Weekend Reflections: downtown

Recently shot in downtown Oakland.  The Tribune Tower, former home of the local newspaper, is reflected in the wall of glass.  You can tell it by the US flag flying from the roof.  For more reflections, visit James' meme.

ready for spring cleaning

Is it just me or does $27.50 seem pricey for a broom?  Found at Rockridge Home on College Avenue.  Participating in Signs, Signs.

Taphophile Tragics: Spring has sprung

As I've mentioned before, Mt. View Cemetery is treated like a public piazza by the local community.  Every day you'll find people jogging, walking their dogs, having picnics, practicing their instruments, and wandering about with their cameras.  The cemetery itself hosts several events across the year.  The Spring event is the Tulip Festival.  Visitors come to admire the thousands of tulips planted each year by the cemetery.  One of the local chapel buildings also hosts floral displays presented by various florists and garden groups.  This event always signals that finer weather is on its way.

For more cemetery wanderings, visit Taphophile Tragics.

Monday Mural: Dimond District

 The Dimond District is on Fruitvale Avenue above the 580 freeway.  On the side of Farmer Joe's Market is a vast mural that highlights the history of this area.  Composed by local artists and elementary school children, it focuses on the creeks, wildlife, and farmlands of the 19th century.

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 get to 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'm out of town for several days but will do my best to leave comments.

you lookin' at me?

Don't even think of messing with this truck.

I'll be out of town for several days, and may not be able to leave comments.  Post provided through auto-posting.

Montclair library

I've always liked this Montclair Village library sign.  It was probably wrought and installed when the original Storybook building was constructed in 1930.  Participating in this week's Signs, Signs.

I'll be out of town for several days, and may not be able to leave comments.  Post provided through auto-posting.

Taphophile Tragics: poetry, death and living

Last week I wandered upon a monument in Mt. View Cemetery I had not seen before.  A husband and wife are memorialized with each having written a poem for the other.  Both are quite touching and express such love for each other.  If you enlarge the photos you can read the poems.

 

When I went home, I googled them, and much to my surprise, they are both still alive and quite active in the local poetry community.  This is an example of what the industry calls a "pre-need" monument.  While initially striking me as eccentric, I see the complete practicality of it all.  If you've got the money, why not do it now?  After all, it only will be more expensive later.  And you get to pick the spot yourself.  Not to mention, you express your love and wishes while living.  Something to think about.

Submitted to Taphophile Tragics, where you'll find more cemetery musings.

I'll be out of town for several days, and may not be able to leave comments.  Post provided through auto-posting.

Monday Mural: Oakland Grill

This mural decorates the Oakland Grill which is located in the old warehouse produce district.  This work contains all the local references an Oaklander values.  In the far left is native son Jack London with the husky from Call of the Wild.  Behind him are the cranes at the Port of Oakland.  The next panel references our local pro sports teams, Lake Merritt, City Hall, and the Grand Lake Theater.  At the near table are Jerry Brown and Ron Dellums, previous mayors (Jerry is now our governor).  Having coffee with them is, I believe, Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple.

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 get to 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 for several days but will do my best to leave comments.

Skywatch Friday: giant bird

We're in for several days of rain, which we dearly need.  In looking for a restaurant that we didn't find, we encountered this array of new shops just off Telegraph at 48th.  Lots of vintage stores, which is right up my alley.  So was this giant metal bird that shows off the cloudy skies.  For more sky shots from around the world, visit Skywatch Friday.

Funky Soul Stop

Found on Jefferson and 18th Streets.  As luck would have it, they were closed this day.  If you're a fan of vinyl, this place sounds worth exploring.  Submitted to Signs, Signs.

Taphophile Tragics: Cathedral of Christ the Light

Christ the Light, dedicated in 2008, is situated along the western shore of Lake Merritt.  It is the new seat of the local archdiocese.  Previous church homes to the diocese were damaged in the 1989 earthquake and were eventually demolished.

 

This new church is a very modern design.  Both inside and out it reminds me of a boat which I think is a reference to Christ the fisher of men.

