn about what was happening behind the scenes during the women's suffrage movement in California. Camron-Stanford House, Cohen-Bray House, and the Pardee Home. ($30-$40)

Suffrage Parade - Sunday, October 2. Continuing the celebration of women's suffrage, a parade starting Lakeside Park at Lake Merritt.

Plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Bites off Broadway (Fridays)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Downtown walking tours (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)

Looking further ahead:
Life is Living Festival - Saturday, October 8, 11am-5pm in Defremery Park (free)
Oakland Heritage Alliance house tour - Sunday, October 9, 1pm-5:30pm in Glenview. ($30-$40)
PedalFest - October 22nd. Bikes, beer, food, fun at Jack London Square.

Eat Real Festival 2011

2011-09-27T11:14:00.000-07:00

food truck

This past weekend was the Eat Real Festival in Jack London Square. It featured food and drink from Bay Area producers, music, crafts, and a variety of food-related demonstrations, from cheese making to backyard chickens. With food trucks and vendors from all over the Bay Area, there was a lot to choose from.

I got a different look at things this year, as I volunteered to help with setup and beverage service. On Thursday I joined a bunch of other volunteers and some staff for a variety of setup tasks. We packed goody bags for volunteers, set up tables, moved several hundred pounds of flour, prepped signs and did a number of other odd jobs. It was interesting to see all the other prep work going on at the same time -- it's easy to forget how much preparation goes into a festival like this.

beer shed

On Friday, a different set of volunteers showed up early to learn the ins and outs of beverage service. After some training, some of us went to a beverage tent near the main stage, and others went to the main beer shed. The beverage tent was designed to be a quick-in, quick-out option, with a limited number of beer and wine choices. That seemed to work, as we never had long lines build up. (The main beer shed had 10 or so varieties of beer, 10 or so varieties of wine, as well as non-alcoholic drinks, so people had more decisions to make.) It was mostly fun, but it was definitely work, too.

After my shift was over, I wandered about checking out all the exhibitors and listening to the live music, and enjoyed watching people enjoying themselves. I wish I'd had room to sample more of the food and drink -- it looked and smelled wonderful. For some great photos from Eat Real, check out the post on Foodhoe's Foraging. Next year I'll definitely leave more time and energy to enjoy the festival myself.

More photos:

Eat Real Festival

More coverage:
Foodhoe's Foraging
Flickr photo pool

Oakland Underground Film Festival

2011-09-26T15:01:00.000-07:00

Last week was the 3rd annual Oakland Underground Film Festival. Other commitments kept me from seeing as much of it as I would have liked, but what I saw, I loved. The Oakland UFF is a showcase for independent film, with a special emphasis on social justice, urban life, and the environment.

Opening night was at the Grand Lake Theater, and featured Yelling to the Sky, and it packs a punch. The Oakland UFF site describes it with:

A graceful churning of sound, color, and chaotic emotion, Victoria Mahoney’s semi-autobiographical directorial and screenwriting debut has been called “the cinematic equivalent of Miles Davis’ “Bitches Brew,” and it burns as it goes down, leaving you slightly dizzy, staring into the clouds. Starring the luminous Zöe Kravitz as Sweetness and Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) as her high school nemesis, Yelling to the Sky is a coming-of-age mash-up of raw emotion where the only answer to the brutal riddle of urban adolescence is to join in the fight for acceptance and survival.

The film doesn't vary from Sweetness' viewpoint, so you never get an answer to some questions, like why her dad changed the way he did. It had great cinematography (especially the dinner scene), all the more amazing for being done all in two takes or less. Victoria Mahoney was there for the showing, and had a Q&A session after. She explained the 'two takes or less' was purely a financial decision; they couldn't afford to shoot all the scenes she wanted if they did more takes. While that pressured the crew, it ended up bringing a live theater-like feeling to the production -- every body brought their best to every scene.

Mahoney described some of resistance she got to making the film, "Nobody's going to want that film", and complaints (from white, over-40 movie types) that it was "too slowed-paced for today's youth". She said she made the film she wanted to make, and kept going back to the responses of the under-20 crowd to make sure she was on track.

Two thumbs up for Yelling to the Sky. See the website for Yelling to the Sky for more info about future viewings.

The rest of the festival featured an eclectic mix of independent films. At the far end of the grittiness scale was an endearing collection of short films featuring the stop-motion heroine Komaneko:

Did you see any of the Oakland Underground Film Festival films? How'd you like them? How was the after party at NIMBY?

Oakland Local

2011-09-23T21:25:00.000-07:00

I've been following Oakland Local for some time. It's a non-partisan, non-profit media organization that promotes discourse on local issues that matter. They also provide training and mentoring, and present various local events (like Code for Oakland back in June). You may have seen their booth at local events like Art & Soul.

In simpler terms, it's one of the best sources for news about Oakland. It's by Oaklanders, by people who live and work in the neighborhoods they report in, believe in the issues they report on, and have a wide variety of viewpoints.

