By Ken Katz

Note: This is Ken Katz’s last write-up of the happenings on Grand Avenue. He’s taking a sabbatical, maybe for a short time, and maybe forever. See more about Ken’s contributions to the Splashpad News and to this neighborhood.

8 AM Fashion Moves Up (the Block)

A 2024 Splash Pad News profile of Meaza Haile by Madhavi Athanikar mentioned that she and her business partner, Augustin Aguilar, studied Fashion Design at the College of Alameda about ten years ago. Their first storefront was a small space on Santa Clara where they began creating a unique line of clothing that could be purchased on site, on Etsy, or at the Grand Lake Farmers’ Market.

On Thursday, October 23, they celebrated the Grand Opening of 8 AM Fashion at their new location around the corner at 3231 Grand Avenue. It’s an ingenious setup with a lovely window display and a big array of their newest designs on the ground floor. From the slightly elevated upper level, shoppers are typically greeted by Meaza at work on her sewing machine — proof that everything is designed and crafted in-house. Currently, they’re working with cottons and silks, but with winter approaching, they’ll be switching to wools. Current hours are 10:30 – 6:00 Wednesdays through Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 6:00. P.S. Meaza and Augustin also do alterations, which ReLove and other local shops very much appreciate.

Autumn Art Walk

8 AM Fashion’s Grand Opening coincided with a scaled-down Art Walk. Participants included Radbird, Studio Fit Life, Brother and Sisters Flowers, urban university, and urban university’s Work Shop, where they hosted a “Make A Pillow Pop-Up.”

Also coincidentally, Two-Two scheduled a last-minute encore of a Braided Candle Making Workshop that had sold out the night before. It was one of three workshops scheduled for October, and the month before was much the same. You can keep track of upcoming events and new merchandise on their Instagram page.

Sirene named to Top 25 list

Paul Einbund, Sirene’s owner, and Gavin Schmidt, the Head Chef, were unquestionably pleased to be included in the Chronicle’s list of the Top 25 new restaurants in the Bay Area, but probably less so to be called the “Abbott and Costello of the Bay Area food world.” Here’s the full text: 

“Paul Einbund and Gavin Schmidt, the duo behind the Morris in San Francisco, are back with another smash restaurant: Sirene in Oakland. The two are like the Abbott and Costello of the Bay Area food world, and they bring their passion for warm hospitality to Sirene. The menu is an oddball mix of seafood and fried chicken. Cozy up to the bar for a glass of wine or a Chartreuse slushy and a hearty bowl of wood-fired mussels. For a full meal, start with something light like marinated raw fish and end with something heavy like the fried chicken. The chicken sports a thin, crackly shell and can be accompanied with accordion-like biscuits and an awesome kimchi octopus sauce – a riff inspired the duo’s love of late-night Korean fried chicken. Exposed brick lends the dining room rustic character; there’s also a charming back patio covered in vines.”

urban university education and volunteer opportunities

Urban university is launching a pilot program titled “Walk in Her Shoes,” an immersive experience bringing together simulated activities, art and storytelling, to foster empathy and action. The event, which will stand as a “truth telling experience” will be held on November 14 on the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of the 1996 Welfare Reform Legislation. Tracey Williams, the program’s Founder and Executive Director, will guide the experience with single mother team leaders and participants. Williams is hopeful that attendees will choose to become urban university volunteers.

Reggae at Ordinaire

Ordinaire is hosting a Reggae Sunday on November 2 from 3:00 to 9:00, featuring three different DJs. On the 20th, they’ll be pouring 2025 California Nouveau wines with multiple vintners in attendance, including the owners of Under the Table, Dorsal, and Zumo.

Poetry at The Sanctuary

At The Sanctuary, last month’s Harmonia Rosales book-signing event and the “Gourd Beading Workshop” led by their Artist in Residence, Serian Strauss, were both huge successes. On November 1, from 1:30 to 3:00pm, Amalee Bea will lead a poetry-writing workshop titled “Ancestors Taught Me.” Tickets should be purchased in advance on their events page. 

Happy hour at Almond and Oak

Almond & Oak offers a Happy Hour Menu from Tuesdays to Thursdays, 5:00 – 6:00 pm.

Holli B’Z new signage

We introduced you to Holli B’Z Barbershop last month, and they have since installed colorful new signage.

Alchemy is Growing

Alchemy Restorative Medicine has been growing, and they are now offering Happy Hour Appointments on Fridays. Additionally, Dr. Bernard is seeking more staff members.

Fixing Grand Ave.

In my August report, I wrote about the gutters up and down the block that are more often than not filled with trash as well as leaves. In the “good old days”, the City’s street-sweepers would come through on a regular basis, but that’s not been the case for years. A member of Councilmember Wang’s staff discussed this during the neighborhood clean-up last month and after taking photos of the “No Parking after 2 AM” street signs, she promised to reach out to Public Works. Keep your fingers crossed!

I also highlighted locations on the block where the gutters don’t slope properly. The worst example is in front of MeloMelo Kava Bar, where, over time, water becomes stagnant, creating “an ideal breeding ground for harmful bacteria, fungi, and algae, which can trigger allergies, respiratory problems, and gastrointestinal infections.” Ideally, the low spots would be fixed as part of the upcoming OakDOT repaving project, but if that doesn’t happen, the Public Works Department needs to find the resources to do so.

Speaking of the repaving project, the latest version shared by Charlie Ream is far superior to the original. I was especially happy to see the added pedestrian safety features, including pedestrian islands and bulb-outs.

In addition, the width of the Santa Clara crosswalk will be reduced by 50% or more using flexible barriers similar to those installed on Wesley behind Trader Joe’s. Moreover, traffic speed onto the slip lane will be significantly slowed.

While I support the latest iteration overall, my main concern (which may or may not be unique to senior citizens like myself) is that back-in diagonal parking will be difficult, if not impossible. FYI: I’ve already tried on 13th Street downtown and gave up after three attempts.

Regarding the Grand/Lake Park intersection, accidents happen here regularly, and I fully support Arielle Fleisher’s proposed ban on left turns onto Lake Park. I also want to see the signal timing properly adjusted. Currently, drivers and pedestrians are so impatient that they often ignore red lights. Most importantly, long-term measures should be implemented to slow down traffic heading onto the freeway, possibly including metering lights.

Grand Lake Theatre

The Grand Lake Theatre has five special events scheduled for November.

Ken Katz founded the Splash Pad Neighborhood Forum in late 1999 and, in his role as Chair, coordinated the community efforts to lobby for a new park and subsequently served as a liaison to the City of Oakland and to Walter Hood’s office during the planning process. The first Splashpad Newsletters were emailed beginning circa 2006. He currently contributes to the monthly Splashpad News.