painless tattoos

Spotted on San Pablo Avenue in the Golden Gate District.  I don't know, but the images seem a little contradictory.

Monday Mural: Gateway Market

Gateway Market is located in the Golden Gate district on San Pablo Avenue near 59th Street.  Their advertising mural is new and full of local references including the Oakland A's logo.  I didn't find a signature but I'm sure it's hidden in the mural somewhere.  Below is a close-up of the W to show you the detail and humor you can find in the mural.

Thank you, «Louis La Vache», for alerting me to this new addition to the mural scene.

If you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you.  Just follow the Linky steps below.  You get to decide what constitutes a mural.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Can't wait to see the mural finds posted this week.

ABC Wednesday: A is for Actual Cafe

Today starts a new round of ABC Wednesday.  I thought I'd try and show coffee shops and restaurants around town during this round.  Today we start with Actual Cafe on San Pablo Avenue and Alcatraz Avenue.  Actual Cafe has been a positive force in this transitional neighborhood ever since it opened in 2009.  It offers free wifi, places to park bicycles indoors, and frequent artist events; it serves as a magnet for those who live in the area.  The cafe is also a voice for the parklet movement that's gaining hold in the Bay Area.  All in all a comfortable place to visit and stay a while.  For more takes on "A", please visit ABC Wednesday. 

blue and white tiles

More Oakland tiled buildings.  This one is on San Pablo Avenue at about 59th St.

small church, big name

Another storefront church.  Isn't the name wonderful?

past and present

Can you guess what business was in this building?  Yep, a bar.  The porthole windows and diamond glass in the door guarantee it.  The colored tiles are icing on the cake.  Probably dating from the 30s, this design can be found all around the Bay Area.  The bar is gone and in its place is a pottery studio.  This neighborhood is working hard to recreate itself into an arts district.  Young hipsters have moved in for the cheap rents, coffee shops have opened, and artist studios are now popping up.  It's a good thing.

ABC Wednesday: Z is for zany

I read on Streetcolor's blog that she had yarnbombed an Oakland Library.  Naturally I ran down to get a picture of it before it was taken down.  Check out her blog for other efforts.  Yarnbombing is such a whimsical and zany activity, that it's hard to imagine that folks would take exception to it.  But it happens.  Last year another group yarnbombed the T in the There sculpture on the Oakland-Berkeley line.  City officials initially protested and then backed off, probably realizing they came across as stiff-necked, humorless, bean counters.  I don't know where or when yarnbombing started, but I do remember a post by Steffe last year, which raises the possibility this activity started in Sweden!  Visit ABC Wednesday for more takes on Z.  Next week we start again with A.