Monday Mural: mural on stage

This weekend was the annual Piedmont Avenue Halloween parade.  Besides the parade with trick o' treating and a pumpkin patch at the cemetery, there's always music and other entertainment.  This group performed at the Rocky Baird mural at Key Route Plaza.  The Key Route street car system ran in Oakland and Berkeley until 1958.

As always, everyone had a good time.  A beekeeper and her favorite bee.

 

Dog Marley

 

Capoeira exhibition in the street.

Everyone knows that moms are super heroes.

shadow on stairs

Late afternoon shadows in the cemetery.  For other photos featuring shadows, visit Shadow Shot Sunday.

the space between

This sweet building is only a few blocks from City Hall.  It does its best to stand tall between its towering neighbors.  The weather continues to be fair but the temperatures are dropping significantly at night.  For more sky shots, visit Skywatch Friday.

bay trail

This is part of the Bay Trail near Jack London Square.

ABC Wednesday: O is for Occupy Oakland

This photo of Oakland's version of the Occupy Wall Street action was taken 10 days ago.  Occupiers camped in the public space in front of city hall and attracted a diverse group of participants.  Over time the mood shifted from ebullient to edgy.  Before dawn today the police moved in to remove the protesters and their tent city; tonight the confrontation has turned ugly.  Regardless of where you stand on the 99% Movement, this local story arc was entirely predictable.  Sigh.  For more representations of "O", visit ABC Wednesday.

Monday Mural: bomb squad kingz

One more from the Oakland Wall of Fame.  Shows a sense of humor and self-deprecation.  And, it was done by girls.  Girl Power!

last bite of the season

Friday was the last Bites off Broadway event for the season.  Seven food trucks were there, along with musicians, hula hoops, and an after-dark performance of the "Thriller" dance.  The weather was quite mild and the crowd was large.  Linking to SOOC Sunday.

Oakland Firestorm anniversary

Today is the 20th anniversary of the Oakland Firestorm that destroyed more than 3000 houses and took 25 lives.  This memorial stands near the Caldecott Tunnel where the fire jumped 8 lanes of highway to continue on its devastating path.  As the fire burned down the hill our neighborhood had to evacuate.  My strongest memory is standing at the bottom of our street watching eucalyptus trees at the top of the cemetery canyon explode from the intense heat.  Ash rained down all around us.  It wasn't until the next day we learned that our homes were still standing thanks to a shift in the direction of the winds and the grueling work of fire fighters.  I know many people who were not as lucky.  The local paper reports that those who have moved into the fire zone since the fire have a hard time understanding why they have to engage in such pesky practices like clearing brush from around their house.  They truly do not understand the sense of urgency for preparedness that those who went through the fire have.

Among many commemorative activities, the Oakland Museum has mounted an exhibit by photographer Richard Misrach who documented the fire's aftermath.  He has not published these large format photos until now.  They are a vivid reminder and an education for us all.

ABC Wednesday: N is for namaste

Namaste from Oakland.  Seen at a local street fair.  Visit Mrs. Nesbitt's meme to find other takes on "N".

Monday Mural: at the clinica

Usually a car parks along side this mural.  Recently, while driving down Fruitvale Avenue, the car was gone and I jumped out to take this picture.  The mural was done by Ernesto Olmos in 2005 with help from neighborhood youth.  It adorns a building used by the Clinica de la Raza and remains as bright as if it were done yesterday.

hood ornament

The hood ornament of a fully restored 1933 Pierce Arrow.  Spotted at a local auction.  Submitted to both Weekend Reflections and SOOC Sunday.

ABC Wednesday: M is for mosaic

Located in Jingletown, the Institute of Mosaic Art teaches mosaic design and offers mosaic services.  Several businesses in Jingletown have capitalized on the Institute's presence to use mosaics for their business signs.  For other takes on "M" visit Mrs. Nesbitt's meme ABC Wednesday.

Monday Mural: Gertrude and Alice

This is a detail from a huge mural downtown on Franklin Street.  Gertrude Stein has famously been quoted as saying about Oakland that "There is no there there."  The quote actually pertains to a visit to her childhood home, which had been torn down.  Still feeling the sting of this presumed put down, the city sometimes flies a flag at the top of the Tribune Building that says "There."

