signs: Cars

Cars

Idon't know how long it's been since this sign has been used, but it's been watching over an empty paved lot as long as I've known about it.

signs: Ideal Cleaners

Across the street from Disco Volante (which hosted last night's Blogoaksphere party) is Ideal Cleaners. It's got a great sign: art deco design, working neon, period paint colors). I took the daytime picture quite a while back, but only got the night shot last night.

Ideal Cleaners

Happy New Year!

last sunset pic of 2010

Here's wishing all of Oakland a happy and peaceful new year.

And if you write an Oakland blog (dc and Driver, I'm looking at you!) or just read various Oakland blogs regularly, I'd like to invite you to the 2011 Blogoaksphere on January 6th. You can find all the details on Living in the O. Hope to see you there!

photo journey 1

Yesterday I took a long walk, from Montclair to Kaiser (for some additional x-rays and to get some exercise) and back again. I made a point of walking on various urban paths, especially ones I hadn't been on before.

photo journey 1

food: Champa Garden

Champa Garden

Sunday we decided to skip church and go to the Oakland Museum, starting with a lunch stop some where. Looking at what was near or on the way to the OMCA, I remembered hearing good things about Champa Garden. I'd driven past it often enough (a friend lives a few blocks away), but I'd never tried it. K was excited because we don't eat out that often, and we eat Thai food even less frequently.

Champa Garden is in a nondescript building in a residential neighborhood east of Lake Merritt, at 8th Ave. and 21st St. I probably never would have tried it, but I heard good things about it from friends here in Montclair, and the Yelp reviews and on SF Gate were very favorable.

The food was very good. We started with the fried spring rolls (a number of reviews mentioned those; they were great), and we had a couple of different lunch specials. The one negative a few reviews mentioned was the service, but it was good when we were there. It wasn't as busy as it can be for dinner, but there was a steady stream of people coming and going, including a few getting takeout. We'd definitely go there again.