Grand Lake Theater

The sign mounted on top of the Grand Lake Theater is the largest rotary contact sign west of the Mississippi River. It measures 52 feet high by 72 feet wide and consists of 2,800 colored bulbs and was designed by Theodore Wetteland. The firing sequence is controlled by a device much like a music box. The sign is typically lit Friday and Saturday, from dusk until the start of the last show of the night.  The display goes through two sequences, one with red lettering, and includes a simulation of fireworks.  It's an eye catching display, to be sure.

Oakland totem pole

This totem pole is located at Lake Merritt. It is one of many interesting sights and activities that are housed along the three miles of shoreline.

the Park Street bridge

The Park Street bridge which links Oakland to Alameda.  View other Sunday bridge photos at San Francisco Daily Photo.

Weekend Reflection: Lake Merritt at night

An evening shot of the Lake Merritt pergola.  Same location as last week's Reflection.  For more Weekend Reflections, click here.

Skywatch Friday: fine weather for bowling

On Beacon Street just south of the Lake. This area is full of lovely, old apartment buildings from the 20s and 30s.  This apartment sign meant something special to the landlord, but the meaning is now lost.  I love old cast iron figures.  You can see behind the bowler that the sun is shining.  The fair weather has returned just in time for the Oakland Marathon on Sunday. To check out other Skywatch offerings, click here.

Grand Avenue church

This Seventh-day Adventist church is located on Grand Avenue very near the Lake.  I could find no information about when the church was built.  I liked the shadows cast by the afternoon sun.

when buildings were billboards

Spotted on Broadway near 20th Street.  This building has a minimum of three different advertisements on it. In January Sydney Eye did a cool series on these kinds of ads.  They are like portals to the past.  These will be completely obscured when the trees leaf out.

Fairfax Avenue church

In the 30s and 40s many Oakland neighborhoods had their own small movie theater.  Over time, the movie distribution business changed and big multiplexes became the way to go.  There are only a couple of small movie houses left in Oakland.  So what happens to good, unused buildings?  They turn into grocery stores, other retail shops, and churches.  This one is located in East Oakland on Foothill Blvd. and Fairfax Avenue.  You can see where the light bulbs used to be in this marquee.  East Oakland has many storefront churches.  In fact, this block alone has three.

Weekend Reflection: Lake Merritt's pergola

It was such a fine day yesterday that like hundreds of other Oaklanders, I was drawn to the Lake.  This portal and pergola are at its eastern edge near the Grand Lake Theater.  I think boats used to dock here, hence the nearby street's name of El Embarcadero.  The landscaping around the lake is being upgraded so they've recently laid new sod in this area.  Lots of people were sitting outside catching the rays.  For other Weekend Reflections, please click here.

Skywatch Friday: touring Lake Merritt

Spring is in the air. With no rain and shirt sleeve weather, we are definitely happy campers.  While walking around the lake today, I spied a Segway tour.  Who knew?  You can also see that there isn't a cloud in the sky.  For other Skywatch Friday photos, click here.

Sage Motel

I've always liked this old sign.  It's on MacArthur Blvd. just on the other side of the freeway from Mills College.  Back in the day, MacArthur was a main thoroughfare through town and there are still lots of old motels along it.  Most seem to be residence motels now.  I imagine some even rent rooms by the hour, if you get my drift.  It's a modern miracle that signs like this have survived and are still in working order.

Mills College campanile

 This bell tower was designed by Julia Morgan in 1904.  It is the first reinforced concrete structure built west of the Mississippi.  It sits on the 135 acre campus of Mills College, the oldest women's college west of the Rockies, and a true oasis in its urban setting.  This campus is located in the middle of Oakland, bordered on the east by the 580 freeway.  It is a verdant setting full of redwoods, eucalyptus, pine, and laurel trees.  Lion creek runs through the campus on its way to the bay.  Many of the buildings are in the Spanish style with stucco walls, terra cotta tiled roofs, and wrought iron accents.  The art museum is open free to the public.

