Grand Lake Merchant News

This month's most significant news revolves around 3265 Grand--the building with the attached parking lot that most recently housed 3-Day Blinds. This property (which has been vacant for some three years) has been purchased by Chris Cooper and Arnel Alcordo who've hired, as their architects, Josh Larson and Carrie Shores and as their landscape architect, David Thorne. All three share offices in the historic Dreyers Grand factory building that overlooks 3265.

Chris and Arnel are currently in Bali but the former emailed me to provide some information about their plans:

When complete next year, we will open a retail store called Monkey Forest Road which will feature high-end furniture, art, and lifestyle accessories imported from Southeast Asia, especially from Bali. We traveled to Bali and fell in love with it--with the physical beauty and the beauty of the people. Our goal is to try to transplant some of that beauty to Oakland. The arts and crafts community in Bali is especially talented. We are focusing especially on the work of expatriates--Westerners who have made their homes in Bali, and produce beautiful items combining Western quality and attention to detail with Asian materials and influences. Part of the store will be a coffee bar, serving coffees also from Indonesia.

According to Josh, the glassed-in, foyer will feature plants and a water feature providing a tropical environment for the coffee bar. The main retail space will be expanded with the addition of a second-floor mezzanine and the parking lot will be transformed, as well, with additional landscaping.

Due to its size and prominent location, the planned improvements will be a huge boost to the Grand Avenue commercial district-- building on the success of establishments that have opened in the last two years including Grand Tavern, Boot and Shoe Service and Good Chemistry Baking Company. We can very shortly add Ikaros to the list of new attractions as demonstrated by this photo of their almost ready to open kitchen area.

Despite all these positive developments, Grand still has a long way to go with many vacancies (including most recently, Smart Herbs and Teas) to be filled. On the bright side, each successful new business or storefront improvement breeds more. If you know of any potential tenants who would be a good fit on Grand (or on Lakeshore for that matter), please encourage them to take a look at the GLRAG Vacancy List and then come pay us a personal visit.

Around the corner, the changing face of Lakeshore Avenue was the subject of an article in the Contra Costa Times that focused primarily on Silver Moon, Namaste Yoga and Lin Jia Asian Kitchen.

Thanks to a phone call this morning from Steve Banker, I can share some good news about yet another, new Lakeshore tenant. Top Dog is losing its location in the Pleasant Valley Road shopping center and will be moving into the perfectly-sized space that was just vacated by Rainbow Ice next to Flavors of India. There's going to be an all-beef, Kosher dog heaped high with sauerkraut that has my name on it when they open their doors.

We celebrated our daughter-in-law's November 4th birthday with a wonderful meal on Lin Jia's opening night. I'm glad to report that Marcia Lam's "baby" is getting rave reviews for its Asian Fusion lunch and dinner menus that feature grass-fed beef, free-range chickens and locally-grown produce. In addition, the classy decor is now complemented with an equally classy (and user-friendly) website.

Silver Moon opened the day after Thanksgiving with an eye-catching window display and with an interior filled with a great selection of kids clothes, toys and accessories in an extremely inviting space decorated by Dima's mother, Linda Hubbard.

Yesterday afternoon, Kimberly Leo gave me a quick tour of Namaste Yoga's new Lakeshore location. I was really struck by the amount of natural light that floods the interior courtesy of the skylights that punctuate the ceiling and I was blown away by the amount of interior space--3600 sq. ft. total. This photo depicts the room in the far rear of the building that will house the yoga exercises and it's larger than the first floor of our home.

Earlier this week, Kimberly responded to some questions I had posed previously. Regarding an opening date, she said,

Our plan is is still to be open in december--looking more like mid-december at this point. If nothing else, we will open our doors to greet the neighborhood, open for classes towards the end of the month, and be up and running for the January new year resolutions.

Regarding facade improvements, Kimberly wrote:

(Owner) Richard Weinstein did some excavation work on the exterior and unfortunately the original art deco tiling was removed in previous remodels. The plan is to clean up the front and add some architectural details which will be reminiscent of the era--but unfortunately it won't be a full return like some of the other old art deco buildings on the street.

Lastly, Kimberly confirmed the hope I expressed last month that the person who gave her a big hug is, in fact, a Splash Pad Newsletter subscriber.

Yes, it was Richard Young who provided the hug--and a good one at that! Richard has been so lovely, providing tips on energy and lighting. A true Namaste friend. With all the challenges of the construction, it has been these types of encounters that remind me of how important this project is and why we are doing it. It has been such a gift to bring yoga to the Rockridge neighborhood and it feels like it is going to be that times 10 on Lakeshore.

Just for the record, in addition to being an energy consultant, Richard Young (who's pictured on this link performing at the Piedmont Avenue Halloween parade) is also a talented musician and the director of the annual standing-room-only, Halloween haunted house staged in the garage of his home on Lakeshore adjacent to the Mandana Green.

On Lake Park, construction at Kwik Way is continuing behind plywood panels. When I peeked through an open door, I could see that they're beginning to do some finish work including sheet rock and ceiling fixtures but this is such a major undertaking, it will be a while before we can really see progress from the outside.

That was basically the same situation at Caña with people repeatedly asking me for assurances that this project was proceeding. This past week, however, the massive French doors went up on the take-out side of the building and the window coverings came down affording a good view of the interior. With a little luck, the restaurant should be open early next year.

The Lakeshore Avenue Halloween Parade and Party was a big success with a good-sized, enthusiastic group of kids accompanied by their parents. Thanks, as always, to Rev. Hopkins and Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church for hosting this event--as well as the annual Easter Parade.

