The Voice of East Bay Living

Erasing the rules- SFMOMA exhibition with Robert Rauschenberg This is a really exciting exhibit featuring one of America’s greatest contemporary artists.  From the 1940’s until his passing in 2008, Robert worked with everything from newspaper, photography, fabric to items found on New York City streets. More than 150 of his works are on display. He broke down the boundaries between disciplines redefining  what art can be. He also did set designs for famous American dance companies including Merc Cunningham and Paul Taylor  and felt there was a strong connection between the creative process of dancers and artists like himself. He had fun playing with art and loved to add unexpected objects on his canvases such as old socks, neck ties, and worn out bedding. This is just another example of the exciting life outside your front door in the Bay Area. 

Legion of Honor is a San Francisco treasure with magnificent views of the Golden Gate bridge – check out their latest exhibits.

"Light is not just something we see, it is something we feel." Pam Morris of Exciting Lighting creates amazing works of art out of hand-crafted blown glass and forged metal and then does her magical touches with lighting for top restaurants like Post Trio in San Francisco and famous clients like Wolfgang Puck, Georgio Armani and Sugar Ray Leonard.  Pam is a creative force, distinguished as an avant-garde designer. She was selected as outstanding artist in San Francisco and has spoken and been published widely.  You can see her latest work, 4 foot tall "tectonic split" lights at Waterbar on the Embarcadero.  She also has an every Friday 7-8:30 installation in the tunnel across from the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate park. Battery operated light wands  t ransform a spooky dark space into a Lascaux like magical experience. For more information about Pam please visit her website    or email her at pam@pam-morris-designs.com

At a great luxury portfolio seminar yesterday and San Francisco many interesting details were discussed.  Most of the focus was on the San Francisco real estate market which ultimately affects our East Bay market. -In 2006, 82%  of condos sold for under $1 million -In 2017,  only 12% of condos sold for under $1 million What is happening right now? The current market prices are going 120 miles an hour and now into hyper drive.  There is a mismatch between what people want, what is available, and what they can afford.  Our market is impacted by unemployment, rents, and inventory. While t he Bay Area market is currently one of the strongest markets in the nation, it is still subject to external factors such as earthquakes,political events, our current president, and the economy of other countries such as China. Buyers are migrating to different neighborhoods which are more affordable. We are seeing buyers coming from the south bay, Marin,...

Well known Artist and esthétician, Pattie Gerrie blossoms in her Noe Valley Victorian with her husband John and her four adoring Xolo ( pronounced Sho-lo) dogs from Mexico. With Frida Kahlo, the women of Tehuantepec, and the multitude of artistanea of Mexico as her role models, she fills her life with color,positive energy, and inspiration. The house, a living costume, is a kaleidoscope of amazing and beautiful art. For more information about Pattie, please visit her website at pattiegerrie.com Her work will be featured at an exhibition on November 11th at the museo Italio Americano in Fort Mason in San Francisco.

The latest current exhibition  at the De Young museum is called Jewel City .This exhibition revisits the vital moment when San Francisco hosted the Panama Pacific International Exhibition which celebrated the opening of the Panama Canal, the reconstruction following the great earthquake and the World's Fair.  At the time, it covered 76 city blocks and contained more than 11,000 paintings,sculptures,prints and photographs from all over the world. In spite of World War One approaching, many European artists were able  to participate. The current exhibition has reassembled more than 200 works which were on display for this amazing event. View this exhibit at the De Young museum until January 10, 2016.

Ixia - floral design (2331.Market, San Francisco) Their designs are somewhere between architecture and sculpture. Each unique piece is inspired by and used materials  that come from the earth, including many unusual flowers, barks, branches, and mosses.

L'Ardoise French Bistro  (151 Noe St.San Francisco)  - the perfect place for a rainy night, holding hands with your loved one and sipping champagne. Chef Clement began his studies at age 15 in the French Alps with further studies in the Pyrenees, Bordeaux, and Paris. You will be delighted with the food, service and ambiance - the next best alternative to being in France. For more posts on the Bay Area  food  scene.

This wonderful exhibit t races the evolution of fashion in the 20th century. These fashions worn by American women reflect the nations tastes and transformations during the decades between 1910 and 1980. Significant looks from French couture houses include designs by Lanvin, Vionnet and Schiaparelli and Charles James. Additional attention is given to the pioneering generation of American women designers in the 1930s through the 1950s, such as Bonnie Cashin, Elizabeth Hawes, and Claire McCardell. These beautiful gowns are on exhibition at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco through July 19, 2015.

