Bye, Bye Bay Bridge. Hello Bay Line?
As most Bay Area residents are well aware, one of our most viable means for commuting into and out of the city, the Oakland Bay Bridge, has been undergoing an extensive metamorphosis. In an attempt to bring the bridge up to current seismic safety standards, following the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake, the California Department of Transportation has been working around the clock on a new East Span from Oakland’s shores to Yerba Buena Island.
But what will happen to the current, National Register of Historic Places identified, East Span structure? Plans call for its demolishment and relocation of specified sections of the legendary bridge to museums, in order to satisfy historic preservation requirements. A curious approach, as my understanding of historic preservation typically doesn’t involve demolition.
Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello of Oakland-based Rael San Fratello Architects suggest a different solution. Save the old bridge and transform it into an elevated urban park and mixed-use development called the Bay Line, purposefully reminiscent of the newly-opened High Line park in mid-Manhattan. Also considered a pipe dream at the time it was conceived, The High Line converted a long-abandoned elevated railway into a stylish pedestrian park space. It has since been embraced by the public and preservationists alike as a bold, new step in urban planning utilizing pre-existing city infrastructure for a more eco-conscious future.
As reported by SF Streets Blog, Rael proposes an upper deck outfitted with a 1.9 mile bike and pedestrian path, 15 acres of garden space, tennis courts, and even a climbing wall. The lower deck would generate enough capital to offset its maintenance through mixed residential and commercial retail units, in addition to cultural amenities such as museums and amphitheater.
Cross section, showing upper and lower deck usage. Image by Rael Fratello Architects.
Proposed garden/orchard. Image by Rael Fratello Architects.
A bold proposal, yes. But is it likely? The Metropolitan Transportation Commission doesn’t seem to agree and laughs off its feasibility. It seems certainly worth consideration though. And, if the above renderings aren’t appetizing enough, the hundreds of millions of dollars saved should whet the State’s whistle.
Where do you stand on The Bay Line?
—Michael
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Head & Tails: Lake Chalet
Up or over, shaken or stirred, we’re looking for the best bets to quench your thirst. This is where we spill it all about the area’s nearest and dearest brewpubs, bars, wine cellars, tasting rooms, package stores, liquor aisles, and well, we ARE thorough.
Where Labor Day signals the end of summer throughout most of the country, in the Bay area it cues our eagerly-awaited heat wave. September heralds those warm halcyon days that are typically thwarted by June and July’s blankets of fog. So, toss off those North Face jackets and hipster hoodies. It’s time to soak up some sun.
Enter Lake Chalet, the East Bay franchise of San Francisco’s ever-popular Beach Chalet and Park Chalet. The Mission Revival rendezvous breathes new life into Lake Merritt’s historic boathouse and (finally) brings an outdoor oasis to the inland waterway. In addition to the contemporary California fare and fresh seafood served inside, patrons can enjoy a burger or weekend brunch on the expansive dock.
But really, what better way to rejoice in the beautiful rise in temperature than with a refreshing cocktail. High marks go to the Gondola Sour, which pairs aged amber rum with hints of amaretto and lemon. Then, continuing in theme, set out on a panoramic tour of Oakland and the newly refurbished park banks on a Venetian-style cruise, courtesy of Gondola Servizio.
Sail on, Oakland. It looks like your ship has come in.
Lake Chalet is located on the western shore of Lake Merritt at 1520 Lakeside Drive in Oakland. 510.208.LAKE.
—Michael
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Fancy That: Pepperface
There’s nothing like your first crush. And if you’re anything like us, you crush hard and often. This is where we pay homage to all things worthy of lusting after.
Sara fancies the mean and sexy Pepperface™ palm-sized pepper spray device to the stars. The world’s smallest aerosol pepper spray insert hides stealthily inside an aerospace aluminum body that is, if you so choose, stylishly adorned with Swarovski® crystals. A knockout cast of celebrities, including Carmen Electra, Lindsay Lohan, and yes, even Jason Lee, are hot for these self-defense accessories. And if that doesn’t prove that you can have “hand-held protection that looks as at home on the red carpet as it does in the self-defense category” then E! makes the point clear.
Maybe it was the full moon, or maybe it was just the charm of Polk Gulch and Geary in the evening, but when I was walking home at 10pm the other night, as I’ve done a hundred times, I was overcome with the desire to feel the cool weight of the Gorgeous Gold™ 18K gold-plated Pepperface Palm Defender® securely in my sweaty fist.