In the tradition of old European cathedrals, however, parishioners can be buried in the mausoleum below the main floor.  There is room for 1300 niches for cremated remains and 1800 crypts for burials.  I'm unaware of any other church in California, except the old missions, doing this.  I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.  So far only a small number of these spaces are in use.  While the crypt walls look like marble, they are actually thin metal which have been treated to look like marble.  There are wall sections that look like onyx but may be glass, and are beautifully backlit. 

Many niches seem reserved for future use, which is probably a smart idea.  Those in use at eye level tend toward simple decorations with favorite personal items and informal photos sitting along side the ashes urn.

 

The curving paths lead you to the crucifix seen in the third photo.  There you find a previous Bishop of Oakland who was re-interred here in 2008.  Several crypts in this section are reserved for future bishops of the diocese.

Although a beautiful space, I couldn't help but be reminded that "end of life services" are, above all, a business.  Submitted to Julie's Taphophile Tragics where you'll find more musings on cities of the dead.

Monday Mural: Honest Al's wall

Honest Al's wrecking yard in West Oakland has become a go-to wall for graffiti artists.  This is not my favorite kind of street art, but I admit I don't know how to look at it.  I Googled CBS, which seems to be a loose confederation of artists in Northern and Southern California.  Defie and Quakes are part of this crew.  Beyond that I'm at a loss.  You can tell that a lot of feeling and passion have gone into this work, but I'm afraid I don't know what it references.  Interestingly, someone has drawn a line beyond which the artists should not go, and this is being honored.

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 get to 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.

Skywatch Friday: shoe repair

This vintage neon sign continues to advertise an actual neighborhood shoe repair shop.  Found on Park Blvd in the Glenview neighborhood.  The skies are blue and clear despite this being the rainy season.  For skies around the world, visit Skywatch Friday.

ABC Wednesday: H is for Homeroom

Continuing with this round's theme focusing on cafes and restaurants, meet Homeroom, a recent addition in the Temescal-Telegraph neighborhood. It's focus is mac'n'cheese and other comfort foods of yore.  There's the Classic mac like mom used to make and then there's new takes on the old recipe.  You can get a spicy, Mexican mac, a goat cheese mac, a Greek mac with feta, and several other twists on the classic.  This being Northern California, all the cheeses are from local artisans.

This is a popular neighborhood spot but also draws from all over Oakland.  Pretty much every demographic is at table everyday.  The day I took these photos we saw hipsters, retirees, construction workers, businessmen, and the rainbow of ethnicities that is Oakland.  The portions are rich and very generous; almost too much so.  If it were me, I'd charge a smidge less and serve a smaller portion.  But I guess that's why take-out tins were invented.

The design is kitsch meets industrial; the vibe is casual and friendly.  Check out the menu; you'll find plenty to like.  And do check out ABC Wednesday for more takes on the letter H.  Also plenty to like.

Lux mausoleum

Here's another mausoleum among the many that dot Mt. View Cemetery.  Mr. Lux emigrated from Alsace to New York in 1838.  By 1853 he had migrated to San Francisco where he worked as a butcher.  Within a few years he joined in a partnership and ultimately became a cattle and land baron, said to own 1/7 of California.  Quite a story.  This mausoleum seems modest for someone who was fabulously wealthy.  For a more detailed biography, visit the above link.

And for more cemetery wanderings be sure and visit Julie's Taphophile Tragics.

Monday Mural: Lakeview School mural

 This mural covers the concrete covered slope at the base of Lakeview Elementary School.  This vintage school building is situated across from the Grand Lake Theater, previously featured here.  The mural includes many of Oakland's iconic buildings, scenes, and businesses around Lake Merritt.  Sadly the school is among five now slated for closure in June due to the severe decline in student enrollment in the Oakland Schools.

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 get to 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.

vintage sign on Lakeshore

A nice old neon sign spotted on Lakeshore Avenue near the Lake.  Linked to Signs, Signs.

Monday Mural: Temescal mural

Last year I showed you this large mural project under construction.  Here are a couple of details from the mural.  The project covers a freeway overpass and most of its support pillars in the Temescal-Telegraph neighborhood.

