I came here expecting to see accolades for individual Oakland history tours and tour leaders, but…read moremine may be the first. I've been on a few of these (like Chinatown, Old Oakland, Oakland Waterfront), but yesterday's walking tour of the F. M. "Borax" Smith estate in Cleveland Heights led by Phil Bellman was outstanding! Mr. Bellman has been doing this tour for 34 years, which shows in his preparation, organization, easy delivery and ancillary materials (including a VERY handy map). At all times Phil was easy to hear, and his information was fascinating. It was great to be allowed inside a few private properties and through revealing side paths while learning of the career of this amazing couple who left such a mark on the history of Oakland. I hope to participate in many OHA walking tours in the future.

My home has a name, it's the Cates-Downing house. I know that my Italianate Victorian was built by…read moreAugustus Cates in 1879 as a commuter house. See the Bay Bridge didn't exist and cars had not yet been invented. In order to get to San Fransisco you had to take the 7th Street trolley to the Port of Oakland and then jump on a Ferry to get to SF. I also know that Augustus Cates was a fine builder of houses since mine is still here after two major earthquakes (1906 & Loma Prieta) and the maintenance over the last 128 years has left much to be desired. Mr. Cates also had a fascination with curves since there are parts of the house with few and sometimes no right angles. He would build a house, live in it for a few years then sell it. Then Andrew Downing followed by Ella Clume were the owners of my house. So how do I know this and lots of other details that date back before this even became my Mami's 'hood (she was born here in 1931)? The fine folks at the Oakland Heritage Alliance were of great help. Their website and the historians who work there strive to save local Oakland history since it would otherwise be lost. To quote their Mission Statement: Our Mission Oakland Heritage Alliance is a non-profit membership organization which advocates the protection, preservation, and revitalization of Oakland's architectural, historic, cultural and natural resources through publications, education, and direct action. They provide tours of historic Oakland neighborhoods in the Summer and Fall. They can point you in the right direction if you are doing research for your house or are a history nerd. They are always in need of volunteers and there are memberships available. History is a beautiful thing. My love of Oakland is not solely based on my lifetime spent here but learning and talking about who and what it took to get where Oakland is now. The Oakland Heritage Alliance, the Oakland Museum, the Oakland Latino History Project and the Oakland History Room at the Main Library have all been huge resources to me. Fellow Oaklanders, maybe I've piqued your interest? Maybe these will become your resources too? If you love Oakland even just a little, please learn about it and pass it on!

It's one of those small towns (clustered with many other small towns) most people haven't even…read moreheard of. Located about half hour or so north of Oakland, it boasts that "sleepy town" aura. And that's because it is. Hubbers and I were coming through from a gig at Concord and we thought, as many times as we've driven by, why haven't we actually stopped by? It became a no-brainer to find a spot here for lunch. We parked on Main and decided to walk around and figure out lunch once we see a menu we liked. It was pretty laid back on a late lunch-ish afternoon. There were a few interesting eateries offering various plates (Thai, Mexican, Italian, etc.) There was even a brewery. And then there's Market and Main (we would've grubbed here, but the place we wanted to try wasn't open yet.) There are shops as well including an art gallery. Interesting. So if you're in the mood to explore a small town on a slow pace, this might be a good place to do it. TIP: Parking was free for 2 hours on the weekend. Score!

I don't regret moving here, though sometimes I'm tempted to move a bit closer to Oakland/work…read moreagain, but Martinez is a lovely town and it would be hard to lose some of the benefits for convenience. The only real con besides comparing it to my old commute from Alameda, is the heat. The summer is tough for me but it's not nearly as hot as my year in Sac, and THAT commute was brutal. I chose to relocate two summers ago to a place closer to my work again, but still on the Amtrak trainline, so that I could still hop on the train to work towards Richmond/Oakland or to visit my daughter in Sac. My train (Sac to Oak) stopped at the Martinez station every day for a year and it had really good vibes there so I wanted to check it out more one weekend once i realized how exhausting and impossible to continue long-term my commute was. Martinez was kind of love at first sight & felt like the best option at the time, I'm pretty happy here.Breaking it down... Cons - Too hot in summer (although not many bugs..Sac had a TON). Can only really go out mornings/late evenings. - A little far to work (I don't want to drive-traffic, parking etc so I take 2 trains: Amtrak then Bart) - Not quite as diverse as other parts of the bay from what I've seen. Someone keyed/scratched out my BLM and Biden/Harris bumper stickers early on. That's never happened to me anywhere else. - A large homeless population, far more than you'd expect for a small town, many at the Amtrak station. Really sad, the desperation & suffering. Some stay there after being released from the jail down the street/nowhere to go (Our gov/society needs to do better as a whole but that could be its own blog) Pros - Cost: Cheaper rent than rest of East Bay. I rent a small cottage w/a washer/dryer (having those is huge to me, i've always had to go to a laundromat or shared laundry room) & super quiet (halleelujah-Sac was super noisy/non-stop bass) so i get much better sleep here. All for less $$ than any 1 bdrm elsewhere in the bay. - Friendly people/neighbors who really keep an eye out. And most are really considerate/quiet. - Close to Concord, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, lots of great restaurants/shopping - Fall weather is perfect. I wish it stayed like this year-round. - Beautiful downtown on par with Alameda (but neither is as nice as Davis tbh, thats hard to top) - the historical preservation/look of beautiful old buildings, outdoor dining, lights, nice restaurants, weekly farmers market, lots of boutiques and salons - A nice newly renovated Amtrak station, fairly safe and several train options both directions. Free parking with pass for window from office. I often see trotting or grazing deer at the station in the mornings (fall/winter mostly) and raccoons. - North Concord/Martinez BART station is here, it's gorgeous & one of the safest/nicest/cleanest in the system. Lots of parking. (I'd just take Bart to work ideally, but Amtrak is so much closer to me) - Library programs (lots) & quarterly $5 bag of book sales (if you like to read/collect books) - A lot of nature, large parks, and extensive hiking trails + the bay/water beautiful views -great location I haven't been here too long and wasn't born here, so I'm sure I left out a lot - but the pros far outweigh the cons IMHO. This is def. one of the nicest cities in the bay. A hidden gem that is easy to overlook because it sits on the outskirts.

