The Voice of East Bay Living

You will be delighted with this wonderful Rockridge craftsman with many original details including spacious living room with wood burning fireplace, dining room with box beam ceilings, pocket doors, generous built-ins, and wood paneling throughout. The open staircase with soaring ceilings leads to the upstairs 3 plus bedrooms and 2 baths. The large eat-in kitchen, half bath and family area have many convenient storage spots. The rear deck and large private, level enclosed rear garden are perfect for entertaining, gardening, or just enjoying some fresh air. There is a multi-use detached studio and large side driveway parking for multiple cars. And the best part! Location!! Location! The home is minutes away from all the exciting and convenient shops and restaurants on College Avenue, including Market Hall, Philz Coffee, Wood Tavern, Temesal Farmer’s Market, Safeway, Trader Joe’s and Cole Hardware. Lastly, Rockridge BART, Casual Carpool, bike share and freeway access are just minutes...

Chosen as one on the top ten restaurants in the East Bay, this delightful restaurant’s goal is to share the passion and the inspiration of ancient ancient traditions of Peruvian cuisine. Conveniently located across the street from the Rockridge Library, get your books and then have a meal - it is worth it! http://pucquio.com/

Rockridge is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Oakland . Glass Sabine Team have sold over 50 homes in the Rockridge neighborhood! Recently, I attended the Rockridge Kitchen Tour. Here are a few snapshots from eight kitchen spaces on the self-guided tour. Interested in buying a home in the Rockridge neighborhood? Email me at ssabine@grubbco.com

Join me as I explore Cole Hardware in Rockridge. Make sure to check out there 20% off sale on February 20th!

Finally….. after 8 years of plans and talks, the new Safeway at the corner of Claremont and College has opened!  The new store is 45,500 sq. ft., and twice the size of the previous store. The new store includes 24 hour service, 150 rooftop parking spaces, a large organic produce section, an open air plaza, and rental spaces for small local businesses. Hopefully, both the traffic patterns and the neighbors will calm down.

Cole Hardware comes to Rocrkidge - This San Francisco based store has been welcomed with open arms by the Rockridge community. The new store is well organized and the staff is friendly. In addition to having a wide selection of the hardware and tools, they carry live plants, children's toys, and storage bins for rent. Stop in for a quick look-you will  be pleasantly surprised-oh did I mention you can also pick up a pair of reading glasses? Read more about my favorite neighborhoods on my website glasssabine.com Email me at ssabine@grubbco.com for more information about find your dream home!

This wonderful outdoor market serving both the Rockridge and Temescal neighborhoods of Oakland is incredibly popular with all age groups. Located in the parking lot adjacent to the Oakland DMV and next to Frog Park,the market hosts a variety of produce as well as fresh food stands.It is open every Sunday from 9am-1pm.

A great local meat market is Ver Brugge Meat-Fish Poultry locate in the Rockridge neighborhood at 6321 College Ave. in Oakland. The fantastic butcher has been around for decades and reflects a dying breed of independent butchers with knowledge and experience of their craft. The meats are fresh and they carry a wide variety of lamb, beef, pork, chicken, turkey, etc. You will be delighted with what you find there.

If you're interested in learning more about these new listings, email me at ssabine@grubbco.com This is been a $2 million week - Our buyer from the East Coast wrote an offer on a house in Kensington listed for $1,695,000 which sold for over $2 million. There were three new listings on broker's tour today: 41 Oakvale-$2,500,000-Claremont 6300 Acacia-$2,495,000- Rockridge 444 Yale-$2,450,000-Kensington  Oh and let's not forget 2201 Bywood, a landmark Oakmore estate, listed for $3,290,000. These homes range from brand-new construction to ultramodern to mid 50s. My favorite is the Oakvale listing which is a fabulous older home designed by John Hudson Thomas situated near a creek - very magical and very romantic. If you're interested in learning more about these new listings, email me at ssabine@grubbco.com