Whether it’s with blinged-out pepper spray or some serious self-defense moves, an independent woman in the city needs to be able to protect herself. You can learn a unique form of full-force self-defense at Impact Bay Area in Oakland. Voted Best of the Bay Area by San Francisco Magazine, Impact is a nonprofit organization and an internationally recognized leader in the self-defense field. A two and a half-hour Intro course is offered at a sliding scale of $20-$50. Where my tough ladies at?
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“Art and Coffee” With John Wood
The first time I meet painter John Wood, I am completely taken with his tranquility. We sit for caffeinated beverages and a lovely chat at the site of his latest exhibition, “Art and Coffee,” which presides at Sweet Adeline Bakeshop until August 21, situated neatly on the divide between Berkeley and Oakland in the same genteel and gentrifying neighborhood where Wood’s studio also happens to be located.
Upon seeing Wood alongside this particular body of work, completed between 2007 and the present, and set upon light blue paper that happens to marry perfectly with the yellow walls and sun-drenched windows of this former warehouse space, I immediately grasp the optimism, emotion, and intensity of his work, even though the work and Wood both appear to be as calm, cool, and collected as any art exhibit I’ve seen in a long while. Whether or not Wood intends for me to feel this optimism and lightness of being, I am unsure, but more than anything I am aware that my role is to enjoy my time with the painter and his work in equal measure.
Soon after meeting, Wood and I discover a shared passion for reading, which sheds some additional light on his creative process. “I collect titles,” Wood says, explaining that — while his work may appear to be a series of simple square feet containing abstract colors, lines, and shapes — the titles, taken from Wood’s own stash of favorite snippets of sentences and poems, simultaneously add both dimension and mystery to his paintings, granting viewers the freedom and the distance from having to know exactly what each one means, and, ultimately, the ability to focus, instead, on what the work means to every single viewer as an individual.
Featuring titles such as, “Entwined in a Sweaty Heap,” “With All Its Imperfections,” “Sensation Down the Spine,” and “Stopping Mid-Sentence,” it is immediately clear to me that Wood relishes life’s tactile, sensual, and cerebral connections — afforded by his ability and foresight not just to create, but to know when his creations are truly complete. For me, this is a rare quality for any artist, the sense of accomplishment and completion, as well as the ability to simultaneously embrace and let go, which makes Wood’s paintings, even in their relatively small size, advance with a sense of personality and profound emotion.
For some, Wood’s work may appear influenced by cartography, while for others the work may seem more personal and personified, the ultimate walkaway is that each piece speaks to humanity’s growing desire for simplicity, symbols, semiotics, and extended meanings in today’s over-saturated, over-communicated landscape. Fortunately, for a due change of perspective and pace, Wood reinforces the beauty of actually stopping to see the paintings.
— Kay
John Wood’s “Art and Coffee” collection is showing at Sweet Adeline Bakeshop, 3350 Adeline St., in Berkeley, 510.985.7381. The exhibition will remain open through Friday, August 21. All paintings are available for sale.
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Fancy That: August Boutique
There’s nothing like your first crush. And if you’re anything like us, you crush hard and often. This is where we pay homage to all things worthy of lusting after.
Kay fancies August boutique in Rockridge, not only for wanting to own everything in the store, but for wanting to own the entire store itself (as in being its sole proprietrix). While in most parts of the United States the month of August is a time for not touching anything — food other than salads, leather car seats, each other — this store is a veritable tactile wonderland, populated by fluid, modern designs in luxe fabrics from brands like Acne, Clu, Loomstate, Habitual, John Patric Organic, Koi Suwannagate, Martin Margiela, and Rogan. Various other treats are tucked throughout the store, such as geode belt buckles, deerskin handbags, felt rocks, and nature-inspired jewelry galore, all handsome prospects for any shopper mining the East Bay for haute finds.
Find August at 5410 College Ave., at Manila Ave., in Rockridge. 510.652.2711.
They’ve been having sales of late, so hurry in soon.
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Head & Tails: Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon
Up or over, shaken or stirred, we’re looking for the best bets to quench your thirst. This is where we spill it all about the area’s nearest and dearest brewpubs, bars, wine cellars, tasting rooms, package stores, liquor aisles, and well, we ARE thorough.
If there’s one thing urbanites seek out when the weather turns radiant, it’s making the most of their time al fresco. Summer has held its official kick-off party and given us the all-clear to shed our winter wardrobe, as long as the fog cooperates. Even deprived of the typical heat waves that engulf the rest of the nation, I have no doubt we’ll still manage to find plenty occasion to employ our sandals and shorts.
