The East Bay

[garbribre]

It's as general as it sounds.
(Have your own 'East Bay' elsewhere? Sure! Put stuff here.)

Plus, there'll be no San Francisco here. Nothing touristy to see.
Some of you may want to move along.

Some grit, some graft, some grist for the mill.
Pile on your own cliches.

Add to it with impunity.
Don't care if this goes off topic either.
Take it anywhere you want it.

I will start with the wasteland that is Oakland's Jack London Square (JLS).
Recent pictures only.
(Thankfully, on the surface only, it looks better now than it did in my old pics from a few years ago. Most of those were lost during my various 'computer crashes.')

Let's begin with the namesake's fake watering hole

And what now looms behind it

It's the new Jack London Marketplace--a glorified food court, of sorts--modeled after the remade San Francisco Ferry Building. (Yeah, yeah. I said no referencing that other cold, raw, damp place across the Bay. Sometimes, ya just can't help it, though.)

Closer to the water (aka The Estuary), diagonally across from the Marketplace above, the long-bulldozed site of Jack London Village. It was a Robinson Caruso-like collection of buildings that would have sufficed as a temporary site for a/the Marketplace (just to see if it worked in this location), if they had bothered to save the original structures, as was loudly suggested. This site is slated for a large hotel (too large for the site, imo) and a conference facility...someday.

Because AMTRAK and freight rail runs through the area, a maze of elevated mole tubes was considered necessary to move people from the parking structure and the residential and office components on the 'other side,' because people are too friggin lazy to walk a block or two to where they can cross freely at ground level. Sadly, this is in a city that likes to boast 'we have the best weather of any major city in the US.' Soooo, why do we need these habitrail tubes then, eh?!

Former site of some of the offending, troublemaking clubs. The wrong element hung there, kinda like the same element you're all lamenting that loiters in Downtown Crossing. C'mon. You know what I'm talkin bout. How to deal with it in Oakland? Bulldoze it into oblivion, right-o.

The heart of the 'original, old' part of JLS, now over forty years on from its conception.
Looks reasonable, yes...?

Aaaaaaahhhhh, but don't let surface appearances fool you.

This forlorn, customer-less lady (sorry--snapped this while riding a bike) is the ONLY retail establishment on this entire block.
It's been this way for a decade, at least--one, maybe two, retail establishments exist at a time. The rest of the storefronts have been office space. Very inviting for the pedestrians flocking to Oakland's premier (near) downtown restaurant, shopping and entertainment district. Pffffft!

Here's the model of what has been proposed for the 're-tooling' of JLS.

It's been envisioned for about a decade and construction began about a year ago on the major components of phase one.

More to come some other time. Imageshack is acting up.

 

[garbribre]

*sigh*

Don't tell me I am going to be posting piles of pics without other forumers ever saying much. Then there will be pic loading issues with too many per page. Horrors!

Somebody add/say something! Anything...?

And where's the concern for my well being?
There's a riot goin' on.
(I had to choose this version, cuz it's the only one I could find of this song on YouTube.)

"Africa Talks to You 'The Asphalt Jungle'" Sly & the Family Stone


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v-IkcwV_uI

 

[Ron Newman]

How close was the riot to the area that you just showed us above?

 

[garbribre]

Ha! Can always count on you, Ron.

Not close to Jack London Square, which has often been the site of altercations, gang and cop skirmishes, general unruliness--kind of Oakland's version of Kenmore Square, without the Fenway Park-type crowd, though.

The protest march snaked its way from the Fruitvale District, down International Boulevard, I believe--about a three mile trudge southeast of dowtown--skirting the Lake, Civic Center and Chinatown. Then it exploded into the City Center/City Hall area, only to be forcibly dispersed, mostly into the edge of Uptown along the Lakeside neighborhood, which is primarily residential with small, mom-and-pop styled businesses.

