Archive for July, 2009
OakWalk is “Clean and Green”
Posted by: | CommentsHave you ever seen this?
I know it might look like a few rocks and bamboo in a planter box, but looks can be deceiving. This is actually a “save the bay” water cleansing system in disguise. At OakWalk, which is a hop, skip and a two mile jump to San Francisco Bay, we felt the need to do our part to keep the Bay clean. So we incorporated cutting edge water cleansing systems throughout the OakWalk housing community. These disguised water filters catch the rainwater from the drain pipes and cleanse it before it gets to the storm drains and heads to the Bay.
It’s our own state of the art storm water cleansing, storage and run off system. Now if we can only get every city around the Bay to do the same!
We’ve also incorporated lots of other “green” features at OakWalk, all in an effort to help lead the way for environmental change with home building. We carefully preserved the beautiful heritage trees in the area, used recycled old building materials, and low VOC paint. For water conservation, we installed low-flow toilets, satellite weather stations, and tankless water heaters.
But for one of our most prized “green” features, I have a quiz for you. Who can tell me what this is?
I’ll give you a hint. You’ll find it in our parking garage.
Article by Stuart Gruendl. Stuart is the developer of OakWalk, and an Oakland native.
So You Think You Can (or Can’t) Dance?
Posted by: | CommentsYou might be surprised to hear about how many different kinds of dance lessons are offered in the Emeryville area, everything from ballroom to funk to Irish dancing. I’ve come across many opportunities for FREE dance classes, so I wanted to make sure I pass this great info along to you all.
Here are some of the best dance studios and classes I’ve heard about in the area (although it hasn’t really helped my two left feet much). Feel free to add to this list in the comments below the article if you know of other good dance spots to share.
The Allegro Ballroom on 5855 Christie Avenue is a non-profit dance studio that offers a variety of classes daily, for most ages and abilities. You can reach them at510-655-2888, and here are some of the classes they offer: FREE Dance Lessons for Children: Children ages 10-18 are eligible, and they focus on a different dance style each month (July is the Rumba, August is the Salsa), parents can participate too. The emphasis is usually on Latin steps, particularly the salsa. Saturdays, 2-3 p.m., ages 10-18. Walk-in’s are okay, but they recommend starting at the beginning of the month so you can learn the dance from start to finish. Salsa Thursdays at 7:00pm for just $7 bucks.
Spice Up Your Children’s Lives with Dance — Pee-Wee Group: The Youth Dance Program introduces kids to the ballroom dancing. Saturdays, 3-4pm, for $5 bucks.
Spice Up Your Children’s Lives with Dance — Teen Group: The Youth Dance Program introduces teens to ballroom dancing. Saturdays, 3-4pm, for $5 bucks.
Just down the street from OakWalk (on San Pablo) is the Hand to Hand Kajukenbo Self Defense Center that usually offers traditional martial arts training and self defense classes. Saturday mornings the Dream Dance Company teaches the “Dream Weekly Urban Dance Class”. It’s an all-levels dance class in hip-hop, funk, house, breaking, salsa, samba, and more, for only $5-$7 per class. You can call them at 510-428-0502 to get more details, or visit HandtoHandKajukenbo.com.
And to top it off, how about adding some Irish dancing to the mix? The Starry Plough is an Irish Pub over in Berkeley, and you can stop by on Monday nights for a traditional Irish Dance and Music session. Lessons start at 7:00pm and the dancing starts at 9:00pm. Best part is it’s free (the dancing, not the beer). For more information, give them a call at 510-841-2082, or visit The Starry Plough Pub.
Hope you have fun!
Article by Stuart Gruendl. Stuart is the developer of OakWalk, and an Oakland native.
Don’t miss the Berkeley Kite Festival!
Posted by: | CommentsIf you have kids, or just want to be a kid, you should head over to the annual Berkeley Kite Festival next weekend at the Berkeley Marina. It’s on July 25th & 26th 2009, from 11:00AM – 5:00PM, it’s free, and the Berkeley Marina is only 5 miles away.
You should definitely pick up a schedule so you can stay for certain events. They usually have rokkaku kite battles (where people try to cut other kites by rubbing their strings against each other’s) and a candy drop where they drop candy from a big kite in the air. You can imagine the kid scene with that one! They also have competitions with the Bay Area Sport Kite League, traditional kites from Japan, giant creature kites, and the awesome Team Kite Ballet event.
There are tons of food booths, free kite making for kids, and a designated area along the ridge for families and their kites. Each area of the festival will give you a different taste of what kiting is all about.
