Berkeley Daily Photo

Benvenue Avenue, Berkeley

2009-06-10T12:50:00.001-07:00

Berkeley City Hall

2009-02-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

Rest in peace, ice-cream legend Ozzie

2009-02-01T13:24:00.001-08:00

Ozzie of Ozzie's Soda Fountain on College has died.

Remembrances.

Graffiti

2009-01-27T22:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Inauguration Day!

2009-01-20T14:10:00.000-08:00

Sproul Plaza, UC Berkeley campus.
My cat has a message for you all.
Our landlord's house and his dog, Chiquita.
Oh yeah!
A new era of hope.

Mixed messages

2009-01-16T10:27:00.000-08:00

The return of Berkeley Daily Photo

2009-01-15T21:57:00.001-08:00

Thanks to the kind words of a reader (Minh, thank you!), I've been inspired to pick back up. Please keep tuning in and keep commenting!

Above: Stuffed peppers made in my kitchen in Berkeley. They tasted delicious! I hope 2009 is tasting good to you, too.

I've been terribly amiss

2007-07-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

Can these goofy photos make up for it?

Summer sunflowers

2007-05-30T14:42:00.001-07:00

Andres Castro Arms Co-Op

2007-05-28T21:37:00.000-07:00

My buddy Happy Chandler lived here for a good bit of his tenure at Berkeley. Drove up here today and it definitely looks like a great place to spend a few hazy UC years.

Welcome to 2310 Prospect Street, Berkeley, CA.
Nice architectural detail. This used to be a Julia Morgan, but has been extensively renovated over the years.
Shot through the glass. Tried to get the "Where the Wild Things Are" mural at right -- look closely!
Found on the door.

Pauley Ballroom, UC Berkeley campus

2007-05-15T15:08:00.000-07:00

The infrequent poster returns, hopefully to post more frequently. These were shot during a Chuck Palahniuk reading on Berkeley's campus -- wonderful views of the beautiful trees. Unfortunately, I didn't get a shot of the ceremonial tossing of the moose heads. Maybe next time.

It's not mine ...

2007-05-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

But I found this great photo that just captures a Berkeley mood very well

Please don't give up on Berkeley Daily Photo! :) I've been slow on the posting, but I'll get back on it ... promise.

Walk on the sidewalk, ride on the street

2007-04-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

Live ... from the earth

2007-04-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

Berkeley from the air. I did not take this photo, of course -- but you can get a sense of it from a bird's-eye view.

To spot my cottage: Look for the backyard with the stepping-stones ...

Not Berkeley ... Costa Rica

2007-04-09T12:11:00.000-07:00

I took this picture while at the Julia and David White Artists' Colony in Costa Rica last December. Just a bit of a switch for today.

Funky Door Yoga

2007-04-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post this one for a while! It's an eye-catching exterior on a fairly dim part of Shattuck Avenue in downtown Berkeley.

Roundabout graffiti

2007-04-03T16:42:00.000-07:00

This is spray-painted on the roundabout ("traffic-calming measure") near where I live.

Milo Foundation ... and my own Berkeley conundrum

2007-03-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

Solano Avenue can be a great place to walk, to shop, to hang out.

Unfortunately, it sometimes mirrors what I loathe about Berkeley: Its snobbishness, willingness to pick stupid fights, narrow-mindedness, judgmental nature, and intolerance.

Enter the Milo Foundation, which I've visited several times. They're in the business of rescuing and adopting out homeless animals. But after June 1, they'll no longer be in business on Solano.

This quote from the Chronicle article says so much: " 'This is Berkeley, after all,' said Zippie Collins, president of the Thousand Oaks Neighborhood Association, which encompasses Solano Avenue. 'Everyone has so much self-righteous indignation. The neighborhood was totally divided on this.' "

Self-righteous indignation. That sums up Berkeley. I apologize if the first picture is tough to read -- it's a letter of support posted in Milo's window. It reads, in part: "Sometimes I'm embarrassed to live in Berkeley, where we're so clear about what should be done halfway around the world in Iraq or Sarajevo, but we can be so mean-spirited with those who we live next to."

Neighbors complained of noise and odors coming from Milo. Huh? I see more noise and odors coming from half the restaurants and kids' boutiques on Solano. Please.

Berkeley is a beautiful and intellectual place, but it's also an immensely frustrating and tightassed community. If I didn't have the most beautiful cottage in the world here, I'd really consider leaving for slightly saner waters.

Thanks for listening.

More Solano Avenue

2007-03-30T17:36:00.000-07:00

Solano Avenue

2007-03-30T17:29:00.000-07:00

Solano Avenue runs downhill through two cities: Berkeley and Albany. Today I did an urban hike with camera in hand to capture the street action.

Berkeley, ah, Berkeley

2007-03-28T18:32:00.000-07:00

Robin's Sandwiches, a cute little place where you can be sure that the owner will ask: "Extra pickle for you?"
Yeah, I do too.
Now if THIS isn't Berkeley ...
Berkeley City Hall, which was recently in the news.

Making up for lost time

2007-03-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

My apologies (and this ain't the first time) for skipping days. To make amends, I've got several posts up my sleeve.

This is a neighbor's house. Many Berkleyans wear their politics on their sleeve AND on their front gates. Makes for interesting reading on the way to wherever you're going!

Berkeley Daily Photo goes to NYC

2007-03-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

And comes back engaged.

