2021 April
Splash Pad’s California Native Plant Garden
Under the stewardship of plant whisperer Mary Jo Sutton, Splash Pad Park’s California Native Plant Garden has more than doubled in size and it’s never looked as glorious as it does right now, with virtually everything in full bloom. Of special note is the Mahonia which was part of the original 2003 landscaping but […]
Help Shape the Future of Grand Avenue
Oakland’s Department of Transportation is in the midst of a long-term planning process for Grand Avenue that they summarize as follows: The City of Oakland is creating a comprehensive transportation plan on Grand Avenue to strategize an inclusive, safer, and sustainable transportation network for the future, without displacing existing residents and businesses. The Grand Avenue […]
Parklets: Past, Present, Future
The parklets now springing up all over town in response to the pandemic actually had their genesis in September 2011, when the East Bay Bicycle Coalition introduced the City of Oakland to International PARKing Day – an annual celebration during which parking spaces are temporarily reclaimed for landscaping and lounging. The fabulous parklet in front […]
Cleveland Heights Neighborhood Council Update
by Ashley Ragus “In order to create the city we want, we all have to be a part of the solutions to the issues we all face.” The Friends of Cleveland Heights Neighborhood Council came together in March with this as our stated purpose. Our neighborhood’s 2021 priorities, as determined via surveys of our neighbors, […]
Crowdfunding Love
by C. J. Hirschfield Ain’t Love Grand – – Avenue A bookstore. A bar. A beloved storybook park. What do they all have in common? A community that can’t imagine the world without it and that rallied to keep itself alive through highly successful online crowdfunding campaigns. And in each case, a special “angel” arrived […]
Farmers Market Update – April 2021
by Grand Lake Farmers Market Manager, Dan Foster Please Note: The Native American Health Center will continue providing free Covid tests and vaccine registration on-site on a weekly basis. Newly signed and returning vendors: Koda Farms, California’s oldest rice farm and mill, will be joining the market this Saturday 4/3. Fenella’s Berries (organic strawberries, raspberries, […]
Grand Avenue Merchant News – April 2021
by Ken Katz The biggest single news item for Grand Avenue is that the vacant Aisle 5 space has been leased and remodeling is already well underway. It’s going to reopen as a “tapas and champagne lounge” called “Mimosa on Grand.” We had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Chris Rachal, on Tuesday, and he […]
Odds and Ends – April 2021
The March 30 edition of Oaklandside featured a major article about the City Council’s approval of new regulations regarding vending, music, parking, and more at Lake Merritt – particularly along the east shore of the park. Andrew Alden, the amateur geologist who regularly posts excursions focused on geological features, has just published an online article […]
Chalk It Up To Splash Pad Park’s History
If you’re at all curious about the history of the plot of land now occupied by Splash Pad Park, We’d highly recommend SplashPad.org’s About page which includes information about landscape architect Walter Hood, the California Native Plant Garden, and a summary of the site’s long-term history starting in the late 19th century. One very […]