by Ken Katz The 580 freeway completed in the early 1960s was so well landscaped that Parade magazine named it the “Most Beautiful Urban Highway in the USA.” One of its major features was the addition of a small triangular park (separated from the freeway by Lake Park Way) with a pond as its centerpiece […]
Ken Katz
Grand Avenue Merchant News – October 2022
by Ken Katz If you currently do a Google search for Cycle Sports, a notification pops up saying that it’s temporarily closed and now owned by Trek Bicycles. Yesterday afternoon, when we happened upon the closed sign surrounded outside by multiple display fixtures, wood pallets and piles of cardboard, we were initially dismayed to learn […]
Having Inadequate Mental Health Services is Insane
by Ken Katz Last month, I reported that “Howard,” a homeless individual whose behavior on Lakeshore and Grand has long been extremely disruptive and destructive, was apparently hospitalized for several months and was now back on the streets. I predicted that, without supportive housing, his behavior would rapidly deteriorate, and that’s exactly what has occurred. […]
Grand Avenue Merchant News – September 2022
by Ken Katz We’re thrilled to report that the Knimble space on Grand Avenue has just been leased. The new tenant, ReLove, already has a very successful location on Polk Street in San Francisco which their website describes as… A re-sale boutique offering a curated mix of vintage, designer, and independent labels. We hand select […]
Grand Avenue Merchant News – August 2022
by Ken Katz This past Thursday, an Art Walk on Grand Avenue involved six locally-owned local businesses: Radbird, Megadeluxe, Alyce on Grand, Urban Furniture & Boutique, Brother & Sisters Flower Shop, and Sister Restaurant. The initial stimulus for the event came from Tracey Williams, the Founder and Executive Director of Urban University, who was one […]
Grand Avenue Merchant News – July 2022
by Ken Katz In the face of a pandemic that’s dragged on for more than two years, it would have been reasonable to expect us seeing boarded-up shops throughout the Grand Lake District. To the contrary, over the past couple of months, we’ve reported on at least half a dozen newly opened businesses on Grand. […]
Confessions of a Seventy-Nine-Year-Old Virgin
by Ken Katz You were probably expecting this to be a salacious story. It’s not. It’s simply about me being among the last of the Hippie Generation who had never smoked a joint, devoured a pot brownie, or consumed Cannabis in any form. Why not? In retrospect, I doubt that I was the least bit […]
Grand Avenue Merchant News – June 2022
by Ken Katz In the April edition of the Merchant News, we mentioned that when the office building at 3645 Grand was sold, everyone was advised that it would be repurposed for residential housing but that’s not what eventually happened. A couple of weeks ago, at an Open House for prospective tenants we found out […]
Grand Avenue Merchant News – May 2022
by Ken Katz Mother’s Day without flowers would be like Christmas without trees or Hanukkah without latkes. That being the case, rejoice over the fact that Grand Lake residents have easy access to three flower shops on the same block — each with its own unique charms: Lee’s Discount Florist, Brother and Sister Flower Shop […]
Grand Avenue Merchant News – April 2022
by Ken Katz The three-story commercial building at 3645 Grand, which was constructed in 1964, was sold in 2018. Shortly thereafter, the new owners emptied the building with the expectation that it would be turned into condos. After two years of heavy construction that included new HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and a lot of other high-end […]