Still out of town and using autopost.

decorative tiles

This tiled "fountain" is in the entryway of a Spanish style building near Lake Merritt.  The building was closed when I walked by and I had to stick my camera through the wrought iron gate to get this shot.  I love the old tiles that decorate so many of our buildings.

Skywatch Friday: market garland

Swan's was built in 1917 in the historic business area now called Old Oakland.  It is covered in white tile and has these wonderful garlands and majolica style plaques.  It contains Housewives Market which is composed of multiple food shops.  Old Oakland has beautiful Victorian building blocks and a number of popular restaurants, yet often feels empty.  For some reason it lacks the pedestrian traffic that gives a neighborhood its lively quality.  The sliver of sky shows that after recent rain we are again enjoying fair weather.  For more sky shots, visit Skywatch Friday.

Still autoposting.

ABC Wednesday: L is for Luka's

Luka's Taproom and Lounge, a popular restaurant in the Uptown area, was instrumental in the growth of this area.  Their parking lot is at the base of the Great Wall featured a week ago.  If suds are your preferred libation, this is your place.  They serve over 30 different beers, including local and imported brews.  While you're contemplating your choices, visit ABC Wednesday for more takes on "L".

I'll be out of town for a week so have turned to autoposting.

a shark out of water

Spotted at the Project Bandaloop performance a couple of weeks ago.  They looked like they're having fun.  Linked to  Photo Roma's Night Shot Monday.

I'll be out of town for a week so autoposting ensues.

Monday Mural: Mike Dream

Here is another panel from Oakland's Wall of Fame.  It references Mike "Dream" Francisco, a seminal figure in graffiti art who died in 2000.  He is famous in the hip hop community and even has a dedicated page on a website in Djibouti.

I'll be out of town for a week.  Onward with autoposting.

SOOC: parklet on Piedmont Avenue

A couple of weeks ago Oakland participated in International Park(ing) Day.  The movement aims to make cities more liveable by adding more outdoor seating on streets.  Several businesses set up "parklets" in parking spaces in front of their stores.  This spot was in front of Shimizu, a Japanese restaurant on Piedmont Avenue.  The latest news is that the city has decided to permit 8(!!) longer term parklets around town as an experiment.  This shot is unedited and submitted to SOOC Sunday.

Theme Day: mystery object

Here's my theme day entry.  Can you guess what it is?  Unfortunately, I don't have a long distance shot to show you.  It is a large piece of public sculpture on the Mills College Campus.  Spiders have added an extra layer of weirdness to this piece.  Click here to view thumbnails for all participants in this month's City Daily Photo Theme Day.

Skywatch Friday: style layers

Downtown Oakland has a wonderful melange of old buildings, and some not so great new ones.  See what I mean?  The clouds indicate that into each of our lives some rain must fall, maybe over the weekend.  For more sky clues, check Skywatch Friday.

ABC Wednesday: K is for kayak

One of the cool things you can do at Jack London Square is rent a kayak for paddling the estuary.  Unless that's too slow for you.  In which case there's always jet skis.  For more "K" photos visit the ever entertaining ABC Wednesday.

out for a walk

The weekend was cold and dreary and it even rained.  Today started clear and turned quite warm.  Everyone was out for a walk.  Spotted at Jack London Square.

Monday Mural: Oakland Riviera

The artists in Jingletown have designed a wall of murals in an area they've dubbed the Oakland Riviera.  Tongue in cheek of course.  One of the murals contains portraits of their beloved critters who are walked on what has been renamed the "rue de merde."  Looks like they clean up after their dogs too.  This is around the corner from the lizard/iguana posted earlier.

SOOC: Colton family tomb

This is the Colton family tomb in Mt. View Cemetery.  David Colton died in 1878 and was known in his time as a railroad magnate and land owner.  His wife may also be buried here but there is no information on her dates on this planet.  Just like Nellie, her history was given short shrift.  The cemetery is full of large tombs like these, many of which seem no longer to be connected to succeeding generations.  Kind of sad.  This photo was taken late one afternoon and is straight out of the camera.  For more SOOC photos, visit SOOC Sunday.

Skywatch Friday: new condos downtown

Our former mayor and now governor promoted the building of new residential housing downtown.  Here's an example.  Warm days and clear skies have been here for about two weeks.  September typically has our warmest weather and we're glad it's here.  For additional sky views, visit Skywatch Friday.

