Oaklandish

Oaklandish finally opened a storefront for their goods in downtown Oakland.  Previously they sold out of a van, a bus parked in various places around town, and selected retail venues.  All goods are made in California and the t-shirts are printed in Oakland.

They design t-shirts and accessories that riff on Oakland's name.  They also provide the same services for other cities across the country.  This business contributes to artistic and community projects with the ethos of building "Local Love."

Monday Mural: Mother Earth

This is a larger portion of a mural shown last week.  The mural takes up two side of a large, seemingly abandoned building across from Fremont High School.  It was a project of the Community Rejuvenation Project.  These are primarily done with spray cans.  The themes always aim to educate.

If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You decide what constitutes a mural.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the murals posted this week.  Once you start looking, it's amazing how many you can find.

Skywatch Friday: Embarcadero Cove

Welcome to Quinn's Lighthouse which declares it was established in 1890.  Not as a restaurant but as a lighthouse.  Now it's a popular watering hole with an upstairs deck that looks over the estuary. This lighthouse was originally at the mouth of the estuary and was moved to its current location in 1965 and became a restaurant in 1984.  Apparently the restaurant is named after a British writer, Richard Quinn, who inadvertently became a pirate chaser.  And Oakland had a pirate needing chasing named Perilous Pete.  A pirate in Oakland?  Who knew?

This buoy is out in the parking lot and is reserved for "Harley parking only."

On the property is on old school house that serves as the local business office for the other business properties in the complex.  The complex backs up to the the drydock area you've seen in previous posts.
This post is linked to Skywatch Friday.  We're out of town for a few days, so this post is brought to you by the magic of autoposting.

city hall amphitheater

A small amphitheater was placed in front of City Hall, which has helped it become a focal point for political gatherings.  The mosaics include a representation of the Jack London Oak, the official city oak tree.  Concerts are also held here, including weekly performances by the Bay Area Blues Society.  Other times people from nearby office buildings often come here to eat their lunches.

I'm out of town for a week and using the wonders of auto-posting.

mini wheels

I heard him coming before I saw him.  This mini-cycle sounded like a wasp on steroids.  He had revved it up and then had a little trouble stopping at the red light.  I crossed the street and then turned around to take his picture.  He just looked back at me.  I don't even know if these things are street legal but I can see why a teen would want one.  Note that his bike and helmet match.

Taphophile Tragics: humble grave marker

Across the road from Lucrezia, is another child's grave with a much humbler marker.  This child lived only 8 months.  It looks as if his parents could not afford a stone marker so made their own.  The punched metal plate gives his name and date.  It is set in a wooden frame that forms a cross and is attached to a metal pipe that is driven into the ground.  The whole thing, almost 100 years old, is fragile and falling apart.   This one is so sad on so many levels that I can barely look at it.  For other cemetery wanderings, visit Taphophile Tragics.

I'll be away for a week, and will do my best to leave a comment here and there.

Monday Mural: Community Rejuvenation Project

East Oakland seems to exploding with murals.  This week I drove down International and saw several new ones done since December.  But first things first.  There are a number of new (to me) murals on Foothill Blvd that I'll feature in the next few weeks.  This one is is part of a larger mural near Fremont High School at about 46th and Foothill.  It is done by 360, Elijah, Desi and several high school students under the auspices of the Community Rejuvenation Project which is responsible for over 30 murals in Oakland.  I've seen this frog motif before but can't remember where.  Doesn't matter; I like it.
If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You decide what constitutes a mural.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the murals posted this week.  Once you start looking, it's amazing how many you can find.

Weekend Reflections: estuary scene

The boat name had me puzzled.  The dockside Weber barbeque added to the incongruity.  Who can forget the great German movie by the same name.  Hardly a light film.  If the owner meant to reference the movie, he has the wrong boat.  If he didn't, should probably choose another name.  Nonetheless, he and the other boats provided reflections, even in icky water.  For more reflections, visit James's meme Weekend Reflections.

Skywatch Friday: one more boat in dry dock

One more boat in dry dock at Embarcadero Cove.  Morning fog and sunny afternoons have been  the norm for the last few days.  Seems like typical summer weather is here.  Ugh.  For more Friday skies, visit Skywatch Friday.

Latham Square

Latham Square where Telegraph Avenue meets Broadway.  A winter shot was previously posted.  The Pony Express actually came this way and caught a ferry to San Francisco to deliver its mail.  Strangely enough there is no plaque to commemorate this slice of Western history.

Taphophile Tragics: Lucrezia

So many graves at St. Mary's Cemetery are of Italian and Portuguese immigrants.  This one is by Our Darling, posted two weeks ago.  Little Lucrezia died shortly after her 1st birthday.  To my surprise, there is a portrait plaque on her headstone.  I've never seen one for a child this young.

