Oakland: A City of Many Facets
Today, instead of taking my usual afternoon walk through the well-groomed streets of Piedmont, I decided to do some exploring of Oakland, and I came across some interesting places.
Thanks to Google, you can follow along, by clicking the following link:
My walk today, as plotted by the new Google "My Maps" feature.
First, I walked down to Lake Merritt, and was almost run over by a speeding car as I crossed Lake Park Street to get to Splash Pad Park. I was almost run over again, when I crossed Lakeshore at the Cleveland Cascade. Both times, the women who were barrelling down on me (one in a Prius) looked very apologetic. After I crossed Lakeshore, and old man smiled at me and said, "They just don't want to slow down."
After walking through the pleasant neighborhood of Haddon Hill, I skirted Borax Smith's old estate (now Oakland High School) and headed over to Ivy Hill. As I walked down 24th Street, I began to feel like I was in a tougher neighborhood. At the corner of 10th and 24th, I came across a woman screaming: "Don't do it! Don't do it! If you love me, don't do it!" Then she got into a car and sped away. The people she was yelling at looked disturbed and confused.
I headed up 11th Avenue, and I came across a faded neighborhood of giant Victorian mansions at 11th and Bella Vista. This apparently was once one of the more fashionable neighborhoods of Oakland, judging from the houses. I walked down Bella Vista a little way to check them out. Some of the old mansions had been fixed up or were in the process of being fixed up, but many looked to be run-down rooming houses.
As I walked down the hill from Bella Vista, a pit bull puppy ran up and would not leave Morgan alone. I finally had to pick it up and hand it to the little girl who was haphazardly trying to catch it. She asked me if Morgan was a pit bull, too. I said, "No, she's a pointer!"
I crossed 580 at Park, and finished my walk by ambling through the shaded streets of Crocker Highlands, where the elite of Oakland currently live.
Thanks to Google, you can follow along, by clicking the following link:
My walk today, as plotted by the new Google "My Maps" feature.
First, I walked down to Lake Merritt, and was almost run over by a speeding car as I crossed Lake Park Street to get to Splash Pad Park. I was almost run over again, when I crossed Lakeshore at the Cleveland Cascade. Both times, the women who were barrelling down on me (one in a Prius) looked very apologetic. After I crossed Lakeshore, and old man smiled at me and said, "They just don't want to slow down."
After walking through the pleasant neighborhood of Haddon Hill, I skirted Borax Smith's old estate (now Oakland High School) and headed over to Ivy Hill. As I walked down 24th Street, I began to feel like I was in a tougher neighborhood. At the corner of 10th and 24th, I came across a woman screaming: "Don't do it! Don't do it! If you love me, don't do it!" Then she got into a car and sped away. The people she was yelling at looked disturbed and confused.
I headed up 11th Avenue, and I came across a faded neighborhood of giant Victorian mansions at 11th and Bella Vista. This apparently was once one of the more fashionable neighborhoods of Oakland, judging from the houses. I walked down Bella Vista a little way to check them out. Some of the old mansions had been fixed up or were in the process of being fixed up, but many looked to be run-down rooming houses.
As I walked down the hill from Bella Vista, a pit bull puppy ran up and would not leave Morgan alone. I finally had to pick it up and hand it to the little girl who was haphazardly trying to catch it. She asked me if Morgan was a pit bull, too. I said, "No, she's a pointer!"
I crossed 580 at Park, and finished my walk by ambling through the shaded streets of Crocker Highlands, where the elite of Oakland currently live.
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