I was particularly pleased to see that so many of the Lakeshore merchants had decorated their windows and had handed out trick or treats--many of them in costume including a woman in Mardi Gras regalia from Altogether U Family Salon. The good folks at Izek Day SpaSalon do right by all the holidays and as evidenced by this photo, this Halloween was no exception. Izek also won the prize for the best-decorated storefront and one short month later already have their front windows decorated for Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, the Lakeshore Business Improvement District will be celebrating the Holiday Season on Lakeshore on Friday, December 10 from 5-7 pm and Saturday, December 11 from 3-5 pm with special promotional prices, free carriage rides and face painting plus a visit from Santa. Here's the press release from Pamela Drake.

There are a number of other efforts (some local and some city-wide) in the works to encourage shoppers to patronize locally-owned, independent businesses.

One of the more interesting of these efforts is being organized by Oakland Urban Paths in co-operation with Walk Oakland Bike Oakland. Urban Path's first annual Walk and Shop begins at 9:45 am on December 11 in the small plaza on the southeast corner of Lakeshore and Mandana. Route will take participants from Lakeshore up into Piedmont and then down through the Rose Garden to Piedmont Avenue and will conclude in the Grand Avenue commercial district. Please click on the following links for a flyer and for a route map.

City-wide, the Oakland Merchants Leadership Forum is mounting a much broader effort through their Oakland Grown website that includes a gift-giving guide and an Oakland Grown Holiday Challenge.

Farmers Market

Just a reminder: the Grand Lake Farmers Market will be closed on Christmas Day and on New Years.

The day before Halloween, since I was baby-sitting my four year-old Grand-daughter, I couldn't stick around to document the farmers market's jack-o-lantern table but did capture this young man who had wrought miracles with chunks of veggies including strawberries and bell peppers. Willie from Halog Farms volunteered that he had donated the latter.

There are a couple of new arts and crafts vendors at the market:

Austin Woodworks is based in Occidental on Coleman Valley Road--the most spectacular bike route I've ever had the pleasure of riding. They're apparently best known for their laminated, hardwood skate or longboards but also do kitchen accessories including a unique breadboard and bread saw.

A couple of weeks ago, I stopped in my tracks as I walked through the market after spotting a familiar name on a business card in a pottery and glass booth. A very long time ago, in a former incarnation, I was a woodworker and sold my wares at local crafts fairs. One of the big name potters, Glenn Spangler, traded me a marvelous, ceramic table lamp for some magazine and spice racks.

His son, Ross Spangler is still carrying on the family tradition--although he has added blown glass to his repertoire. This photo of a shallow bowl is a good example of his ceramic work.

Upcoming Events

Chabad of Oakland and Piedmont is hosting what they're calling a "Chanukah Wonderland" at Splash Pad Park this Sunday, December 5 from 2-5 pm. All the activities are complimentary including face painting and a bounce house for the kids plus chocolates, latkes, donuts and more. Entertainment will be provided by the Saul Kaye (Jewish Blues) Band.

Last year's menorah-lighting celebration was well attended and quite festive. This year's event promises to be bigger and better yet. For details, view the Chanukah Wonderland flyer.

The Grand Lake Neighbors meeting on Monday, December 6 will be dedicated to a discussion of Oakland's budgetary crisis led by newly re-elected council member Pat Kernighan. Here, in part, is the text of Pat's invitation:

In the midst of the mid-term elections there were certainly frustrations expressed from people who believe they are paying higher taxes and receiving fewer services. I invite you to spend an evening with me, peeling back the budget layer by layer. For instance, did you know that only 28 cents of your property tax dollar goes to the City and the rest goes to supporting public schools, counties and special districts? Find out where City revenue is generated and what that revenue pays for. Please e-mail your questions here (jgerard@oaklandnet.com) and I will answer them that evening. Please join me for this discussion.

Meeting is being held at Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, 3534 Lakeshore Avenue beginning at 7:00 pm.

Odd and Ends

Daniel san Souci is a Grand Lake neighbor and native of Oakland. A graduate of the College of Fine Arts, he's best known as a childrens' book author and illustrator but is also a gifted, fine artist who specializes in landscapes and wildlife. Approximately, a dozen of his paintings in oil are on exhibit at the Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek through January 23. To give you a taste of his work, here's one of twelve photos that I shot at the opening reception and posted on Flickr.

Our newest subscriber is Leslie Bennett. She and her husband operate a landscaping business called Star Apple Edible & Fine Gardening. They're currently working on a front yard up the street from us. If you visit their website, look at the slideshow on the home page and you'll see two photos of a garden with decomposed-gravel pathways bordered by white Alyssum. That's also in the immediate neighborhood on Kenmore at the home of long-time farmers market patrons, Den and Sylviaette Hill.

FYI: I've finally replaced my six year-old IMac. It was still working but was very slow and unable to accommodate a lot of commonly used programs. My personal DNA somehow dictates that I hold onto stuff as long as possible. For example, I drove the same Ford cargo van for twenty years despite getting 10-12 mpg. I get a haircut only when I need it which is typically every four months or so and I've been married for forty-two years.

After drawing out the inevitable for far too long, I purchased a new IMac and, as I'm finishing off this newsletter, I'm still trying to assimilate a new, smaller keyboard; some different procedures; and most importantly, new Photoshop software that's significantly different than my earlier version. Although it's hard to teach old dogs new tricks, I'm pretty sure I will prevail and do look forward to bringing you more news in the new year. Best wishes for the all the holidays.

If you have friends or neighbors who may be interested in receiving this newsletter, please forward this link: www.splashpad.org/mostrecent.html and invite them to subscribe by sending an email to info@splashpad.org.