by Ken Katz While writing last month’s article about Norman Allen and the other mentally ill homeless individuals who continue to frequent the Grand Lake neighborhood, I couldn’t help but think back to 1968 when I moved to Oakland to work as the Resident Counselor in Oakland’s first psychiatric halfway house. It was opened as […]
Ken Katz
Grand Avenue Merchant News – November 2021
by Ken Katz In the May 2021 Grand Avenue Business report we happily reported that “the reopening of Knimble earlier this week was the very best news on the retail front.” Six months later, we are regrettably reporting that the big news on the retail front this month is their upcoming closure in January 2022. […]
Grand Avenue Merchant News – October 2021
by Ken Katz Tomorrow will be a memorable day on Grand Avenue. For starters, Michael’s Chocolates (owned and operated by Michael Benner) is hosting a soft opening beginning at noon in the space recently vacated by Michael Mischer. He will continue serving Almare Gelato, and chocolates of course–though Michael B. was quick to note that […]
What Happened to Norman Needn’t Be Normal
by Ken Katz For more than two decades, when the subject of mental illness and homelessness in our Grand Lake neighborhood came up, the defining image that often came to mind was a guy most simply knew as “Norman.” Occasionally, he’d disappear for a week and upon his return (with a haircut, shave, and clean […]
Grand Avenue Merchant News – September 2021
by Ken Katz Maestro? A drumroll please.We have several exciting developments to report, beginning with… Bake Sum quietly opened a couple of weeks ago, albeit with very limited hours on Fridays and Saturdays only until they are fully staffed and trained. The interior is very well done and our hats are off for anybody that […]
Black International Marketplace of Oakland
by Ken Katz For much of the past year and a half, Lake Merritt has been a major bone of contention, with tempers rising over the proliferation of vendors setting up shop on Lakeshore and Grand. Their presence has raised an abundance of concerns, including increased traffic, noise, and littering. Unfortunately, the Black International Marketplace […]
The Vegan Mob Wing Had Good Bones
by Ken Katz Last month, when we reported that a wing of the Vegan Mob/Kwik Way building had been heavily damaged to the extent that it needed to be removed, it didn’t seem like a big deal since it would have been torn down along with the rest of the building once construction started on […]
Grand Avenue Merchant News – August 2021
Editor’s Note: A comment posted on last month’s Grand Avenue merchant update prompted us to take a long walk this past Friday from the theater up to Safeway and back–something we hadn’t attempted for a very long time. As a result, we can now report on Pacific Nail’s closing, a change in ownership at what […]
The Names in Lights Have a Tale to Tell – Part 3
by Ken Katz This is the third and last in a series of articles about the twenty-seven Names in Lights panels in the Splash Pad Plaza that were dedicated in 2004. The first two articles were limited to the six panels that specifically grouped together businesses in the Grand Lake commercial district. This month’s News […]
Odds and Ends – July 2021
Monday morning, we received the following email from Tessa Quintanilla, the Project Manager from EAH Housing, about the building that houses Vegan Mob (formerly Kwik Way). “Thought I should reach out to you to give you a heads-up about some events this weekend at 500 Lake Park, as you may have some questions after going […]