Seems like the vandals targeted businesses, rather than residences, unfortunately too many of them small businesses, some of which may not recover from this. Lots of car windows were smashed along all these streets and a few set on fire, too.

I biked through at the start of the protest in Fruitvale and thought it would remain under control. I went home at dusk. It was too cold for me (wimp). I managed to remain oblivious to the degree of damage and mayhem until the next day. I did hear the ghetto birds and constant sirens until well after midnight and knew something was up. I am on the the other side of a hill, so sound from downtown, except the train whistles and horns, generally doesn't carry my way.

 

[garbribre]

*sigh*

Lecture versus dialog.

Looks like the choice is lecture.

So, Ron, this is for you since you are the only one to respond.

Oakland had a vibrant downtown and entertainment district for about 40 years, until the late fifties. All the theaters and clubs from its heyday are long gone, except for three: The Paramount, which I discussed years ago (may have lost that thread in the crash); Sweet's Ballroom, there in name and space only, and barely an active venue much anymore; and The Fox Theater, which fell into disrepair and almost had to face the wrecking ball as a result. After much begging and cajoling, the city bought the building, got some grants, complicated funding, and started converting the entire block and the two blocks behind the theater into a self-sustaining (hopefully) arts and residential venue to anchor the Oakland School of the Performing Arts.

Performances in the theater will begin sooner than expected, so I hear. The dedication is in the late summer/early fall.

Some old pics pre-construction

The $500K Marquee Restoration--the city fronted that money--caused a ruckus.

I'll be around and posting for a bit, so I'll add more about the progress on this project from the past 18 months over the coming week.

 

[ablarc]

Governor Moonbeam: what was his legacy as mayor? Did he leave Oakland better than he found it?

 

[blade_bltz]

I just noticed this thread - thanks for posting.

The JLS featured this thread is the only one I've ever known. And I can forgive its overall staleness/downtroddenness for one reason: Yoshi's. The food is obnoxiously overpriced, but nobody who knows anything gets tricked into eating there. Then again, the only people I know are college students. But yeah, brilliant Jazz club. The one in SF will never replace Oakland's, despite being significantly more convenient for us trapped on the other side of the water (no driving necessary). There's nothing I despise more than crossing the Dumbarton and fearing for my life and sanity on 880.

More generally: the East Bay is easily one of my favorite regions in the country. Yeah Oakland is dumpy. But Berkeley is spectacular. I dig the vibe they got going up there. You've got urbanity, loads of smart people, mountain lions, exotic flora, and food options past 11pm beyond Jack in the Box. And BART, which would be awesome without the disgusting piss-stained (I assume) cushiony seats.

Also, we're not counting the 'Outer' East Bay, are we? Bleh at Walnut Creek etc, to say nothing of godforsaken Livermore.

 

[garbribre]

Oh, this is going to be ugly. I will respond like this once. Then back to deceptively pretty pictures.

Ablarc--No! Despite what his press releases say, he did nothing. Cannot believe I was duped into supporting (in many ways) that charlatan. His legacy is one of continued inertia, unenlightenment, and utter disingenuousness that has long defined Oakland. This contributed to its history of decline that began, it seems, after the initial post World War II boom. I wasn't around for any of that, so I cannot speak first-hand about it. My only knowledge is based on what I see, researched, and discussed with those who were around back then.

The stupidity and lack of creative thinking has been unfathomable. Jerry had/has no leadership abilities. How he has gotten away with it all these years? I can speculate, but don't really know who pulls his strings.

Given the conditions that prevail in many other parts of the country, Oakland is still a gem. Sad correlation, eh? To reiterate--its success has more to do with its geographical proximity to a collection of other municipalities in the Bay Area. Not just SF, but Napa, Berkeley, Silicon Valley, even San Jose, and as a gateway to any number of generally unknown places and things. Yet, it should stand alone, easily.