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.

Weekend Reflection: grain elevators in Oakland?

Almost, but not quite.  This is the ConAgra flour making plant situated on the Estuary near the Park Street Bridge.  One of several industries still located on the Estuary.  The area is slowly being transformed by the condos that are being built along the water.  This view is looking northwest towards Jack London Square and a more formal marina.  For other Weekend Reflections, click here.

Skywatch Friday: tree silhouette

 It's been raining all day and this evening the weather is finally breaking up.  Click here for Skywatch photos from around the world.

Theme Day: The Tenin Technique

We don't have the Eiffel Tower but we do have the Tribune Tower.  It is shown here in homage to Eric Tenin of Paris Daily Photo.  He is known for shooting objects on the diagonal and for placing his camera on the ground.  As others have noted, it was 5 years ago today that Eric started posting daily photos of his beautiful city.  The concept captured people's imagination and the City Daily Photo community began.  Today more than 1100 bloggers post daily photos of their city.  Why not join us?   Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Corinthians Baptist Church

This Baptist church occupies the former original Greek Orthodox church that was on the site from 1921 to 1960.  This graceful structure located on Castro Street on the edge of downtown Oakland now faces the 980 freeway.

Buddha in West Oakland

This and an accompanying mural are found on Mandala Parkway and 20th Street.  It was designed by Desi, an Oakland street artist, as part of a summer program with West Oakland youth.  It is not readily apparent, but the "canvas" is an old railroad car placed on railroad ties.  I understand this is not everyone's cup of tea but it is something to consider.  You may argue whether or not it's art, but I don't think of it as a blight like tagging.

Grand Lake Theater

The Grand Lake Theater has been located on Grand Avenue since 1926.  Over time it has developed into a small multiplex and also houses a display of antique projection equipment.  Two days a week they turn on the big rooftop sign made of hundreds of light bulbs, the largest west of the Mississippi.  (A photo of this sign will be featured in a later post).  Mondays through Thursdays they offer discounted tickets and free popcorn!

Weekend Reflection: two Oakland bridges

A view of the Fruitvale Bridge from the Park Street Bridge.  As you can see, the Estuary still has some industry along its shore.  But the water is always beautiful to look at.  For more Weekend Reflections, click here.

Skywatch Friday: flying Desotos

This photo is brought to you courtesy of those wacky guys at Automania.  I'm pretty sure they're all Desotos parked in a row eight feet above the sidewalk.  This partially blue sky was around earlier in the day; but it's now gray and threatening rain.  So it seems to go recently.  We still need the rain, so I'm not complaining.  For more (and better) Skywatch photos, click here.

Smitty's

Smitty's is an old time watering hole on Grand Avenue just east of Lake Merritt.  It has always drawn a wide age range of clients.  This is the place if you like a good game of bar shuffleboard.

 Hope to post other old neon signs over the next several weeks.

March Theme Day: Passageways

 Passage under the freeway in Jingletown.  Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Weekend Reflection: Park Street Bridge to Oakland

It had been pouring rain for a few hours and then suddenly it stopped.  This puddle on the bridge's pedestrian path reflects the still cloudy sky and the iron structure of this drawbridge.  Built in 1935, it is one of the four bridges that crosses the Estuary and connects Alameda to Oakland.  For more worldwide Weekend Reflections, click here.

Skywatch Friday: Oakland's Greyhound Bus Station

The Greyhound Station is located at 22nd St. and San Pablo Avenue.  This is an edgy neighborhood that is on the cusp of being transformed by the new condos in the area.  Still, a security guard meets everyone at the entrance to the waiting room (under the blue dome).  I think this station was built in the 30s, but there is no vestige of the deco era either inside or out.  For more Skywatch Friday photos, click here.