I would bring a blanket to sit on, a picnic lunch, a kite or two, and a sweater. One little warning, the parking can be tough. If you don’t mind walking, you could go over the pedestrian/bike bridge from the other side of the freeway (enter from Addison Street, just a couple of blocks off University on the opposite side of Spengers). Otherwise, I would go well before the official opening to save a lot of frustration with parking. If it’s a sunny and slightly windy day, then it’s perfect weather for a trip to the Kite Festival at Berkeley Marina. Everyone should go at least once.
Article by Stuart Gruendl. Stuart is the developer of OakWalk, and an Oakland native.
*Pictures Courtesy of www.highlinekites.com
Emeryville Chamber of Commerce Economic Outlook Luncheon on July 23rd
Posted by: | CommentsWith the state of our economy these days, I think just about everyone is curious about predictions for the future. The 6th Annual Economic Outlook Luncheon should be very interesting with guest speaker Dr. Tom Campbell delivering the keynote address titled “The National and State Economy, and the Budget Process at Each Level.”
Dr. Campbell has served on the Joint Economic Committee in Congress, the State Senate Budget Committee in Sacramento, and was Finance Director of the State of California. Usually these luncheons are interactive, with opportunities to share thoughts and discuss the issues directly with the speaker.
Everyone is invited to attend, and it is a pretty unique opportunity to gain direct access to one of the most knowledgeable economic minds in the United States.
The luncheon takes place on Thursday, July 23rd at Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto in Berkeley from 11:30 a.m. Price is $35 for Chamber members, $45 for non-members. Hope to see you there.
You can visit the Emeryville Chamber of Commerce website to get more information and to register for the event, or call 510-652-5223.
Article by Stuart Gruendl. Stuart is the developer of OakWalk, and an Oakland native.
Chocolate Anyone?
Posted by: | CommentsThere is a chocolate gem in Emeryville that has secretly been giving locals the royal treatment and this place is too good to keep secret! Charles Chocolates Factory Store and Chocolate Bar on Hollis Street in Emeryville will knock your socks off.
Right now they have a summertime classic gone posh with their “Charles Chocolate S’mores”. No longer will s’mores be reserved for camping. These s’mores have a healthy slab of bittersweet chocolate and a square of homemade marshmallow that is browned to perfection (that perfect brown color that we all strive to achieve). Talk about bringing back those campfire memories. Although I must say my memories with marshmallows tend to be of the blackened variety, so I enjoy these much more. You can only get these treats through August, so don’t wait too long.
They also offer a free guided factory tour where you can watch the chef make the chocolates. The tours are every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm.
The fun doesn’t stop there. They have the most unique summer movie series I’ve ever seen. It’s a tradition at Charlie’s Chocolates, and they show eight free movies on the second and fourth Friday in June, July, August and September. But you don’t just sit and watch a movie, they actually pair amazing food to go along with the theme of the movie. In addition to “cooked to order” s’mores and a different flavored caramel corn for each movie, they bring in some fantastic catered food to complement the whole experience.
The movies start about 9 p.m., and the food and snacks are available for purchase starting at 6:30pm. They also serve coffee and their famous hot chocolate. Here is a list of the movies coming up, along with the companion dinner:
- July 10 – Soul Food. Soul Food Truck. Pecan Praline Caramel Corn.
- July 24 – Tortilla Soup. Taco Truck. Mexican Chocolate Caramel Corn.
- August 14th – Babette’s Feast. Caramel Corn with hazelnuts and chocolate.
- August 28th – Ratatouille. Creme brulee prepared by Charles Chocolates.
- September 11th – Pizza. Pizza for sale by Rotten City Pizza.
- September 25th – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
They don’t provide chairs, so you need to bring your own chairs, couch, blanket, or whatever you’d like to sit on. This event has become popular, so you should make reservations to guarantee your spot. http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/67610
For those who enjoy a good chocolate fix on a regular basis, the good news is Charles Chocolates is only a five minute drive from OakWalk (or 1.5 miles to walk it off if you prefer).
Enjoy, I know you will!
Article by Stuart Gruendl. Stuart is the developer of OakWalk, and an Oakland native.
Bay Street in Emeryville is Full of Entertainment
Posted by: | CommentsI was just recently over at Bay Street Emeryville and was surprised to see so many activities besides shopping. It has a fun “eclectic urban village” feel, a great location near the Bay (it’s right off the Bay Bridge), and a ton of free entertainment making it a wonderful place to hang out with friends or family.