Berkeley Daily Photo is back!

2007-03-21T10:55:00.001-07:00

NYC was a whirlwind. Here's a snapshot of nature to get us back in the mellower California groove.

Weeklong hiatus

2007-03-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

I'll be in New York City for a week, performing my solo show ANDREA. Posting will resume on March 20!

Yogurt Park

2007-03-06T23:44:00.000-08:00

Only the best yogurt in B'kly!

Tool Lending Library

2007-03-05T09:30:00.000-08:00

Berkeley has that great rarity -- a Tool Lending Library. Why are there not more of these around? I snapped these shots this weekend while I was picking up a rototiller to tame the winter weeds in my garden.

Too late for Men At Work ...

2007-03-02T08:15:00.000-08:00

And it's in San Francisco, not Berkeley, but check out the article on One Rincon Hill. Wow. I prefer the San Francisco with Victorians, not condos, but maybe others don't.

So I went on the road over the Presidents' Day Weekend, heading home to north San Diego County, where I grew up. During the trip, I visited the Bernardo Winery -- I'd lived within walking distance as a teenager, but rarely visited. Great place! Enjoy the shots. More Berkeley pix tomorrow.

Vietnamese coffee

2007-03-01T22:43:00.000-08:00

Yum -- that's all I gotta say!

Bikes

2007-02-28T11:46:00.000-08:00

They're a mainstay of Berkeley life. Here's two at Fellini, a local coffee shop.

Look for better photos to come, now that I have my computer back!

Apologies ...

2007-02-27T10:37:00.000-08:00

Please forgive the lack of posting lately. My computer should be coming out of the shop and I can't wait to see her! Regular posting will resume after our happy reunion.

Note to those with butterfingers like myself: Dropping a laptop will often result in a hefty repair bill. Be warned.

Three for the price of one, once again

2007-02-21T19:20:00.000-08:00

Look carefully at that first picture: It says "Remember Punky Brewster." Can I confess that that's San Francisco, not Berkeley? Will you forgive me? The spooky-eyed cat is mine, Oliver, the 18-year-old tabby, doing just fine, thanks. And why the tree in the wheelbarrow in North Berkeley? Why not?

Hope you're all well and looking forward to spring -- I sure am, and I'm so excited that Daylight Savings is coming three weeks early this year!

Tow Zone

2007-02-20T17:03:00.000-08:00

My weekend trip to San Diego made me realize how Berkeley is always, always in a state of change. Here's one example - - don't park at McGuire and Hester, or if you do, mind the sign.

Three for the price of one!

2007-02-15T17:16:00.000-08:00

A bonus of three because I'm going to be out of town. Will try to post a few more tomorrow. For now, enjoy your long weekend!

BART

2007-02-14T16:35:00.000-08:00

Bay Area Rapid Transit, or BART, is our subway. It's got its charms, and its annoyances, just like everything everywhere. Here's the Downtown Berkeley station.

I had a more Valentine's-appropriate pic -- a glass gate cutout in the shape of a heart -- but I had a hard drive failure and am having trouble accessing my files, so that'll be for another day.

Fine Arts Building

2007-02-13T13:09:00.000-08:00

On this site used to stand the tatty but heartfelt Fine Arts Cinema. It was pulled down a few years ago and local developer Patrick Kennedy took over from there. It feels a little slick and soul-less to me. How does it feel to you?

Two for the price of one

2007-02-12T13:22:00.000-08:00

There are lots of bikes in Berkeley -- after all, the city's worked hard to make it a bike-friendly place. So where there's lots of anything, there needs to be a few rules. These signs on Shattuck Avenue in downtown try to make it clear: walk 'em on the sidewalk, ride 'em on the street. Some people don't always obey. Sometimes I'm one of those people, so if you see me on my gray set of wheels, please forgive me!

The second shot is Monkey Girl, who I bought for $10 from a sweet old dude in a Costa Rican coffee shop. She now resides in my kitchen. Sunglasses have been added.

'West of the Caldecott Tunnel'

2007-02-11T22:43:00.000-08:00

The Caldecott Tunnel connects Berkeley to Orinda. I'd rather buy my boxes -- and everything else -- west of that tunnel.

Waiting for the bus

2007-02-10T23:39:00.000-08:00

Just something I like about this picture. Maybe it's the AC Transit bus in the background. Taken in downtown Berkeley. And no, I'm not sure why what I'm writing is being underlined. Blogger's weird.

This TV's on the house

2007-02-09T22:45:00.000-08:00

Classic Berkeley house-as-art.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Cherry blossoms in bloom

2007-02-09T07:16:00.000-08:00

These early bloomers burst into color around the first week of February and last for about a month. If only they would stay longer.

How do your marigolds grow?

2007-02-08T12:38:00.000-08:00

Berkeley's an ideal gardening climate. Walk around any residential neighborhood and you'll see flowers of all size and stripe -- just ripe for the camera!

McGee's Farm!

2007-02-07T23:47:00.000-08:00

The first photo on this blog had to be my own home: McGee's Farm. A co-op preschool for 20 years, it's now where my boyfriend and I (and the cat, can't forget the cat) live. It's just west of downtown Berkeley, within walking distance of the campus and cafes and some of the Bay Area's best restaurants, and it's the kind of place that makes you laugh every time you come home.

I mean, really, wouldn't YOU laugh if you came home to a front door that looked like this?