this "Idora Park" themed mosaic art designed garbage receptacle shows a trolley car rolling on…read morerails. there are many such receptacles thruout Oakland and Berkeley. each one has an unique design. creator: Juan Lopez

Also known as the mid-century monster, this unique sculpture, created by Robert Winston in 1952, is…read morea sight to be seen at Lakeside Park, across from the Gardens at Lake Merritt. Don't expect it to look pristine, even after its restoration in 2019 (that was about 5 years ago now), there's bit of graffiti, some wear and tear, and of course a little dirt after the rain. But it didn't bother me, as it was still interesting to view and overall in decent condition (as of Dec 2024). Acting as both an amusing art piece for the public as well as a playground for kids, in this beautiful setting along the lake with waterbirds nearby, surrounded by sand as well as grass, and lovely weather with sunshine and rainbows after the rain, it was worth spending a few minutes checking it out this past Sunday, even if nothing extravagant about it.

What is this thing I'm giving 5 stars too??…read more It's called the Green Monster!! If you ever lived or been around Lake Merritt, you have probably seen it, even walked or ran past it, but it's one of those things that's been here so long, you don't even notice it anymore. Kids climb and play on it, but I'm not so sure it's necessarily a play structure. Is it local flavor?? Definitely!! It's durable, selfie worthy, waterproof, and very much Lake Merritt-ish, if you know what I mean. The one word I would describe it as is unique!! So next time you walk past it, show it some luv, cause it's not going anywhere anytime soon, it was refurbished not long ago, and it's here to stay!!!

Montclair Village is a neighborhood in the Oakland Hills area of the city!!…read more A small, yet, very walkable area with a good mix of restaurants, grocery stores, coffee shops, cleaners, banks, you name it!! Montclair Park and Recreation Area is right here also, which is very popular, especially on weekends as there are multiple tennis courts there along with a duck pond. Located right off Highway 13, this small, quiet neighborhood is one of the best areas in the city!!

The Rose Walk is not far from the Rose Garden in Berkeley!!…read more Not many Roses along the Rose Walk, it's really just a pathway through a residential area. I saw the sign and went up the stairs and walked the short, paved path. Very quiet here also!!

If you like to be in a peaceful and tranquil environment, if u like to walk around quiet, tree-line…read moreresidential areas, if u cherish neighborhoods with lots of character, and if you don't mind climbing uphill a bit - then u would definitely love this stone stairway called Rose Walk. Berkeley has many hidden jewels like this - check out berkeleypaths.org and you'll find more beautiful footpaths like this.

This is probably one of the best small-town parades I've ever been too. It includes all of the…read moreelements that make a 4th of July parade so great - dig it: - Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts - Horses and Fire Engines - Antique Cars and Shriners - Kids riding decorated bikes - Marching bands - Groups of families and neighbors on the sidelines, cheering on their friends and family marching in the parade - American flags galore - Cheerleaders - Politicians (and amazingly enough, everyone seems to like them!) - Tennis ladies marching with their racquets - Lots and lots of dogs, some wearing cute little outfits But don't take my word for it - check it out yourself this 4th of July and enjoy!

This is a great 4th of July parade. I grew up in Piedmont. Even when I no longer lived in Piedmont…read moreI would still come to the parade. One of the big draws for me was the Raiderettes.

So it is official. We now have a Korea Town in the Bay Area and you can find it in Oakland. It…read morespans from Telegraph and 21st to Telegraph and 35th. Banners should be coming up shortly. The slogan will be "Oakland's got Seoul". Public board meetings are held the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 3pm, at Samwon BBQ House, at 2600 Telegraph Avenue. If your a stakeholder in this area (whether you live or own property/business in the area, or are just interested in the area), definately come check it out. http://www.koreatownoakland.org/

The district has some kick-ass restaurants. I hope that area keeps growing.read more

If you were at North Berkeley BART station at about 4:30 yesterday, you might have seen some weird…read morestuff. If you were at the New Parkway last night, you would have also seen some weird stuff. If you were in Times Square in New York Wednesday, you would have seen some REALLY weird stuff. I've been told I can't really divulge the details until tomorrow, but they all have to do with The Grandest Inter-world Searching High-and-low Thing We Ever Spied. Yes, that is not its real name. And it's all over the world. You can google it and maybe it will pop up. Maybe. Be creative in how you google it. Really, I can't tell you. I can tell you I almost got thrown out of the Oakland Zoo yesterday. Okay, I am exaggerating a little bit about that. A little bit. But seriously. The thing I can't really tell you about: it's great. Or, you know, maybe it's not. I can't really tell you till tomorrow. But it's good. Really, really good. I CAN'T TELL YOU. Use your google!! You went to school, use your google. It's all over the world!! But not like that one movie with Ewan MacGregor and the chick from The Golden Compass, where people all over the world all of a sudden lose their sense of smell and start bumping into each other. It's not bad, it's good. What? That one chick. She played the witch in that movie. She was barefoot and badass. She had long flowing locks and she didn't even need to ride a broom to fly, she just grabbed a stick and off she went. So, but it's not bad: it's good, this thing I can't really tell you about. It's really, really good. Boy howdy, cheese and crackers, peaches and gravy, it's flippin great. In a word, it's abnosome. Stop asking me. You're a grownup, use your google.

This mural is on 19th St. side near the corner. Al Overview suggests J.J. Is the Black man in the…read moremiddle of the mural. J.J. Is the co-owner/co-founder and curator of Good Mother Studio, the creator of this mural. J.J. Is a prominent figure in Oakland's art scene. The mural has a Black man in the center, surrounded by different color waves of white, black, yellow, blue & black. There's a thin yellow thread on left side as well as a white popcorn cloud. A 5 & 1 also appears. The meaning(s) aren't transparent. At a minimal, Jared Jethmal is the curator, originator, center of much art activity in Oakland & the Bay Area. Note: sometimes artificial/generative intelligence makes a mistake in projections. These are labeled "hallucinations". Creator: @Goodmotherstudio