Not much of San Francisco escaped the devestation of the 1906 earthquake and fire. The original…read moreSouthern Pacific Company building was completely destroyed in the 1906 fire. The two architects whom designed this building were Walter Danforth Bliss and William Baker Faville. This 11 story red - brick building replaced the one distroyed in the earthquake and fire of 1906 and was completed In (1917). Beaux - Art was an era between 1880-1930 which reflected the wealth accumulated during the Industrial Revolution. Buildings built during this time reminisce Greek and Roman architecture. Building details and decorations are elaborate and can be seen in some of the buildings features. Today this office building is one of three buildings ( Spear Tower/ Steuart Tower ) are the other two buildings that make up "One Market Plaza" along the Embaradero. Retail space occupy the first floor, while restaurants and commercial offices occupy the rest of the building. I love Beaux - Art era architecture design and always look forward spending time in San Francisco. Thanks for reading ! Live/ Love/ Travel

The Jamestown Community Center is one of San Francisco's best providers of after-school and summer…read moreprograms for underprivileged kids. I first found out about Jamestown from a friend who asked me to get involved in planning a fundraising event. I was so impressed with the organization that I continued my volunteer work for three years and then joined the staff last year as the Development Director. Jamestown provides 500 low-income Mission District kids each year with enrichment classes (art, dance, theater, cooking, etc.), one-on-one tutoring, sports teams and camps, leadership and employment programs, and guidance counseling. Unlike many organizations that serve large numbers of kids through short-term programs, Jamestown's goal is to provide a core group of kids with high-impact programs year after year--beginning in elementary school and continuing through high school. By engaging kids at a young age and then keeping them involved as they grow up, Jamestown becomes a second family for these young people and makes sure that they have the mentoring and learning experiences they need to grow into healthy, productive adults. If you're looking for a great volunteer opportunity, Jamestown is the organization for you! You can be a tutor, coach a soccer team, or plan fundraising events. Jamestown also gratefully accepts financial donations to support its programs, which are all provided free of charge to Mission District kids and families. To understand how far a donation can go, consider this: $50 covers the cost of after-school snacks for a week , $100 sends one kid on a three-day camping trip, $200 provides an after-school class with art supplies for a whole semester, $500 covers the cost of uniforms and equipment for an entire Jamestown soccer team, and $2,000 is the average cost of providing a full year of after-school and summer programs for one young person. Go to www.jamestownsf.org to learn more!

I've had the chance to work with Jamestown on planning a large fundraiser to benefit their after…read moreschool programs, so as a result of that got to experience first hand all the good work the Center does for their kids. The Mission is a tough area so having this grounding force, a safe place too, is a great way to give the local kids a better chance of rising above their lot in life. If you have a chance to get involved as a mentor, or even have the ability to donate to the Center, then do it. The effect is immediate and greatly appreciated!