The dominant motif represents Temescal Creek which now flows underground in this neighborhood.  The mural has been so successfully received by the community, that the colored lines representing the flowing water of the creek have now been adopted for the neighborhood banners on Telegraph Avenue.

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 get to 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.

Weekend Reflection: restaurant lights

These yellow paper lanterns really spoke to me.  Their reflections is the window was a bonus.  Shimizu Restaurant on Piedmont Avenue.  For more reflections visit James's meme Weekend Reflections.  Also linked to City Daily Photo's Theme Day, electricity.  Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

the old Allendale Theater

I wonder what it's like living in a converted theater?   This is the site of the Allendale Theater constructed in 1927 at the beginning of talkies era.  It is located in East Oakland at 38th and Liese Avenues just below MacArthur Blvd.  Surprising to me, the theater was converted to apartments in 1949!  I thought conversions like this were a recent phenomenon.

ABC Wednesday: F is for Flora

This week we're visiting Flora at 19th and Telegraph Avenue in Uptown.  It is housed in a stunning art deco building faced in cobalt and silver terra cotta tile previously featured here.  Flora opened in 2007 and was an anchor business in the revival of Uptown.  The old neon sign that marked the flower mart was restored by the restaurant.  This is a popular and welcoming restaurant that is best visited with reservations.  A sidewalk peek into Flora shows it's busy even at the early dinner hour.

The entry reveals its deco roots are undeniable.

The inside is noisy and convivial with simple but pleasing decor.

It's on the pricey side but the food is very good.  The new cocktail generation kept the bartenders busy the entire time we were there.  I had a New York strip, which was probably the tastiest steak I've ever had.  No exaggeration.  So, thumbs up.  For other takes on the letter "F", visit ABC Wednesday.

Neo-Romanesque tombs

More shots from Mt. View Cemetery.  This is a series of family tombs designed by architect Henry Hobson Richardson.  He included elements of Romanesque architecture in his structures.  For some reason, I think of beehives when I see them.  Although they look identical, there are subtle differences between the buildings.  These mausoleums house prominent San Francisco families beginning with scions who died near the turn of the 19th century.  Even for San Franciscans, Oakland's Mt. View Cemetery was THE place to be buried.  More detailed information can be found at Lives of the Dead, which tells the tales behind the tombs.  Linking today to Julie's Taphophile Tragics.

Monday Mural: Dufwin Theater

The Dufwin Theater, located Uptown at 17th and Telegraph, was built in 1928 and adorned with these tile mosaics created by the local Gladding, McBean Company.  Two years later the theater was converted to a movie house and renamed the Roxie.  Somewhere along the way the murals were covered up and forgotten.  In 1983 the building was again renovated and turned into office spaces.  During the renovation the tile murals were uncovered and restored.  They appear to represent drama, dance, and music.

 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 get to 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.

Weekend Reflection: museum pond

The Oakland Museum pond features both a sculpture and a bale of turtles.  The turtles especially draw the attention of children.  Considering the museum hosts over 30,000 school children a year, that's a lot of turtle watching.  For more reflective shots, visit Weekend Reflections.

tiles at night

Spotted outside of the gates of Mt. View Cemetery.

the Edson Adams mausoleum

Edson Adams was one of the founding fathers of Oakland, which was incorporated in 1852.  He came out to California during the Gold Rush and eventually made a fortune in real estate.  The title of "founder" suggests an illustrious career that actually had a seamier side.  He and his partners essentially stole the land from the Peralta family, which owned much of the East Bay through a land grant from the Spanish king.  Of course, the Peraltas (and the king for that matter) had themselves taken the land from the native peoples who lived in the area millennia before the Europeans arrived.  As befitting a prominent citizen, Adams' family mausoleum is built into a hillside at Mt. View Cemetery where succeeding generations of the Adams family are also interred.  For more cemetery wanderings, visit Julie's meme Taphophile Tragics.

Monday Mural: heart and mind

This is a section of a larger mural found on E. 7th St. Near Fruitvale Avenue.  It was recently done by students at Arise High School under the guidance of the Community Rejuvenation Project.  CRP is the organization behind many of Oakland's murals.