The neighborhoods of Oakland have been resurgent and are its saving graces. Downtown has declined further into a morass of failure, as much from poor planning and implementation, as it is from laissez faire idiocy.

Governing the ungovernable, I guess.

On the bright side, so many people have said, 'it cannot get worse.'
Ha! Watch.

The current mayor is a simp. I don't support him at all. He's fortunate that the recent 'riots' didn't escalate further. He had little to do with their eventual control and diminishment. If it had been worse, it may have been a good thing because it would have publicly displayed his lack of ability and jolted other people into action who would better serve the community at large.

Also, things are ugly deep underneath city hall--much of it left over from Jerry, as well as from those who came before his administration. It could have been rectified with a clean sweep by the incoming mayor. Dellums has done little. Status quo. Some of this is public knowledge.

As for the press here, they've become cowering ninnies. The one possible exception, who may have done some digging, got murdered last year. That should tell you something. It's like what you'd read about from a third world junta.

I'm doing lots of creative name calling, aren't I? Sorry. I'm still raging. Probably always will be. Won't forget. Probably won't forgive either. My shit.

It's primarily because I see the potential here. It's killing me that it's being squandered and squelched. Also, I don't see the outrage from too many others--knowledgeable outrage, as opposed to random violence and vandalism--when I know many other locals feel the same way. They are narcotized, fearful, and don't want to get involved anymore, as long as they can insulate themselves in their cozy cocoons, safe from the ills of the big bad streets of the city (meaning from downtown and the poorer neighborhoods). They feel safe behind a perceived invisible barrier that protects them from the 'bad stuff' seeping into their areas.

I need some dark chocolate now... claming.... Then I can gush about things I like here. With pictures. And answer to blade_bltz, somewhat contradictorily to my diatribe above, because he said something I want to clarify and refute.

 

[garbribre]

I just noticed this thread - thanks for posting.

The JLS featured this thread is the only one I've ever known. And I can forgive its overall staleness/downtroddenness for one reason: Yoshi's. The food is obnoxiously overpriced, but nobody who knows anything gets tricked into eating there. Then again, the only people I know are college students. But yeah, brilliant Jazz club. The one in SF will never replace Oakland's, despite being significantly more convenient for us trapped on the other side of the water (no driving necessary). There's nothing I despise more than crossing the Dumbarton and fearing for my life and sanity on 880.

More generally: the East Bay is easily one of my favorite regions in the country. Yeah Oakland is dumpy. But Berkeley is spectacular. I dig the vibe they got going up there. You've got urbanity, loads of smart people, mountain lions, exotic flora, and food options past 11pm beyond Jack in the Box. And BART, which would be awesome without the disgusting piss-stained (I assume) cushiony seats.

Also, we're not counting the 'Outer' East Bay, are we? Bleh at Walnut Creek etc, to say nothing of godforsaken Livermore.

blade blade blade... (May I call you 'blade'? )

Yoshi's began its life in Berkeley, btw.

Oakland had a music scene. The city 'leaders' have managed to kill that, too, during my tenure here. It's criminal!

Unfortunately, the East Bay does encompass the Walnut Creek/Concord/Danville areas, as it does Martinez/Pinole/Benicia, and even the Livermore Valley (Good wine there, btw--better than Napa, imho--less touristy--and, no, not depicted in "Sideways".) Strangely, Livermore, along with Pleasanton, and all the way down to Fremont is all part of Alameda County, which sprawls from just north of Berkeley nearly down to San Jose, well Milpitas, just on the northeastern end of the Santa Clara Valley. That's why the A's can move to Fremont. The deal made with the county will still be honored. (The A's debacle--another reason to hate Jerry--bastard!)

Downtown Oakland is dumpy. That I'll give you. It shouldn't be. Bad planners. Ignorant constituants. Petty councilors. A recipe for contentious sputtering and inertia. Lots of talk. No action.

However, the neighborhoods are like the best of Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville, and Dorchester. They are amazing places to live. As to how this happens, given the condition of downtown and those that govern the city as whole, I'm still baffled.