This is a very hurtful and unfortunate personal account that allegedly (allegedly for legal…read morepurposes) ... This happened to me. I visited the house in 2019 (Summer time) circa 2:00pm. I walked in and a little girl was sitting at a desk and nobody was there. I started looking at the information pamphlets that were located on the left side ledge next to the main door. Then this woman came in and Yelled at me and said "You Startled Me!" and then proceeded to look at me like a was a criminal with her mean face, body language and facial mean face. (allegedly for legal purposes) ... I looked up and was just confused! I said "I come in Peace" in a quiet voice. Then she rudely said, "WE ARE CLOSED" and go on line to get information!. Strange, the door was open and I walked in. Gosh, what a mean person. I alleged, that she was being BIGOTED & mean towards me because that is she views people from my mixed heritage. I was peaceful, dressed and groomed in a very stylish manner and did not have any Negative energy. I then called and left a message on their message phone. (allegedly for legal purposes) ... Then I called after nobody bothered to call back. I called and got the same women who was mean to me and she was rude to me on the phone and yelled at me and said, "If the director called you back..." Meaning the she probably was the director and did not want to admit it. She yelled at me on the phone and said I left a really don't message and she heard what I had to say... and really did not care about my complaint. Bigots come in all shades and presentations.

A wonderful place that serves the surrounding Native Community in so many ways!…read moreFrom support groups to classes to the lovely garden, to night time powwow dance practice, this place is a huge asset to the community.

Awesome lattes, and strong cups of Joe. tasty pastures. Great polite staff andserversread more

October is Filipino-American Heritage Month…read more I didn't know this place even existed until I started walking to Wifey's work on California St. from downtown to Presidio Heights for my exercise. During my walk, I would take photos of the beautiful Victorian houses along the way and this particular house stood out due to the sign on top of the door that reads: Filipino Community Of San Francisco, with the symbol of the sun from the Philippine flag used in lieu of the letter "O" from of. I tried googling the place and nothing came up, and not much information was found. So I decided to add the business on Yelp and edit it later without even thinking the importance of it. A couple of months later, my uncle, who was living in Canada, passed away and most of the relatives (including his siblings) were unable to make the trip up north for the funeral. My cousin, who is very active in the Filipino community in San Francisco, sent an invite for his remembrance at this address. At that time, I didn't put the two together until we physically arrived here and instantly recognized it as the house I kept stopping by to admire during my many walks. Once I stepped inside, there were photos on the wall from founding members to current members. And....most of them are my uncles, aunts and relatives. How that heck did they not even mention this to us? All this time I passed by this place, I had a deep connection to it without even knowing the historical content, family ties and significance of it. After the service, I decided to learn more about this place and started talking to the elders and care-takers. Founded in 1939, this house was established to help the Filipino Community during the early days to help the "Manongs and Manangs" (respectful way of saying older sibling) establish themselves and function as a support group. You have to pay a one-time initial fee, but you are a member for life that comes with many perks and benefits. One of these benefits is that every member contributes to a fund if someone passes on. I got a tour of the house and most of the rooms are used as boarding houses for students, but the basement level primarily doubles as an event space. But the real gem was getting to know the people who have kept this going for as long as they have without much outside support. Everything is from the members, whose memberships have declined throughout the years as they have aged and the subsequent generations have opted not to join....or were never informed of such a group existed in the first place. I shudder to think that maybe our elders were hiding something from us like secret parties or some hanky-panky that went on behind close doors. Of course I'm kidding, but looking at those pictures of my relatives made me think otherwise. But talking to the elders made me realize that the second, third and subsequent generations have to keep this alive as the Filipino Community has been vital in the San Francisco, Bay Area, California and the United States of America. We have played and contributed to the success of this nation and this story must be told loud and clear....especially in these trying times when someone wants to divide us rather than unite. We are a part of the diverse fabric that is intertwined and holds this nation together, and we must continue to celebrate our heritage while working collectively with other groups and ethnicities from different races and backgrounds to steer this nation that cares for other people, and not vilify them. That is the basic nature of what I was taught of being a Filipino. Now, when does my secret ceremony start?

Thanks for the pictures you posted. I often wonder what ever happened to this place. Born in SF…read morein the 1950's.... I had my baptismal party in that downstairs hall! I attended many parties at that Building growing up. I can remember there were dances down in that hall when they had Miss Filipino Community Queen Contests. They even had those contests for little kids. I know cuz I was crowned queen during that time & one of my gifts was life membership!?! I recently met up with the queen who was the year after me. I'm wondering if the Association is still active. Most of my family from those years were members. If you have any more information pictures on the place, please post them.

Moving in a new neigborhood is always exiting and provides a new outlook into your tastes and…read moredislikes... So here is what I was able to find by just walking around :-) In honor of the fashionistas on this site... this one's for you! SO LAST YEAR GOTTA HAVE IT 94123 94107 Marina Safeway Whole Foods Market Chrissy Field South Park/ Yerba Buena Gardens Frisson Fringale Marina Green Overtime Pizza Orgasmica Goat Hill Pizza Johnny Rockets Hotel Utah View of Golden Gate View of AT&T (Go Giants!) Manolos Campers Bar None The Gallery Lounge Starbucks Philz Coffee Fillmore Matrix 111 Minna Three Seasons Bong Su La Barca Tres Agaves Fort Mason SFMOMA Union St Fair Folsom St. Fair Roommate No Roommate :-) No Reviews Write More Reviews! PS- Need I say more? ;-)