Many of Oakland's well known muralists help students design and execute these murals.

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 get to decide what constitutes a mural.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Can't wait to see the mural finds posted this week.

Weekend Reflection: mural and tiles

After I took a picture of this mural, I noticed it reflected in the tiles on the building across the street.  Since I also love the old tiles that decorate so many of Oakland's buildings, I had to take a picture of this one too.  I like the abstract, watercolorish, fractured quality of the reflection.  But I agree, without an explanation, you don't know what you've got here.  For more reflections, visit James' meme Weekend Reflections.

mercy

A vintage clothing store on Piedmont Avenue.

ABC Wednesday: D is for Dopo

Dopo is a small Italian restaurant on Piedmont Avenue.  It is often touted as having authentic Italian food, which I'm not sure is literally true.  Nonetheless, the food is very good and reasonably price, especially if you go for lunch.  Most people go for the thin crust pizza but you shouldn't overlook the risotto and their fish dishes.  They don't take reservations, so lines begin to form before they open for dinner.  Up the street is their sister restaurant Adesso, which focuses on house-made salume.  On any given night both places are usually packed.

Sometimes time flies at warp speed and consequently I wasn't ready for my Wednesday post; so once again I caged photos from Google.  Bad me.  But honest, I've been to Dopo several times.  No doubt as punishment for not using my own photos, I can't get this second picture to center.  Grrr.  Be sure to visit ABC Wednesday for more takes on the letter "D".

Monday Mural: MLK Cultural Korridor

Here is a detail from a larger mural previously featured here.  It presents a dignified portrait of Marcus Garvey, who lead the Back to Africa movement of the early 20th century.  This is a work from the Community Rejuvenation Project, which is responsible for many of Oakland's murals.

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 get to decide what constitutes a mural.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Can't wait to see the mural finds posted this week.

Weekend Reflection: Bay Bridge

Last week I was on Treasure Island for the monthly antiques fair.  The weather was glorious and the killer views could not be beat.  The new eastern span of the bridge is progressing, with the gigantic support tower now in place.  The Oakland hills are in the background.  Note the four catwalks at a steep 45∘angle to the tower.  Bridge workers must have nerves of steel to climb these structures.  The new span connects to Yerba Buena Island where it joins the suspension section that goes to San Francisco. The new section will also be a suspension bridge and is scheduled to open next year.  Check out the bridge website for all kinds of fascinating information.  Since a bike lane is included in the design, I hope we'll be able to walk on the new bridge.  This photo is doing double duty this week and is linked to Weekend Reflections and Sunday Bridges.

Skywatch Friday: Chapel of Memories

Here's a longer shot of the Chapel of Memories featured in Tuesday's post.  It's been cloudy in the morning and late afternoon, but rarely any rain.  Our annual average to date is usually 13 inches; so far all we've had is 5.  We all like the fair weather, but there's also an undercurrent of fear of another drought.  For more sky shots and weather comments, visit Skywatch Friday.

ABC Wednesday: C is for Can't Fail Café

(Rudy's) Can't Fail Cafe is located in Uptown on Telegraph Avenue next to the renovated Fox Theater.  It is easily distinguished by its blue neon sign and giant palm tree in front.  Even just ordering a coffee guarantees you a warm welcome and friendly chit-chat.  The decor is kitschy and fun.  Along one wall is a 20 foot case filled with Barbie and Ken dolls wearing a blue and black uniform and a button saying "I am Rudy."  Closer inspection reveals that many of the dolls have been "modified" to include masks, C3PO heads, Wonder Woman lariats, feathers, and other amusing details.

The tables on the other side of the cafe are essentially shadow boxes with themes including Star Wars, rock and roll, and children's game pieces.  In the rear of the cafe is the back end of an Air Stream trailer that has been hollowed out to house a private booth.

I didn't order anything to eat, but in the brief time I was there several more parties came in for a late lunch.  So the food must be good and the Yelp crowd generally approves.  I hear it's a hipster scene at night which is both bad and good depending on your point of view.

 For more takes on the letter "C" be sure and visit ABC Wednesday.