One glance and you can tell she was a much loved and pampered child.  Those little pom poms on her cap are too darling for words.  Seeing her face, and knowing the love her parents must have felt for her, intensified my sense of sadness at her early death. She looks so healthy; what could happen to have death claim her so early?

For more cemetery wanderings, visit Julie's Taphophile Tragics.

Monday Mural: Jack London

This mural is on the back of Heinold's First and Last Chance saloon at Jack London Square, which Jack London frequently visited.  Heinold apparently let the young London study there and later lent him money for tuition to Cal Berkeley.  The original building from 1883 is still a functioning bar and a popular place to have a beer and watch the boats sailing the estuary.  A few feet away is the cabin London lived in when he went north to the Alaskan gold fields.  (An image of it is in the above mural).  London wrote about Heinold's in John Barleycorn.

This detail quotes London's belief, "The proper function of Man is to live, not to exist."  I was so happy to find this mural and get pictures before the light failed that I forgot to look for the artist's signature and the date it was executed.  My bad.

If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You decide what constitutes a mural.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the murals posted this week.  Once you start looking, it's amazing how many you can find.

dry dock

Several boats were in dry dock at the Embarcadero marina.  Although this sailor berths his boat in SF, he brought it to Oakland because of the specialists for his boat's motor.  Boats are a lot of work, and after 27 years of sailing, this guy confessed that he was seriously considering selling his boat.

Weekend Relection: estuary marina

This is the marina at Embarcadero and 16th Avenue.  It's just off the 880 freeway and yet is a surprising oasis.  The shoreline has charming Victorian buildings that look like they were brought onto the property to preserve them.  I'll show them at a later date.  The water was pretty flat this day, and reflected the masts and hulls in the marina.  For more reflections, visit James's Weekend Reflections.

Skywatch Friday: City Hall

We're enjoying fair weather; some days are actually hot.  These blue skies are representative of the last several days.  Maybe this year we'll have a true summer.  Leafing out trees don't yet obscure our City Hall.  When it was completed in 1914 it was called the "wedding cake."  It was also the first highrise government building in the country and the tallest building west of the Mississippi!   For other sky views, be sure and visit Skywatch Friday.

sidewalk sale

For sale outside a downtown shop on Franklin Street.

Taphophile Tragics: Hells Angels

I was visiting Evergreen Cemetery in East Oakland hoping to find the graves of the Jonestown victims.  Instead I found all these headstones dedicated to Oakland Hells Angels who have died.  I felt like the girl in the Exorcist, with my head whipping around when I saw these markers on my drive by.  These definitely were not here last Fall.  Their website also mentions these men but not the new grave stones.   I think they are memorial stones rather than actual grave markers.  All that black granite with the skull logos makes an impressive display.

For more cemetery wanderings, visit Julie's Taphophile Tragics.

Monday Mural: Happy Birthday, Oakland

Oakland had its 160th birthday on Friday.  As part of the week long events to mark the occasion, local artist, Emily Shepard, created a temporary mural delineating why folks love Oakland (even if it can be a love-hate relationship at times).  This was unrolled in front of City Hall and served as the backdrop for the music offerings for the day.  I subscribe to all the sentiments listed.

If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You decide what constitutes a mural.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the murals posted this week.  Once you start looking, it's amazing how many you can find.

Weekend Reflection: City Center

Weird, huh?  Can you guess how this reflection occurs?  These are polished metallic ceiling tiles at an outdoor cafe in Oakland's City Center.  The shot below shows the terrace and the ceiling in context.

It is warm today with lots going on.  Not the least of which is yesterday's 160th anniversary of the founding of Oakland.  I missed the cake cutting with the mayor.  But happy birthday, Oakland.  For those of you seeking more reflections from around the globe, visit James's meme, Weekend Reflections.

Skywatch Friday: Fairfax Liquor

This liquor store sign just screams 1960s.  The atomic lettering for Fairfax is too cool.  At least I think so.  The guys watching me take the pictures were probably wondering what I found so interesting.  Found in East Oakland at 54th Avenue and Foothill Blvd.  The weather has been intermittently cloudy with some spits of rain.  The sun returns today.  For other sky views, don't forget to visit Skywatch Friday.

Fruitvale Hall

This deco era building is tucked between International Blvd. and the Fruitvale BART station.  I don't know who plays bingo here or when.  Bingo isn't my game but I wouldn't mind visiting to see if there are any deco flourishes left inside.
(One of these days I need to learn to pay attention to flare).

Taphophile Tragics: our darling

St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery has a section with lots of children's graves.  It is hard to fathom the overwhelming grief a parent must feel at the loss of a child.  This funeral statue is so individual looking, I'm assuming it is based on a photo.  No signature was found.  There's something out of proportion about this figure and her face looks more like an adult than a child.  Although a vintage piece, someone remembers her and has placed a toy at her feet.

For more cemetery wanderings, visit Julie's Taphophile Tragics.