A delightful Rockridge treasure is Ron Morgan, one of our most talented Bay Area floral designers. He has a wonderful shop called Loot at 5391 College Ave., located across the street from the Rockridge Library in Oakland. I recently attended one of his floral design workshops where he magically creates masterpieces on the spot using a variety of materials and containers. Also, this Sunday from 12-5 he is doing a Xmas sale at his store to help you get ready for the holidays. "I am an artist painting with flowers."...Ron Morgan

This is just a jewel boutique in the  heart of Rockridge across the street from the Rockridge Library.   It is an eclectic mix of antiques, small furniture items and decorative pieces. The owner, Ron Morgan, is a famous floral designer whose keen eye for design and style has made him quite famous.  He teaches floral design workshops at his store which are well worth attending.  www.lootantiques.com Contact Glass Sabine at ssabine@grubbco.com

The flower and the B  at Market Hall across from BART. The stand showcases great fresh flowers in Market Hall and represents a lovely message. The "B" in the flower and the B stands for: B happy B loving B caring B giving B surprised Contact Glass Sabine at ssabine@grubbco.com

This is my pick of  the week-- a sneak preview of our new Rockridge listing - a classic craftsman nestled in the urban bustle of the wildly popular Rockridge neighborhood. Visit  GlassSabine.com Contact Team Glass Sabine at  ssabine @grubbco.com 

The market continues to sizzle with the new mantra being "WOW: -Rockridge  home listed for $699  is pending for over $930 -East Bay off market home listed for 3 million went pending in one week at over the asking price -Claremont home listed at 1,695,000 is pending for over $2,400,000 -San Francisco gets the prize... a 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath just sold for 1,405,000 over the asking price. -Jaw Dropping yes.. Will  it continue?-- Where is the crystal ball?   Visit GlassSabine.com Contact Team Glass Sabine at ssabine @grubbco.com 

A Wonderful opportunity awaits you at Loot Antiques located at 5391 College Ave. across the street from  the Rockridge Library.   Ron Morgan , owner and floral designer par excellence, offers Monday morning flower design classes. Ron is considered one of the very best floral designers in the country and has dazzled lecture and garden club audiences for over twenty years.  To watch him assemble an  assortment  of lovely flowers in fabulous containers is a true feast of beauty for the eyes.  

Check out  A16 , one of College Ave. -Rockridge latest additions. The site was formally Hudsons/Girabaldis and has retained the wonderful long bar and huge open space that we have all loved for so many years.  The new restaurant is vibrant with Southern Italy  cuisine, a huge Italian   wine list , fabulous authentic Italian dishes and adorable waiters that bend over backwards to make you  feel welcome-- I give it a triple thumbs up!

One of my favorite streets in Rockridge is 63rd street which runs off of College Ave. This street is really close to wonderful edibles on College Ave. such as Wood Tavern, La Farine, and much more. In the midst of these urban delights ,328 63rd. St. stands out as a wonderful example of an eco-friendly home. It's proud owner, David Gottfield, put his philosophy into realty. Every inch of this charming craftsman home is totally green-water heater that is solar operated, nine fifty gallon water storage tanks that encircle the house used to flush toilets, water gardens, etc.. ,recycled wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council,cellulose insulation blown into the walls and a solar shed in his back yard. David founded and sits on the board of the World Green Building Council,one of the world's fastest growing non-profit organizations. He will be giving a tour of his home this Saturday from 2-4. Don't miss it. This home is currently listed by Ann Van Dyke of the ...

Would you like to go on a fun day time event? Berkeley pathwanderers organizes wonderful neighborhood walks with a guided tour and explanation of buildings , parks, and historical information. I just went on a really fun walk last Saturday morning. The expedition took us to the diverse neighborhood of Temescal . This Oakland neighborhood was named after a creek that still runs under the ground. It's name came from the Aztec word for sweat lodge, temescalli. This neighborhood has been predominantly Italian but in the last decade it has become more and more trendy with young families moving in to its affordable bungalows. You can still visit the Temescal Library which was founded in 1918 by Andrew Carnegie or visit Studio One which was built in 1894. A great lunch spot is the Genoa Deli which was given the best East Bay deli award in 2009 by the East Bay Express. Today I opted for chicken salad at Bake Sale Bettys on the corner of 51st and Telegraph ( refer to my blog post...