ABC Wednesday: J is for jeté

This weekend the dance company Project Bandaloop performed on the Great Wall of Oakland (previously featured here).  Twenty years ago the troupe's director was inspired by her rock climbing experiences to combine the rigging technology with dance to defy gravity while making art.  The performance premiered a new piece, Bound(less), with original music by trombonist Dana Leong.  The entire experience was exciting, moving, and completely unique.  It was thrilling to watch the dancers, especially when they leapt away from the wall with grace and precision.  Grand jetés are hard enough to do on a horizontal surface, let alone on a 10-story wall.  I'm guessing at least a 1000 people were at Saturday's performance, bringing their own chairs, blankets, and food as they waited for the performance.  Checkout the Bandaloop website video to get a taste of their performance style.  And check out ABC Wednesday for more takes on "J".

Monday Mural: people forest

Spotted awhile ago in West Oakland.  The other side of the warehouse was shown previously.

Skywatch Friday: slivers of glass and sky

Downtown near City Center.  Visit Skywatch Friday for more sky shot entries.

garden gate

A lovely garden gate off Broadway Terrace.  Love the Mediterranean blue color.

ABC Wednesday: I is for Idora Park

Once thought to have been part of Idora Park, this windmill was a lemonade stand that stood outside of the park.  It is now the last remnant of what had been a 17 acre amusement park that bordered Telegraph Avenue.  Way back in the day, Idora Park was a destination visited by such luminaries as Jack London, Charlie Chaplin, and Buster Keaton.

According to Wikipedia it was especially known for its Opera House, scenic railway, rollercoasters, and vaudeville shows.  Built in 1904, it closed in 1929.  Click here for more old photos of Idora.  Visit ABC Wednesday for more takes on the letter I.

night scene in Jack London Square

On a recent warm evening, I took this shot after visiting Dancing Under the Stars in Jack London Square.  Linking to Night Shot Monday.

Monday Mural: clinica de la raza

This mural decorates the Clinica de la Raza medical clinic in the Fruitvale.  It was the first clinic in Oakland designed to serve Spanish-speaking clients.  Its many services have grown over the years and it now serves much of East Oakland.

in rememberance

 Linked to SOOC Sunday.

ABC Wednesday: H is for Hi Hat Cleaners

This vintage neon sign advertises a business that has continued in the same spot for decades.  Surprisingly, despite its worn appearance, the sign continues to work too.  The owner says they turn it on winter evenings during operating hours.  During short winter days, it probably serves as a beacon to front door.  He also hopes to get it restored, although I imagine that is a costly process.  The sign and business anchor the corner of MacArthur and Maple St. in the Laurel District.  Visit ABC Wednesday for other takes on this week's letter.

Monday Mural: new mural

This mural was done this year by Chase and Bui.  It's near Jack London Square at 3rd and Broadway on the side of a vegan restaurant.  It's vibrant colors and cartoon design really catch your eye.  Don't know if the speech balloons are supposed to be sincere or ironic.  Maybe the cartoon characters have a specific reference.  It's hard keeping up with pop culture to know for sure.

parking shadows

Spotted downtown late one afternoon.  Submitted to Shadow Shot Sunday.

Skywatch Friday: Tuiaki he Lotu

The Free Church of Tonga is located on Fruitvale Avenue.  Most of the Tongans I know are Mormons.  This free church is an off-shoot from the Methodist church.  This church looks like a quiet oasis on a busy street.   This shot shows you more blue skies after the fog burns off.  The weatherman says we're in for a warming trend and no fog at night.  Yippee. For more of today's sky views, visit Skywatch Friday.

Theme Day: Perspective

Sometimes heights are scary, sometimes fun.  It's all a matter of perspective.  Spotted at the recent Temescal Street Fair.  Submitted to CDP's monthly theme day.  Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

ABC Wednesday: G is for Greyhound

The Greyhound bus service was founded in 1914 and appears to be going strong with 25 million passengers a year.  The Oakland terminal was built in the 30s but doesn't have many deco features except maybe the sign.  This is an iconic image that has survived the decades.  For other "G" images, visit ABC Wednesday for visual treats from around the world.  Also linked to Leslie's Signs Signs.