Graffiti

I'm not gonna lie...  I see a LOT of "RIP" and gang taggings as well as other,

more general graffiti during my regular work week...

But I also see stuff like this:

See.... people still feel the love in Oakland!

Sitcom Furniture Outlet....

I'd seen the building like... daily.... but I had never stopped.

Finally my curiosity got the best of me and I'm SO glad it did!

Sitcom Furniture Outlet is totally great...

The furniture looks like it is pretty decent quality... And although I'm sure the styles aren't for everyone, they did have a decent mix: kind of mid-century modern, mixed with art deco, mixed with craftsman...

anyway...  they had CRAZY bargains... (I LOVE a bargain!)

It is on High Street, right above the 880.

Mills

I am a "Mills Woman!"

Yep... it is true... My masters degree is from Mills College. 

If I told you the actual name of my degree you would yawn...

but ... Mills College is an amazing, somewhat hidden, Oakland gem.

I won't go into the whole history of the school, etc.  You can look all that up if you are really interested... but it has been around pretty much ... forever.

 Now I'm not knocking good ol' SDSU.  My undergrad years were filled with life experience. 
(How else was I to learn that you really shouldn't jump out of a moving vehicle.???) 
But I think it goes without saying that the difference in my educational experiences were pretty extreme.

Mills was SERIOUS school...
  There were times when I likened it to boot camp....
the education department broke you down and built you back up!
... and guess what... I know my stuff!

So there are other cool things about Mills besides just the education. 
I'm a TOTAL architecture nerd, and there is an abundance to gawk at on the Mills campus. 
The campanile was actually designed by Julia Morgan herself...

Now... I know some of you may be SUPER annoyed at me for saying this,
 but I REALLY think that men should be admitted to the undergrad programs. 
(Most, if not all, of the graduate programs admit men.) 
Not only do I think that it would make for a better draw to the school itself,
 I think it would be great for the neighborhood.  If the undergrad program was a bit bigger,
 more students might be drawn to living in the surrounding neighborhoods.

 I can just imagine a cool little coffee house on the corner of Seminary and Macarthur...

The "Slopes"

I am currently kind of obsessed with "The Slopes." 

Not unlike San Francisco, Oakland is made up neighborhoods that frequently have their own names: Montclaire, Laurel, and The Diamond District might sound familiar. 

Another way of describing where a neighborhood is is by it's geography:  You have "The Hills," "The Slopes," and "The Flats."  The Slopes refers, for the most part, to the hilly areas BELOW the 580 freeway. 

I am frequently amazed by these neighborhoods.  Although it was a little bit hazy today, this is an example of the view you get from the slopes.

 (Believe it or not, you can see the San Francisco skyline ...  maybe just not in these photos!) 

  

If these houses were anywhere else... with these views...  Just THINK...  This is what I mean when I say that Oakland is filled with hidden gems... Oh the POTENTIAL...

Happy New Year!

I'm in love with Oakland.  I know... you think I'm crazy.  Oakland is the crime ridden, ugly step-sister to our beautiful "city by the bay," San Francisco. 

Well.. I'm going to go out on a limb here.... I might like Oakland BETTER than San Francisco!

Let me explain:

Not long ago someone said, "Oakland is the next Detroit..."  No way, and this is why:

First of all, we have a port...Detroit doesn't.   But besides the basic economic factors...

Oakland is in a perfect location.  The views are amazing; right on the Bay, the SF skyline in the background.  You can get to the beach or the mountains in no time, and the weather is PERFECT.  There is a variety of housing; apartments, cottages, lofts... your pick... all the way up to multi-million dollar mansions.  Oakland will never be an abandoned ghost town on a frozen tundra...

I know what you are thinking though... "Oh, this blog is going to be just the "nice" parts of Oakland..."   But that is exactly what I DON'T want it to be.  You see... I'm in Oakland every day.  East Oakland to be exact.  I want people to see what I see: the architecture, the gardens, the people.  There is current beauty as well as potential beauty.  There are new things happening and old things that are timeless...


Now, I DO want to include some of the "nice" parts too...

So I decided that for my first post I would start with our outing on New Year's Eve!

We wanted to take the kids out for an early dinner.... 

someplace that felt special...

The Lake Chalet was a great choice! 

This is the re-built boat house on Lake Merritt.  It is owned by the same group that runs the famous Beach Chalet in the City.  I read the reviews:  beautiful location, so-so food. 

We were pleasantly surprised.  The setting is REALLY amazing... I can't say more... you will NOT be disappointed.  The food was good... no complaints.  The steak was cooked perfectly and my pasta dish was really tasty.  The services was good and my cocktail was perfect!

(Now I can't wait for the weather to warm up...  This is a perfect spot for warm weather outdoor drinks/ dining!)