The Children's Creativity Museum is a hands-on multimedia arts and technology museum for kids of all ages, located at the Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco. It aims to foster Creativity, Collaboration, and Communication. The museum is well known for its technology-based exhibits which allow youth to produce their own media through various creative processes, digital arts, live performance and music production.  ^I took my granddaughter there last week and I had as much fun as she did! Museum Hours: Tuesday- Sunday 10am-4pm Location: 221 Fourth St.  San Francisco CA 94103

Here are a few details from the 2015 San Francisco Decorator Showcase . This year, the showcase was held at the Julia Morgan designed mansion at 3630 Jackson St. in Pacific Heights. Some of the best designers in San Francisco decorate every room of this 10,000 room residence. All proceeds from this event benefit the Financial Aid Program of San Francisco University High School .

In this hot market, believe it or not, there are some listings that have not sold. Inventory that remains on the market can be due to a listing price that was too high  or boring staging. As our industry says, some stale goods make tasty bargains.  There are not many of them but these homes are out there. In San Francisco during the month of March, only 7% of homes sold below the asking price. In Oakland, we are dealing with a similar situation. If you are looking for a good home and have been outbid many times, don't give up... There are deals in this sizzling market, give me a call when you're ready to buy!

Every Spring, the de Young Museum presents the Bouquets to Art . This amazing exhibition presents the best floral designers in the Bay Area whose individual floral designs follow the themes of the paintings on exhibition. ^Sheila Sabine - Out and About - de Young Museum in San Francisco

Park your car in the Washington St. garage which is free all day. Take the ferry from Jack London Square to the Ferry Building in San Francisco. If you feel ambitious, you can then walk to San Francisco Chinatown which is about a 1.5 mile stroll. This absolutely wonderful excursion has been enjoyed by the locals since 1857, when the first boats were created to make this journey across the Bay.  

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!

To stimulate shopping in the commercial districts in Oakland during the holidays ,the city of Oakland is offering free metered parking every Saturday between Thanksgiving and New Year's day.The city will also provide up to two hours free parking at four city owned garages. Finally at long last, BART arrives at the Oakland Airport.The project began in 2010 and cost $484 million. It will officially open on Saturday, November 22. The Oakland airport BART station is located just across from the Terminal 1 baggage claim and a short walk from Terminal 2. The trains will run every 5 to 20 minutes depending on the time of day. They will go to downtown San Francisco, downtown Oakland, downtown Berkeley, and Walnut Creek.

Last weekend I visited a condo at 2230 Francisco St. in the heart of the Marina. It was a lovely two bedroom, one bath unit-barely 1000 ft.² -all remodeled with a list price of 1,195,000. Wow-for sure the Art Deco building it is located in is very charming and it's a block away from Chestnut Street with a variety of wonderful restaurants and shops. How much higher can prices go?

Do you feel like an escape during these warm fall days? Here are two great suggestions: Alameda is about 20 minutes from most points in the East Bay.  Take Park Blvd straight to the end and you will run into the Elsie Roemer bird sanctuary and salt marsh .  This is one of the few salt marshes that has been preserved in the Bay Area-it provides a critical habitat to a number of endangered birds and plants.  You can walk along the beach then go across the street for a delicious Japanese meal at the Sushi House .  Finally South Shore shopping mall awaits you with a huge number of retail stores.  Another delightful spot by the water is Guaymas Restaurant situated right on the water in  Tiburon . Dining on the patio, You can watch the boats sail in and out and there is a lovely view across the bay of the San Francisco skyline.  Visit  GlassSabine.com Contact Team Glass Sabine at ...

Motown the Musical at the Orpheum theater : your gateway to fun this week in San Francisco Zuni Cafe is a San Francisco dining legend offering culinary delights and artsy lively clientele.  Walk just a few blocks to the Orpheum Theater - built in 1926 and a San Francisco historical landmark- it features the best all the Broadway musicals. The latest show- Motown the Musical , will have you jumping out of your seat and dancing in the aisles.What can I say- let the good times roll!! Visit  GlassSabine.com Contact Team Glass Sabine at ssabine@grubbco.com

I recently attended the San Francisco Decorator Showcase held at 3660 Jackson, a very wow mansion -each room  being decorated by different top area interior designers. This wonderful event began in 1977 with the purpose of raising funds for San Francisco financial aid dept. It was truly a very exciting event with the creative spirit so alive and well- another tribute to living in the Bay Area. Visit  GlassSabine.com Contact Team Glass Sabine at  ssabine @grubbco.com