I'm proud to say I've started contributing to Oakland Local. At this point it's just the occasional cross-post from here on Our Oakland, but who knows what the future holds. In any event, if you're not familiar with Oakland Local, check it out. Add it to your newsreader or bookmarks today!

More pictures from Tuesday's meetup:

Oakland Local

upcoming Oakland events

2011-09-21T17:12:00.000-07:00

Lots going on this week in Oakland. The forecast is for more warm, sunny weather, so get out there and enjoy this beautiful city!

Oakland Underground Film Festival - Thursday, September 22 - Saturday, September 24. The Oakland Underground Film Festival is showcase for independent film in Oakland, with a special emphasis on social justice, urban life, and the environment. Thursday is at the Grand Lake (opening Party at the Grand Tavern), Friday and Saturday are near the Coliseum (not far from the Habitat for Humanity development). You can attend all of it or just one night. Read more on Oakland Local. ($10-$15)

Eat Real Festival - Friday, September 23 - Sunday, September 25. Eat Real is a hecka fun food festival at Jack London Square (see my post from 2 years ago --- wait, 2 years? time flies...) It's not just about eating local food (all food is $5 or less) and drinking local beers and wines, it's about making and growing food, too. From cheese making to backyard chickens and goats, an array of displays will show you how it's done. Plus music, a lit fest, and more. One of the food vendors will be the students from the Saint Vincent de Paul Kitchen of Champions program. (free admission)

Open Studio in Jingletown - Saturday September 24, 1-5pm. Exchange Studios is an Oakland Live Work Loft in Jingletown that houses over 20 artists whose work includes photography, painting, sculpture, music, mixed media, and more. They're having an open studio on Saturday. (free)

Blog Action Day - Saturday, September 24. Blog Action Day is once again focusing on climate change. This year is called Moving Planet, and people are gathering at Numi Tea at 10AM then BARTing over to San Francisco for a bigger mobilization there. (free)

Plus the usual events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Bites off Broadway (Fridays)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Downtown walking tours (Wednesdays and Saturdays)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)

Looking further ahead:
Oaktoberfest - Saturday, October 1, in the Dimond.
Parlor and Politics - Saturday, October 1. A celebration of women's suffrage in California.
Suffrage Parade - Sunday, October 2. Continuing the celebration of women's suffrage, a parade starting Lakeside Park at Lake Merritt.
PedalFest - October 22nd. Bikes, beer, food, fun at Jack London Square.

Creek to Bay Day

2011-09-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the 16th annual Oakland Creek to Bay Day to cleanup waterways and shoreline in Oakland. It was part of the International Coastal Cleanup effort around the world.

There were projects all over Oakland, including several not far from home. But I selected a project somewhere I'd never been in Oakland, W.D. Wood Park near Reservoir Hill, between Fruitvale and I-580 (not far from the Altenheim.) Sausal Creek runs along the east side of the park, but as is the case for too many creeks in Oakland, it runs underground in a culvert. The park itself was created when leakage from the nearby reservoir contributed to unstable soil, and an entire neighborhood sank in the 1950s. The Corps of Engineers stabilized the hillside with piles driven deep into the ground, but it was too late for dozens of houses. Unable to safely rebuild, the area was turned into a park in 1976.

A couple of dozen volunteers turned out to help clean up the park. I don't know how many trips Phil made back up the hill with his pickup filled to overflowing, but we filled the dumpster more than half way with 3 hours of work. It would have been completely full, but I enlisted the aid of some of our younger volunteers to help me flatten down and redistribute the load. Besides removing broom and other invasive species, and picking up some trash, we also planted a few native plants in areas that had already been cleared.

In our local brush with fame, KRON Channel 4 showed up to get some footage and interviewed Lisa, one of the coordinators of the cleanup. And city council member, Ignacio De La Fuente showed up to work, too. While he and his staffer showed up late, I think it was because he'd been to another cleanup site in his district earlier. And to his credit, he was working hard when I saw him down the hill. IDLF has worked to get funds for the park to get a play area and other improvements.

Although it was a fairly short day, we got a lot done. Thanks to Lisa and Jill who organized the cleanup, and all the volunteers who worked hard. But cleaning up Wood Park isn't a once-a-year thing; a group of neighbors is out there every 3rd Saturday to work. And very likely there's a neighborhood group that does similar things at a park near you. So get out there and make Oakland better!

More photos:

Creek to Bay Day

More coverage:
Oakland North

Park(ing) Day

2011-09-19T20:06:00.000-07:00

Piedmont Ave. parklet

Friday was Park(ing) Day, a world-wide event where parking spaces were temporarily turned into mini "parklets" for people to enjoy. First, a huge shout out to Ruth Miller (of Walk Oakland Bike Oakland and Oakland Local), who was a major part of Park(ing) Day happening here in Oakland. And thank you to everyone who made the different parklets around Oakland happen.