Berkeley has a better music scene. Berkeley has a more unified character, on the surface. Berkeley is a college town, near two big cities, dominated by a major university. It has all the elements to keep it vibrant.

Berkeley also has to most self-righteous, irritating people, right up there with irritating San Francisco Marina princes and princesses, and Walnut Creek trophy moms who think they live in Beverly Hills north.

However, I will let Berkely off the hook because, despite themselves (and some awful traffic patterns--driving there is a nightmare), they've created a unique, no-where-else-on-the-planet place that would make Birkenstock-sandaled, Green Mountain staters turn flush with non-conformist envy.

Oakland has late-night eats. More than Berkeley. Gotta know where to go.

Hey, we got mountain lions, too! Go for an early morning jog in the Oakland Hills, alone, before sun-up. Once a year, guaranteed, somebody is mauled, even killed, by some wild animal up there.

Oh, and the Oakland and Berkeley 'Hills' are actually classified as mountains. A few just short of 2,000 feet. People don't get that.

Like I've said in other threads, I am here to dispel the mythology. Oh, my, how an awful lot of that spouts from the mouths of the starry-eyed here, there, and everywhere.

Also, BART has been replacing the old (70s?!) cushions on the seats. Finally. Eeeeewwwww indeed!

 

[kennedy]

Where's that weed town place? That's in Oakland, right? Pretty thriving part of the city, no?

 

[garbribre]

Where's that weed town place? That's in Oakland, right? Pretty thriving part of the city, no?

Thriving part of the city? Aaaaaaahahahahahaha

No. Everyobody's too lazy to accomplish anything there. Far as I can tell.

_____________________________________________

Oakland police chief resigns amid criticism

By TERRY COLLINS, Associated Press Writer Terry Collins, Associated Press Writer

In a Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009 file photo, Oakland Police Chief Wayne Tucker, right, speaks as Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, left, walks by at a news conference in Oakland, Calif. Oakland Police Chief Wayne Tucker announced his resignation Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009. City leaders had prepared to call for a vote of no confidence saying a below-average rate of crimes solved by the police department underscore the need for new leadership.(AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

[Waddya think? Judging by the above picture alone, ya think these two guys are smart? Good communicators? With each other as well as the general populace? Think these are people in which you want to put your trust? Are they the prime cause of what is happening here in Oakland? I'll answer the last question for you. No. However, they ARE continuing the legacy of stupidity and incompetence.]​

SAN FRANCISCO ? Oakland's police chief, facing criticism over chronic violent crime and turmoil in the department, resigned as city leaders prepared to call for a vote of no-confidence.

At a hastily scheduled news conference, Police Chief Wayne Tucker said Tuesday he has "lost faith" in the City Council and accused members of failing to provide enough funding to help fight crime for the 803 officers in the force.

"I feel they have given lip service to their commitment to public safety in this city," said Tucker, who plans to step down on Feb. 28. "I have not been fired. I have not been asked to resign. I make this in the best interest for this city."

Council President Jane Brunner disputed Tucker's charge that the council did not provide enough funding for the department. She said Tucker lacked a clear vision for solving crime in Oakland and a number of bigger cities have lower crime rates than Oakland.

"We need a chief who is bringing in the best practices from around the country," Brunner said. "We need more of a hands-on chief who has been trained in urban policing and has been successful doing it."

Reported crimes in Oakland dropped about 3 percent last year, but violent crimes, such as aggravated assault, attempted robbery and attempted rape, increased, according to police data. The number of homicides went from 127 in 2007 to 125 last year.

Tucker, who previously worked for the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, took the job of interim police chief for Oakland in February 2005 and was sworn in as chief six months later.

The resignation comes amid criticism of the department and unsettling violence in the city across the bay from San Francisco.