You might stroll by a 5 piece band, a comedy juggler, or even a pole walker. Bay Street Emeryville also hosts the City of Emeryville’s summer concert series which has a great lineup this summer. The next concert is on July 25th with a band called Relica (80’s Rock), and they play in the Bay Street Pavilion starting at 1:30pm. Here is a list of some of the other entertainment going on at Bay Street this month:
Thomas John, Comedy & Juggling: 07/12/09
| Gomer Hendrix, Rock/Funk Fusion: 07/12/09 2-4 PM
Horns A Plenty, 5-Piece Brass Band: 07/17/09 7-9 PM Darryl Johnson, Saxophonist: Smooth Jazz: 07/17/09 Mitchel Barrett, Comedy, Juggling & Rope Walking: 07/18/09 Em K, Solo Acoustic Guitarist: 07/18/09 3-5 PM Wave Array, Alternative/Experimental: 07/19/09 3-5 PM Merrie Mary, Unique Pole Walker: 07/19/09 CLASSIFIED BAND, Rock/Jazz/Funk: 07/24/09 7-9 PM City of Emeryville’s Summer Concert: 07/25/09 1:30-3:30 PM Dave Badilla, Rock: 07/26/09 12-2 PM Bronkar Lee: 07/26/09 Tom Duarte, Latin-Fusion: 07/31/09 Randi Ray, Acoustic Guitar & Vocals: 07/31/09 6-8 PM |
For the entire Bay Street event calendar, click here.
My wife told me about another Bay Street activity called “Stroller Strides”. It’s a fitness for mom, and fun for baby, exercise class. Seems like a great way to get in shape, meet other moms and have fun with your baby all at the same time. I was told they meet in front of Old Navy on Friday mornings at 9:00am, but you can get more information at www.strollerstrides.net/eastbay.
I also wanted to mention that Bay Street, like other Emeryville corporations, is focused on contributing positively to the neighborhood and community of Emeryville. In a previous article, I talked about the fortune of Anna Yates Elementary School in Emeryville. As another example, Bay Street has an Annual Bay Street Beat Arts & Music Festival, and last year $5,000 was donated to the Anna Yates Elementary School Library as a result of the event.
In case you were wondering, the Emery GoRound free shuttle service provides a quick (7 minutes or so) ride between BART and Bay Street Emeryville. You can find the schedule here: http://www.emerygoround.com/schedules.htm
Hope you enjoy Bay Street!
Article by Stuart Gruendl. Stuart is the developer of OakWalk, and an Oakland native.
Emeryville Past, Present and Future
Posted by: | CommentsI think most people who have lived in the Bay Area for a long time have some sort of pre-conceived notion about Emeryville. In fact, for some people I think the words Emeryville and IKEA are synonymous. But have you been here lately? I know I’ve mentioned in a previous article how much Emeryville has changed, but I’m not the only one talking about it. I just read a great article about the old Emeryville, the current Emeryville, and a pretty exciting vision for the future of Emeryville. Even though I’m a developer and knew about most of this transformation (hence the reason we built OakWalk), it’s nice to know that the word is spreading and everyone else is beginning to notice too.
“Emeryville has evolved into a modern and eclectic city known for its upscale condos, vibrant nightlife, windswept marina and ubiquitous public art” says Dana Perrigan in a recent San Francisco Chronicle article on June 21, 2009. It also references the vision for Emeryville which describes a pedestrian and bicycle-friendly city with distinctive neighborhoods, more parks and a town center. I don’t know about you, but I’m quite impressed with what I’m seeing in Emeryville. And that doesn’t even include the growing technology hub in this city with companies like Pixar Animation Studios, Novartis, LeapFrog, Sendmail, and MobiTV. Those companies are also definitely changing the vibe and culture in Emeryville.
Take a look at this article, I think you’ll be quite surprised: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/21/RE6A187O6S.DTL&type=realestate
The TerraceWalk at OakWalk is a Sight to be Seen!
Posted by: | CommentsIf you are impressed with architecture, upscale design, and cool places to hang out with your friends, you’re in for quite a treat when you see the new TerraceWalk at OakWalk. This beautiful common area (which is our private recreation and quiet area sitting high above street level) has so many unique features thanks to the architects that designed it. Many of our homes overlook TerraceWalk, or have patios directly connected to it, so it feels like your own (very nice) backyard.
With beautiful plants all around, a stainless steel gas barbecue, a life-size chess game, a fountain, and tons of seating, this place beckons a big barbecue and a fun gathering with friends or family. You also have great views of the East Bay Hills, and the Campaniler Tower on the UC Berkeley campus is off in the distance. TerraceWalk is a fun place to hang out with a few friends, or just sit outside and enjoy a good book. Many people coming through here have made comments that it feels a little like something you’d see at a resort, not a housing community.
Even my family loves to head to TerraceWalk to challenge me to a chess game (and they continue to beat me). The courtyard is beautiful, and it adds a “hip” feel to the community here. You have to come see it to really appreciate it!
