by Ken Katz – Splash Pad Park has been mostly dark for the past several years and we are absolutely delighted to be sharing a few photos of what it looks like once again fully illuminated – only more so. Everything has been upgraded to LED which is brighter, longer-lasting and more energy-efficient. The Name in […]
November 2020
New on Lakeshore – November 2020 Blog
As the year rolls past Halloween and into the holiday season, Lakeshore businesses continue to be innovative and adapt what they are offering to meet our current community and public health rules. Though the Lakeshore Halloween Costume parade was sadly cancelled due to the pandemic, the Lakeshore Halloween spirit was not. CONTINUE READING
The Bookmark Bookstore Now Open for Shopping by Appointment
by Sheila McCormick The Bookmark Bookstore is operated by the Friends of the Oakland Public Library and all proceeds help the library. The store (at 721 Washington, in Old Oakland) has had an on-line Virtual Bookstore for a few months, and storefront pickup for your purchases, on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 11-2. But […]
Grand Lake Neighbors Meeting Summary – November 2020
by Eric Hughes At the October 21 Grand Lake Neighbors meeting, we were pleased to host Josh Chase, the owner of the “Have A Heart” cannabis dispensary on Broadway in downtown Oakland. He is proposing to open another location at the former site of CVS Pharmacy, 3236 Lakeshore Avenue. Here are some of the topics […]
Grand Avenue Business Report – November 2020
by Ken Katz The big news on Grand this month, in direct response to the coronavirus, was the opening of curbside parklets in front of Sister Restaurant, Almond & Oak and The Libertine. Hopefully, the availability of outside seating (in combination with take-out and delivery orders) will allow these three establishments to hang in there […]
A Snapdragon Grows on Lakeshore
by Ken Katz It may lack the resonance of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, but the metaphor still applies to this Snap Dragon blooming on Lakeshore at the base of an antique street lamp located in front of Buckingham Wine and Spirits. Parenthetically, I have to confess that I’m something of a germaphobe and the […]
Farmers Market Update – November 2020
by Market Manager, Dan Foster Oakland’s own Red Bay Coffee will be joining the market starting next Saturday, November 7. Look for their truck on Lake Park Avenue. County Line Harvest is returning to the market on October 31 with produce from their farm in Thermal. Sunnyland Orchards (nee: EGB Farms) is also returning to […]
Irmi—An Interesting Life, Indeed
by C. J. Hirschfield When the feature documentary Word is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives was released in 1977, it rocked my world. I already loved documentaries, but this one–widely considered to be the first feature film about lesbian and gay identity made by gay people, quickly became a symbol of the emerging […]
Online Diversions and Distractions in this 8th month of Sheltering in-Place
By Sheila McCormick Trivia Nights are nice diversions for an hour or two. You can join with friends, as a team, or be assigned to a team. I think joining randomly assigned teams is fun, and it also makes it more likely that the team members will know more things. For example, my Skype Scientist […]
Alice Street: A Mural Becomes a Movement
by C. J. Hirschfield About my home town, Oakland, a recent Washington Post article wrote: “Protesters want to defund the police. Homicides and violence are spiking. In Oakland, ideology and practicality collide.” It was a wonderful juxtaposition shortly thereafter to watch the excellent new documentary Alice Street, which shows Oakland at its multicultural, peaceful, protesting […]