Esther's Orbit Room

Esther's was one of the West Coast equivalents to New York's Lenox Lounge (see Ken Mac's post).   However, Esther's story has a sadder ending.  The Orbit Room was part of a thriving West Oakland 7th St. music scene in the 50s and 60s.  Like the Lenox,  Esther's hosted big blues and R and B acts including Aretha, BB King, and Etta James.  But the forces of urban renewal had a huge negative impact on Esther's business.  The building of the vast complex of the Post Office distribution center across the street and then the West Oakland BART station made the noise level too high for performers to compete with.  The 18-wheelers and BART trains literally shook the building.  The Orbit Room stayed open for years as a local bar and restaurant with a great jukebox selection, but finally closed its doors last fall after 51 years.  The Oakland live blues scene has pretty much evaporated except for some acts at Yoshi's jazz club.

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.

Weekend Reflection: another look at the Tribune Tower

Downtown at 13th and Webster (I think) with a reflection of the Tribune Tower.  Don't know the name of this modern building.  Glass fronted buildings are not my cup of tea, except for Weekend Reflections, of course.  Click on the link to view other photos on James' meme.  Join us; it's fun.

Skywatch Friday: gray skies

Nothing to watch in this Skywatch.  It was gray overcast all day.  Yuck.  And wouldn't you know it, the skies cleared at dusk and the stars are now shining.  This is a photo of the Fruitvale Bridge to Alameda.  Alameda is a small island community bordered by the waters of the estuary and the Bay.  There are four (draw) bridges and one underwater tunnel to Alameda from Oakland.  It's quite amusing to see a bridge draw up and stop traffic for a little putt-putting boat with a tall mast.  For other Skywatch photos, click here.

100 Strangers: The Tamale Queen

Meet Maria the Tamale Queen.  She and her assistant turned out to feed the crowds at the recent Preview Sale for the White Elephant Sale.  Held in a 96,000 sq. ft. warehouse, this is an annual event that raises money for the Oakland Museum and is now in its 51st year.  With all volunteer help and all donated goods, last year we raised more than $1.3 million to support the museum, (which is currently being renovated and will reopen May 1).  The big sale is always the first weekend in March.  If you're in town, come on by.  Entrance is free.  Believe me, you'll be amazed at the sheer volume of goods for sale and the bargain prices.  You'll probably see Maria too.  She told me she's been coming every year for the last ten years.  I can vouch for her tamales; they are muy sabrosos.

a little bit of Paris in Oakland

This is the memorial fountain in Latham Square where Telegraph Avenue joins Broadway.  Erected in 1913, with the putti and floral swags it reminds me a little of Parisian monuments.  Well, okay, maybe if you squint real hard and have the sun in your eyes.

music everywhere all the time

On all of the main corridors there isn't a telephone pole that doesn't have some kind of announcement---music, theater, political, lost animal, etc.

al fresco dining

Here's the outdoor seating at a popular lunch spot in the lower Temescal district at 52nd St. and Telegraph Ave.  There's no sign above the door but you know you're there when you see the line half way down the block.  This area has undergone a welcome transformation over the past decade and is now home to several popular restaurants and a great deli.  It's amazing to watch what can happen when one or two businesses move into a neighborhood, renovate commercial spaces, bring foot traffic, and inspire others to follow suit.

Weekend reflection: Oakland Tribune Tower

The 21-story Tribune Tower has been a local landmark since 1923.  It's now dwarfed by more recent buildings.  The Tribune newspaper moved to new headquarters in East Oakland after the 1989 earthquake.  The new owners retrofitted the building, spruced up the clock face, and are renting office space.  Caught this reflection after a recent rain.  For other Weekend Reflections, click here.

the Oasis Market

The Oasis Market opened last fall at the corner of Telegraph and 30th to immediate success.  It is a middle eastern market and restaurant with prices that can't be beat.  It draws middle easterners from all around the East Bay.  The Yelp and Chowhound crowd loves this place.  Local newspaper articles credit it with improving the character and safety of the neighborhood.  The Oakland Islamic Center is around the corner.  My first visit last week yielded freshly baked pita bread, a delicious tabouli salad, and a variety of olives at a real good price.  Next week it will be lunch and stuffed grape leaves to go.  Yum.