I started by visiting the parklet in front of Shimizu Sushi on Piedmont Avenue. It was done with the support of Danny, the head chef and owner, but it was a couple of area residents (thanks, Jennifer!) who made this parklet happen for the 2nd year in a row. The parklet was comfy, with patio furniture over a layer of bark chips.

Then I rolled down to Grand Ave. to check out the parklet at Farley's East. This was the second year for this parklet as well. It filled two parking spaces, with one half given over to comfy chairs and plants, and the other to mats for yoga and a couple of exercise machines. Not surprisingly, I saw BART board member and former East Bay Bike Coalition executive director Robert Raburn there -- what better place to see someone who's dedicated their career to biking and transit?

East Bay Meditation Center parklet

A short walk away on Broadway was another parklet in front of the East Bay Meditation Center. This was the first year for the parklet, and while it had the support of the EBMC, community members made it happen. Thanks, Christy and Nichole!

A short distance away on Telegraph across from the Fox Theater was a parklet in front of the Marquee Lofts. I saw @dto510 and @vsmoothe there, who picked things up after the resident who started the parklet couldn't do it. Thanks especially to VSmoothe who brought furniture and decorations from home for the parklet.

Over on 17th, PGA Design had a very creative parklet, designed to look like a campsite. From hiking socks drying in a tree, to 'stumps' to sit on, to s'mores cooked over the campfire, they kept the theme running. (PGA Design did the landscape architecture at the Tassafaronga apartments, where the Habitat East Bay Kinsell Commons development is.)

Back over to Broadway, Oaklandish and Hank and Frank Bicycles had a parklet featuring free bike tuneups, and food from El Taco Bike. Around the corner from them on 14th was a parklet by TransForm which had a table for games and was making smoothies in a bike-powered blender.

Actual Cafe parklet

Then it was a longer haul over to Actual Cafe. I'm admittedly biased (because I helped build it), but this was the most beautiful of the parklets. Part of that is because it's designed to be (hopefully) permanent, so it had more finish work put into it.

I was hoping to hook up with Ruth Miller after that at Cole Coffee for a bike tour of all the Oakland parklets along with Oakland North, but after a long day, I was happy to make it there at all.

But wait, there's more! [--More-- (66%) for you Unix nerds] Some of the parklets were on Saturday instead, to take advantage of weekend foot traffic. (And in fine Oakland style, the Actual Cafe parklet was there not only Park(ing) Day on Friday, but Saturday and Sunday, too.) So Saturday I headed out again to check out the parklets on Lakeshore and Grand Ave.

Lakeshore parklet

First up on Saturday was a parklet in front of Noah's Bagels on Lakeshore. Put together by area merchants and volunteers, it featured live music, games, and a couple of nice seating areas. Unlike the parklets in Downtown which suffered from shading from nearby buildings, they had to bring in some umbrellas for shade. I had a great time relaxing there -- I just needed a cold beer to round things out.

Just down the street in front of Arizmendi Bakery were not one but two parklets. Local merchants and residents are hoping to make the spot in front of Arizemendi into a permanent parklet. It would mean the loss of one parking space, but would add some much needed sidewalk seating to the area. I saw city council member Pat Kernighan visiting the parklets there. Around the way was yet another parklet, with some yummy treats from new Grand Ave. bakery Boniere Bakery (formerly in Alameda), books to read, and comfy seats. I met some Oakland history fans (and their awesome dog), and chatted with Oakland North editor Cynthia Gorney and neighborhood supporter Ken Katz.

I talked with a bunch of people, both about Park(ing) Day and Oakland in general, but I still made it over to Actual Cafe to check how day 2 was going there. I chatted with some of the neighboring businesses that we built the permanent planter/benches for, and relaxed with a beer. I confirmed my earlier "best of" opinion of the Actual Cafe parklet and talked with some of the area residents who helped build it. I'm looking forward to spending more time in the parklet -- I hope the city gives the go-ahead to make it permanent.

More coverage:
Oakland North

Lots more pictures:

Park(ing) Day

greetings, new readers!

2011-09-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

Greetings to new readers, whether I met you at PARK(ing) Day or some other Oakland event; I just met you somewhere in my wanderings across Oakland; you're a new reader from my recent posts on Oakland Local; or you just found the blog via Google or another search engine: hello and thanks for reading Our Oakland!

Special shout-outs to some folks I met recently: Jennifer, Christy, Pat, Nicole, Jill, Lisa, Phil, the really cool Aliza, Maryanne, Justin, Said, Gracie, Cynthia, Sam, Jim, Ken, Franklin, Pamela, Ignacio, Richard, Abbey, Sarah, and all those whose names I've already forgotten (I'm terrible with names, alas). And my thanks if you were out doing something to make Oakland better.

If you're looking for a post on PARK(ing) Day or Creek to Bay Day, I'll those up as soon as possible. I'm too busy this weekend out having fun and meeting more of you wonderful folks!

Some things I specifically mentioned to various people: