The Voice of East Bay Living

This past weekend, I went on a fabulous walking tour of the Elmwood district of Berkeley sponsored by my friends in the  Berkeley Rotary .  The neighborhood is full of beautiful craftsman homes that have been designed by many famous  architects including Walter Radcliffe, Julia Morgan, John Hudson Thomas, Albert Dodge Coplin, and James Plachek. One can view dormer Windows, Tudor roof lines, colonial revivals, Queen Anne and other residential styles from the period. In 1903, a streetcar ran along College Avenue.  In 1905, Alice Alta Bates started a hospital with eight beds on College Avenue and later the current campus of Alta Bates Hospital was founded. In 1906, the Elmwood district became popular after the San Francisco fire when a lot of people moved into the East Bay. In fact it became one of the fastest-growing areas in all of the US.  In 1907, the oldest commercial building of Elmwood was built at the corner of college and Ashby....

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!

In case you missed the article in the Chronicle about great shops on Piedmont Avenue here is the list for your holiday shopping... 1. Best for Craft Classes - Rare Bird - 3883 Piedmont Ave. - Home decor  and garden. 2. Best for Namaste Patio  – Waterlilies Garden and Home  - 3935 Piedmont Ave. - bird feeders, chimes and fountains. 3. Best for Moroccan Flair  - Sahara Moroccan Home Decor  - 3953,Piedmont Ave. - rugs,glasses,silver tea trays and much more. 4.  Best for Glam Furnishings - Milberry's Home  - 160 41st.- once A Spanish style home ,then an Oakland Public Library,this interesting store hosts a variety of home decor items. 5. Best for Hostess gifts - Nathan and Co.  - 4025 Piedmont Ave. - candles, tea towels, mixing bowls. 6. Best for Unusual Furniture Fines  - Found on Piedmont - 4125 Piedmont Ave. -full of curios in all sizes and shapes- 1909 embalming table,1800 French Provincial table and much more. 7. Best for...

This private and charming neighborhood has several private parks and regular gatherings. Many of the owners have lived in the neighborhood for many years and appreciate the peaceful and beautiful environment.

Art Murmur Oakland ,the first Friday of every month in uptown Oakland. This is such a fun event with many spontaneous artists and musicians at every corner. Visit GlassSabine.com Contact Team Glass Sabine at ssabine @grubbco.com 

Just Around The Corner   A16 - a16rockridge.com.com 5356 College Avenue McNally Irish Pub - 510.655.3929 5352 College Avenue Hudson Bay Cafe - 510.658.0214 5401 College Avenue Bittersweet Chocolate Cafe - bittersweetcafe.com 5427 College Avenue Soi Four Restaurant- soifour.com 5421 College Avenue A Cote Restaurant - acoterestaurant.com 5478 College Avenue Enoteca Molinari - enoteca-molinari.com 5474 College Avenue Sukho Thai Restaurant - 510.420.8600 5498 College Avenue Uzen Restaurant - 510.654.7753 5415 College Avenue Oliveto Cafe - oliveto.com 5656 College Avenue For a complete guide visit www.rockridgedistrict.com Prepared by: Sheila Sabine & Judith Glass 510.326.5055 ssabine@grubbco.com jglass@grubbco.com    

Last week I attended  the West Coast San Francisco Designer Showcase and this week I attended the East Coast House Tour in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn . In a 50 year span, Boerum Hill has gone from a little known neighborhood to a brownstone hot spot.  With prices in Manhattan skyrocketing, Brooklyn has been the logical next step for many young families. The tour included very old homes preserving the antique look to very  modern residences. Also a community park was featured as well as a public school with its eco-friendly playground complete with organic vegetable gardens and green turf grass. It is easy to see why Oakland is being called the new Brooklyn with its burst of restaurants, art, and rising home prices.  Visit GlassSabine.com Contact Team Glass Sabine at ssabine @grubbco.com 

Plum Bar is one of Uptown Oakland's most sophisticated bars. It is located  next to the famous Plum Restaurant,  which ranks as one of the top dining experiences in the entire Bay Area. The venue has a hipster feel and a good part of the place looks like an alchemy lab. Many of their beverages are house-made including specialty beers and bourbons. The seating is limited but if you are in the neighborhood, it is a must--an intimate alternative to nearby bars.

One of my favorite escapes is visiting the Japanese Tea House located in the main Piedmont Park on Highland Avenue in central Piedmont. This beautiful and serene dwelling is surrounded by huge redwoods, camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons. There are benches facing the tea house where you can relax in private contemplation. It's almost always empty of people, except for an occasional dog walker or runner. The original tea house was built in 1907 and was at the time, the largest tea house in the United States. It was a replica of the fifteenth century Silver Pavilion in Kyoto. Besides the tea house, there was a koi pond, a moon bridge,and Japanese style gardens. The original was torn down in 1920. In 1976, it was replaced by a tea house belonging to a prominent Piedmont family which was moved to its present site in the park. Across the lawn sits the Mediterranean style Piedmont Community Hall. This lovely building, with its chandeliers and glistening hardwood floors, is of...

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...