Oakland's ultimate Deco building

This is the I. Magnin building at 20th and Broadway.  It housed a chic department store until its closing in 1995.  Now it has a cafe and dress shop on the ground floor and offices above.  It was built in 1930 and is made of green terra cotta tile and black serpentine.  Isn't it stunning?  Sorry to violate the one picture only rule, but I couldn't get just one photo to do it justice.  I like the way the black base creates a visual pedestal for the floors above, the way the big windows lighten the bulk of the building, the distinctly deco bas-reliefs, and most of all the color.  The varigated tile colors let the eye dance across the surface.  I read somewhere that there was a penthouse on top.  Wouldn't that be something to see.

Breuner's Deco building

The Breuner Furniture Company went out of business several years ago but their corporate building lives on at 22nd and Broadway.   It has a monolithic, looming quality, but the deco friezes are wonderful.  You tend not to notice them unless you're across the street.  Too bad it's painted this boring grey-green color.   I was tromping all over downtown and didn't have the presence of mind to go inside and see if there are any deco grace notes within.  Next time.

more Deco in downtown

This green and black Art Deco building is downtown at Webster and 14th St.  (Thanks to «Louis la Vache», who recently spotted it and passed on the location).  I admit this is not an exciting photo but it gives a feel of the corner site and the size of the building.  What I found puzzling is that the corner doorway is the logical entrance yet is completely tiled up with what looks like original black trim tile.  The colorful awnings draw attention to the building but don't enhance it.

Usually downtown is deserted on Sundays.  The exception seemed to be this cafe which features New Orleans-style food.  There are lots of Louisiana natives living in the Bay Area some of whom came here to watch the Super Bowl and cheer on the Saints.  And the Saints gave them something to cheer about!

Pill Hill blue cubes--Weekend Reflections

One of the great things about CDP is that it makes you really look at your surroundings.  I've been on Pill Hill a gazillion times but somehow never registered this blue glass hospital until a few weeks ago.  It is the Alta Bates Summit Medical Center on 30th St.  I don't know when it was built or who designed it---but whether or not you like it, it gets your attention.  (Sooner or later).  Pill Hill is a real hill between Broadway and Telegraph that has been home to a hospital, doctors' offices, and pharmacies since forever.  For other Weekend Reflections, click here.

SF Bay on Skywatch Friday

Skywatch Friday:  Looking toward San Francisco this afternoon from the Mormon Temple.  The past few days the clouds have started out a billowy, snowy white and stack up above the Oakland hills.  In the afternoon they start to get dark undertones.  Late afternoon they turn into a grey "marine layer."  Eventually the rain starts to fall in the early evening.  Mostly we're grateful because we sorely need the rain.

another blast from the past

 This building looks like it's the same vintage as yesterday's post.  Check out the roof cubes.  It is the 1/4 lb Giant Burger on Telegraph and 21st St.  It may look past its prime, but people still pull in and order.

urban artifact

This sign is all that's left of a used car lot that closed years ago.  I love the little sputnik-like finial at top.  There's still an arrow that points to what is now a vacant lot on Foothill near Courtland Ave.

Room and Board

This old building next to the Aloha bar looks like it's imploding.  It's a cautionary tale on what happens to wood when it remains neglected and unpainted.  One can barely make out the faded words Room and Board on the side of the building.  Since it is located in front of railroad tracks, I'm guessing it once was a rooming house that served railroad men and maybe travelers.  Looks like it was built before the 1906 earthquake.  Why it's still allowed to stand is anyone's guess.  Located at Fruitvale and San Leandro Blvd.