The FBI is currently looking into "specific allegations" involving the department, agency spokesman Joe Schadler said Tuesday, declining to elaborate. Oakland police said in a statement that a commander is on paid leave in connection with the FBI's investigation into an incident in 2000.
Earlier this month, the city said it planned to fire 11 officers for allegedly lying to obtain search warrants in drug cases.

In November, Mayor Ron Dellums asked state Attorney General Jerry Brown ? the former mayor of Oakland ? to conduct an independent probe into the police investigation of slain Oakland newspaper editor Chauncey Bailey. Newspaper reports alleged the lead detective working on the case ignored important evidence.

"We made mistakes on that case and we continue to make mistakes on many of the investigations we do," Tucker said without singling out the officer. "That is going to continue until we are able to have some rational funding stream, or a rational look at how investigations are going to be done in the city of Oakland."

Source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090128/ap_on_re_us/oakland_police_chief

(Gotta copy the whole thing--pic, caption, and all--because Yahoo tends to archive their articles after a month or two.)


Want me to continue in this vein? Wanna track the downfall of a city through my filter? Or do I hear one wee squawk pleading for 'more pretty pictures, please.'

Need to post something quickly that's even more appealing than pretty urban pics.

Pups always make everything better. *sigh*

 

[garbribre]

What? No fawning over the pups?
Ya'll too distracted by the man behind the shiny, new Ikea cabinets/hutches? (aka Mr. Chiofaro)


As the the Fox Theater renovations progressed:

As a point of reference from commencement of restoration and forward, here are two pics of one surface feature about one year apart.

Before:

After:

More recent pics in a few days. Will try to take some inside, too.

 

[Ron Newman]

Is the Fox now open? What sort of shows are being booked into it, and into the Paramount?

 

[garbribre]

Official christening is this Thursday.

All the info you'll want and need:

Friends of the Oakland Fox
http://www.foxoakland.org/

Fox Oakland Theater Restoration Project
http://www.oaklandfox.com/

All the temporary buildings have been removed, finally, from the rear half of the property. The project is about four months behind schedule.

 

[garbribre]

 

[Ron Newman]

Wow. (Do they show movies there or just use their sign as a political banner?)

 

[czsz]

I'm still disappointed that SF failed to approve the renaming of the proposed "George W. Bush Sewage Treatment Plant" (or was it a garbage dump?)

 

[garbribre]

^ Hahaha! Really think that was serious?
Nothing much out here is worthy of being taken seriously at first. Imagine all the ludicrous stuff proposed that never leaves the room, so to speak.

As for the Grand Lake Theater:

Michaan is known to use his liberal politics as a guide in managing the Grand Lake. In 2004, he publicly announced that the theater would not enforce the R rating of the political documentary Fahrenheit 9/11. The Grand Lake has also received widespread recognition for Michaan's use of the marquee as a political message board. In outrage at the 2000 presidential election, he posted this message on the high-traffic side of the marquee: "This Is America ? Every Vote Should Be Counted" Since then, and with much support from the local community, Michaan has regularly used one side of the theater's marquee to display a timely political message. In addition to films, the theater also occasionally hosts talks and events on progressive political issues.​

Between the midterm elections of November 2006 and January 2007, no political messages were displayed on the marquee, instead devoting the space to the names of upcoming films. Messages began to appear again in early January, beginning with "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing," a statement derived from Edmund Burke's 1770 speech to Parliament, "Thoughts on the Cause of Present Discontents."​

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Lake_Theater



Speaking of not taking things so seriously, somebody has to be laughing about this placement.

Grand Avenue, Oakland CA

 

[czsz]

Is Oakland actually a cruise? It invites you to gorge and exercise - simultaneously. There's even an ironic tiki umbrella.

 

[Ron Newman]

We used to have a similar sight on Newbury Street in Boston -- a chocolate store called 'Sweet Enchantment' directly above a 'Weight Loss Clinic', complete with a scale on the sidewalk outside.