Church of Tonga

The Church of Tonga is situated in the San Antonio district in East Oakland.  The brightly painted church rises above the neighborhood and calls people to it.

Monday Mural: Polly want a cracker?

This large parrot (or possibly a parakeet) head adorns a neighborhood market wall on the corner of 14th Avenue and E. 18th Street.  It is by Doty who has been featured many times on this meme.  His birds are always wonderfully detailed, seem self-aware, and always have a whiff of danger.  The bird seems to be speaking;  I wonder what it is saying?  I think the tiles are original to the building.  Many Deco-era buildings in Oakland have tiled facades that I believe came from local manufacturers.

Welcome to Monday Mural:  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.  Once you start looking, you find them everywhere.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to your mural finds posted this week.  Google+ users, please configure your post so we all can leave a comment.  Thanks.

“ Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”  Rev. John Watson

Monday Mural: cultural pride

This mural is found at Foothill and 26th Avenue.  It was done by José Velásquez in 2001 and was sponsored by several community organizations.  The colors seem as fresh as if they were painted recently.  It's title is Roots, Spirit and Color of the American Dream.

If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  You decide what constitutes a mural.  Once you start looking, you find them all around.  Follow the Linky steps below.  Be sure to link back to this meme and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to the mural finds posted this week.

Monday Mural: Peralta hacienda

The Peralta Hacienda Historic Park is the last remaining parcel related to a vast land grant that once included most of the East Bay.  As part of their education program is a series of murals showing the annual cycle of life on the rancho.  They were painted by Maren Vanduyn and installed in 2007.   She collaborated with the Friends of Peralta Hacienda Historical Park’s executive director and Ohlone culture bearer Linda Yamane to conceive the murals.

While there are too many to present here, this close-up gives you a feeling of the detail included in the mural sequence.

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 mural finds posted this week.

Monday Mural: Holla back

Here is the entrance to the Eastside Cultural Center in the San Antonio district of East Oakland.  The mosaic mural is wonderfully composed with a tiger, maize, and saxophone, symbolizing the major groups that live in the neighborhood.  Holla Back refers to the intercom visitors use to gain entry to the building.  The message is further emphasized by the microphone next to the intercom.  Other murals sponsored by the organization have been previously posted.

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 mural finds posted this week.  I will be out of town during September and my ability to comment may be limited.  The Linky, however, will continue to go up 8 PM PST each Sunday.

Monday Mural: one more San Antonio neighborhood mural

This is a companion mural to that shown last week.  To my eye, this mural references the masks of Japan and Indonesia.  Again, sadly I have no information on the artists.  Hopefully, someone will enlighten us.  The Eastside Cultural Center next door on International Blvd. is a local focus for visual and musical arts and often hosts gallery performances.
 
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: random heart

While driving down E. 12th St., this heart jumped out at me.  I like the way it contrasts with the blue of the sky.  Wish the lights still worked.  For more sky shots, visit Skywatch Friday.

Monday mural: your freedom is in books

Spotted in East Oakland in the San Antonio District.  This mural is on the side of an adult education school on International Blvd.

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.

sixties retro chic

This is a standard 1960s apartment building enhanced by a really good paint job.  Apartment buildings of this vintage are typically beige and brown and rundown.  This structure, on the other hand, is quite striking and shows pride of ownership.   BTW, this is across the street from this building.

painted ladies

There is an astonishing number of Victorian houses, especially in East and West Oakland, that continue to exist---if not thrive.  Here are two in East Oakland on the corner of 15th Avenue and Foothill that obviously show the care and love of their owners.  They are so cheerful that I had to stop and take a snap.

FYI:  I'm on a 3-week trip and my wi-fi isn't cooperating much with either posting or leaving comments.  Sorry.

Truth Gospel Church

Storefront churches have always intrigued me.  They are touching offerings of comfort, faith, and hope and are most often found in the hard scrabble neighborhoods of our city.  They express the calling and longing of those who build them and those who attend them.  This church at Foothill and about 15th Ave. is housed in what looks like a former garage or tiny store.  I wonder what the Chinese translation actually says?

another Victorian era home

Another well preserved Italianate home in the San Antonio district of East Oakland on East 17th Street.  As I drive around the neighborhood, I'm astonished at the number of Victorian era structures still in use.  Although once a large family home, this one is now divided up into seven apartments.  I think the wrought iron fence is original to the property circa 1880, as is the giant magnolia tree that shades the south side of the house.  Isn't it graceful looking?

St. James the Apostle

St. James the Apostle is an Episcopal church founded in 1858 by the first Episcopal bishop of California.  The building may be the original on the site here in the San Antonio district and is old by Bay Area standards.  It's one of two churches in the neighborhood with tall steeples.  Masses are still offered three times on Sunday, one in Spanish. 

another Oakland Victorian

This large Victorian Italianate building still holds court on International Blvd. and 13th Avenue.  This style was popular between the 1860s through the 1890s.  It's hard to tell whether or not this was originally a single family dwelling.  It now functions as a retail store with apartments above.  If you look carefully, you can see a little boy looking out the corner window.  This is one of hundreds of Victorian era structures still in use in Oakland.

coffee and billiards

Spotted on International near 13th Avenue.  An amusing combination, to say the least.  What's next?  Perhaps "Donuts and Tattoos."  Your suggestions?

Lineman's Club

This cool, old sign doesn't look like it works anymore.  Who knew that telephone linemen had their own bar?  Notice the fake transformers insulators at the top of the "pole."  The club is long gone and is now a Laotian grocery store.

Queen Anne on International Blvd.

International Blvd. runs from downtown Oakland southeast through both San Leandro and Hayward.  Many still call it by it's original name:  E. 14th St.  A decade or so ago, local politicos wanted to honor the diverse cultures that live in East Oakland as well as burnish the tarnished image of this section of the city, so renamed the street.  A drive down this thoroughfare and around its various neighborhoods reveals a treasure trove of pre-1906 buildings.  They survived the big SF quake and are still in use today.  This grand Queen Anne house is now the home of a Vietnamese real estate agency in the San Antonio neighborhood.