trick or treat

Every year on the Saturday before Halloween, the Piedmont Avenue merchants sponsor a Halloween Parade and trick or treat event.  Part of the avenue is closed, music is performed, and kids (and their parents) in costume can find treats at many of the retail shops on the street.  Afterward, everyone makes their way to Mountain View Cemetery where a pumpkin patch, bouncy games, face painting, balloon animals and free food are offered.  It rained this year, but this did not discourage the turnout.  It did, however, discourage my camera.  So this photo is brought to you by Halloween past.  Have fun ghouls and gals.

Chaos without Peace within

This long mural is across the street from Oakland Tech.  It was sponsored and funded by the Community Rejuvenation Project which is responsible for many murals around the city.  The Project uses street artists and local youth to design and create the murals.  Check out their website

ABC Wednesday: O is for Oakland Technical High School

Tech is located one block east of last week's post on Broadway.  It was one of six comprehensive high schools in Oakland.  In the past 10 years the Oakland school system moved big time into the charter school and small schools movements.  As a result, Tech, which was established in the late 19th century, is now one of only three comprehensive high schools left in Oakland. The others have been broken into smaller units within their campuses.  Has this improved high school educational outcomes?  The jury remains out.  This graceful building dates to 1914 and has been refurbished twice in the last 30 years.  For more O photos, visit ABC Wednesday.

freeway fusion

Essentially we are near the spot where three freeways merge.  This section replaced the double deck freeway that collapsed during the huge 1989 earthquake.  After the earthquake, support pier retrofitting went on around the bay.  A new round is going on now in many parts of Oakland.  These really are massive structures.  I used to think of them as temporary shade; since the earthquake I think of them as lethal and hope the new engineering protects us from anymore collapses.

urban decay

I always end up doing a double take when walking past Automania.  They're just letting this truck be taken over by rust and foliage.  They've been featured before here and here.

Caffè Trieste

How many coffee houses can one city support?  Apparently a gazillion.  This is the latest addition on Piedmont Avenue.  The original Caffè Trieste is in North Beach in SF and has real Italian guys serving coffee in a real Italian neighborhood.  This one, not so much.  But still popular.  The gal on the far left must be drinking caffeinated.

ABC Wednesday: N is for neon at night

The Broadway __tel looks like it was built in the late 60s or early 70s.  It's a well maintained property but I would hate to have the room looking out on that L.  Like most neon signs around town, it's not quite in complete working order.  I wonder if it's expensive to repair neon or just low on the priority list?  For more N photos, visit ABC Wednesday.

Della Robbia in Oakland?

A detail at St. Leo's Church off Piedmont Avenue.  At noon and 6 p.m. church bells peal, which is always lovely to hear.

bike rack

This unusual bike rack design is in front of Piedmont Avenue Elementary School.

lower deck of the Bay Bridge

It ain't pretty, but it's the real deal.  This is what it looks like driving across the Bay Bridge going east to Oakland. For now.  Once the new bridge is completed, the eastern side will be a single decker.  I thought black and white would intensify the industrial feel of this engineering marvel.  For more bridges world wide, visit «Louis'» meme the Sunday Bridge Series.

water for life

Captured at Lake Temescal.  Every October 15 is Blog Action Day.  This year's theme is water to remind us of our need to consciously protect this fundamental resource.  This is also submitted to James' Weekend Reflections where you'll see many other examples of the preciousness of water.

ABC Wednesday: M is for Maison Monet

Maison Monet is located on the short street that leads into the Rose Garden.  This duplex is very well kept and its paint job is no doubt an homage to the owner's favorite Impressionist.  For other "M" photos, visit ABC Wednesday.

Victorian detail

This is a detail from an idiosyncratically painted Victorian house in East Oakland.  To my eye this is a 1950s color combination but likely painted fairly recently.  But it gets your attention.

willing to be educated

This pair is found on the Oakland campus of the California College of the Arts.  CCA (formerly known as CCAC--California College of Arts and Crafts) is a nationally known and respected art college that offers both undergraduate and graduate programs.  It was founded in 1907 and sits on 4 wooded acres above the quarry lake featured a couple of months ago.  CAC anchors one end of College Avenue with the entrance to the UC campus at the other end.  Tried to find out some information about these sculptures but came up empty-handed.  Frankly, I don't get it/them, which probably represents a serious gap in my education.  I have faith that someone in the blogosphere will enlighten me.

ABC Wednesday: L is for liquor

Another nifty vintage neon sign in Oakland.  This one is found on Foothill Blvd. near 35th Avenue and is enamel on metal.  Mohammed, the store owner, had this sign restored a few years back.  Although it works (except for "open"), it's much more attractive in the daylight than at night.  He must love neon since the inside of the store is completely covered in old neon beer advertising.  Quite the light show.  For more "L" photos, visit ABC Wednesday.

the Crucible

The Crucible is a West Oakland art center that started as a metal art fabrication workshop.  Over the last several years, its offerings have expanded to include blacksmithing, ceramics, jewelry, textiles, and many other art forms.  Every July there is a Fire Arts Festival that is something to behold.

yesterday and today

A downtown scene with the California State Building in the background.  Despite the proliferation of tall buildings downtown, Oakland remains an incredible repository for Victorian-era buildings citywide.

Theme Day: graffiti

This month's City Daily Photo theme is "graffiti" which probably means different things to different people.  This mural, which I'm guessing is not a paint and run job, is located at 45th Avenue and International Blvd.  The building looks empty, but who knows?  I have to confess that seeing Fred and Barney made me laugh out loud.  Close inspection reveals that this work has been tagged.  Irony?  Click here to view thumbnails for all participants in this month's Theme Day.