Oakland’s Jack London Square is one neighborhood that makes ample use of its outdoor space. Situated on a picturesque stretch of inner harbor, Jack London’s waterfront is teeming with new developments planned to revitalize and reinvigorate the historic square. In the works are new restaurant concepts, a bakery and a schedule of nightly live entertainment set to have you kicking up your heels. The crown jewel of in-progress improvements— a seven-day-a-week farmer’s market and artisan food emporium set to rival that of San Francisco’s Ferry Building.
Jack London’s newest outdoor haven however is none other than its oldest surviving hideaway— Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon. Originally opened in 1883 as the only watering hole for a then dry Alameda County, today it stands a living testament to Oakland’s formally-vibrant shipping industry and ever-popular drinking culture. The redevelopment effort has graciously added an expansive outdoor deck to its dramatically off-kilter footprint. (Heinold’s famous titling bar floor is a consequence of the catastrophic 1906 earthquake.) Among Heinold’s many-storied customers, Jack London himself is said to have penned The Sea Wolf and Call of the Wild right at their very tables. This summer, I’m heeding the call; Heinold’s is beckoning.
Heinold’s is located at 48 Webster Street in Jack London Square, Oakland. Open daily. 510.839.6761.
—Michael
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Yoshi’s dishes out an El of a good time
Yoshi’s Japanese
& Jazz Club
510 Embarcadero West
Oakland, CA 94607
510.238.9200
To long-term denizens of the Bay Area, the name Yoshi’s is synonymous with jazz. Though, locally, a given when it comes to Japanese eats and soulful sounds, many may recognize that their joint business offering may not exactly be the most intuitive combination. Uh, sushi and saxophones? Yeah, and it actually works. Yoshi’s has been serving up jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie, Diana Krall, Branford Marsalis, and Harry Connick Jr. for over 30 years now and the sake’s still flowing strong.
DeBarge, coiffed as they were then in 1983. And, bringin' down the house, now in 2008.
I was lucky enough to catch original Motown artist El DeBarge on the Yoshi’s club stage recently. An ardent fan of classic R&B and feathered man perms, I was determined to see if El and his brothers still had what it takes to bring some rhythm to the night. Thankfully, they did. Hit singles “I Like It” and “All This Love” reminded me of what these 1980s chart toppers are known for. The hair of old may have been retired but, that night, falsetto song stylings reigned supreme.
—Michael
Head & Tails: Flora
Head & Tails is where we spill it all about the area’s nearest and dearest brewpubs, bars, wine cellars, tasting rooms, package stores, liquor aisles, and well, we ARE thorough. It’s conveniently refreshed every Thursday, when surely you’re at your thirstiest.
Flora
1900 Telegraph Ave.
Oakland, CA 94612
510.286.0100
Need further proof that Uptown Oakland is revving for revival? Substantiation and substance abound at Flora, a modern-day Art Deco diner that’s like a willful flower churning up the concrete of winter. Located across from the Fox Theater, which is currently under renovation, and surrounded by up-and-coming condos, Flora beckons to passersby with its crisp, inviting façade reminiscent of an Edward Hopper painting. (Yes, that Edward Hopper painting.) Inside, the cool ambience continues with rich deco-inspired wallpaper, oak appointments, and elongated wall sconces. The wraparound bar showcases a connoisseur’s selection of rare and wonderful liquors, and it’s no surprise that absinthe, making a due revival of its own, is a key ingredient of many of Flora’s signature cocktails. Other concoctions, such as the Accelerator, the Blood and Sand, and the Trailer Smash, are crafted with utter devotion by bartenders clad in traditional white button-downs and wide black suspenders. Should the need arise to supplement drinks with dinner, Flora also serves up organic, locally grown California cuisine, as is the taste of the locals. If the full house at the end of the night were any indication, this gem of an establishment is already establishing itself in a neighborhood that’s just about to bloom. Some say quality is coming back in vogue; Flora, seeming as though it’s been a neighborhood favorite for decades, would say it never went out.
—Kay
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Culturcosm is your online authority on the climate of trend throughout the Bay Area. Your roving reporters are taking to the streets and chasing down the real story. Be it stormy or serene, torrid or just plain tragic, we will break it down before you hit it up. Stay tuned. There's a new trend breaking every minute.
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Michael, founder / editor-in-chiefmichael@culturcosm.com
Kay, founder / contributing editorkay@culturcosm.com
Sara, trendcaster / managing editorsara@culturcosm.com
Heather, social commentatorheather@culturcosm.com
Taylor, music trendcastertaylor@culturcosm.com
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