Downtown Oakland's Massive Thursday Party

More at Zennie62.com | Follow me on Twitter! | Get my widget!



To say that Steve Snider - my friend known for the revival of the downtown Oakland party scene and who served on the Mayor's Sports and Entertainment Task Force, and is now part of the Uptown District team that's behind this party to take place tommorrow - gets involved with anything small would be a joke.

While "Oakland Uptown Unveiled" isn't the largest event ever held in downtown Oakland, it's certainly the biggest one for the Uptown. This area, which just five years ago was still considered a place not to be for any but the most experienced Oaklanders, has taken off.

Where the Broadway / Grand development is today was once the home of a sleepy rental car establishment. Luka's across the street was the long time location of "The Hof Brau" where old-timers spent a day talking with friends and eating large meals. Another Oakland of another time.

Now, the area has a number of great and popular restaurants, from Flora to Pican and the Franklin Square Wine Bar. It's also the focus of "Art Murmur" which features Oakland art galleries in an open studios tour that takes place at the beginning of each month.

Oakland Uptown Unveiled consists of six blocks of 15 bands on three stages: The Uptown Stage, The Fox Stage, and The Van Kleef stage, named after Oakland Legend Peter Van Kleef. Some of the bands set to play include John Santos, The Kev Choice Ensemble, Miko Marks and Damon & The Heathens. (I've seen Damon & The Heathens and they have a cool sound, not to be missed.)

Also the Fox Theater will be open so you can take a look around the facility. If you want a preview, here's my video from the opening gala:



This video was created during a media event at Pican; it opens with my explanation of what's happening around the Uptown:



This should be a great event; wish it were on the weekend as I return from Georgia, but that happens. Really, it should be two days and not just one Thursday, but it's a great start.

For more information, visit the website MeetDowntownOAK.com

1100 Broadway Downtown Oakland Mural Finished: Rocky Rische-Baird

 

After several months of work, the mural at 1100 Broadway in downtown Oakland is finished. 

The work of Oakland artist Rocky Rische-Baird, it is a step back in time as much as it is a celebration of downtown Oakland and a landmark for 1100 Broadway itself. I talked to Rocky Rische-Baird about his new classic work.

Ron Dellums Endorses Sen. Clinton - After The Mayor Gets A Bone From Her

Mayor Ron Dellums made the massive error of backing Senator Hillary Clinton in the Presidential race, a sure sign that Barack Obama will win the nomination.

Of course, this didn't come as just a simple endorsement -- it came as yet another Clinton deal. In this case, Hillary placed Mayor Ron Dellums in some role in her campaign.

How many times she's done this in some form makes one dizzy. But what's really wild is that Dellums would back someone who's flipped-flopped on so many issues and supported the Iraq War that it's not funny.

Plus, Dellums apparently can't bring himself to back a young Black Senator named Barack Obama. It's funny with some older African Americans in Oakland. They're so afraid of anyone Black who can be in charge that they'd back someone White. I'm serious about this, and would not write it if it were not true.

The real mental slaves are those who say to me -- who are Black -- that Barack can't win because he's Black. I tell each person that they're afraid of Black success. They're not comfortable. They're also some of the same people who gave me problems when I worked to bring the Super Bowl to Oakland.

Former Oakland City Manager Robert Bobb said it best to me in 1999: "Oakland is a crab-barrel city. You (speaking to me). You're young. Black. Smart. You're a threat."

I guess the same could be said for Barack Obama, which makes me fight harder all the more for him. Dellums will wind up on the wrong end of this race, because we're going to win.

But the message Dellums is sending is one I find terrible. It says the endorsement Oakland's African American leaders can be bought and that's a terrible sign. I say to anyone young and Black, pay this no mind, and continue to back Barack Obama.

Whole Foods Market is now in Oakland at 27th & Harrison

The 55,000 square-foot Whole Foods Market has just opened today at 27th and Harrison and brings good news and the promise of reviatalization to an area that has been waiting for both for too long.

I was given a tour of the new place one day before its opening by Jolyn Bibb, Marketing Specialist of Store Openings for Whole Foods. While the video shows the store and what Jolyn said, I can tell you its quite a place to be in. A breath of fresh air.

There's an official opening today which begins with a "Bread and Baking" ceremony at 8:45 am before the doors open at 9 AM. Through the day there will be music, food samples, and a guest appearance by famous local chef Paul Bertolli. Plus, reusable Whole Foods Market Green Bags will be given to the first 5,000 customers with a purchase of $15 or more, and a raffle for a giant gift basket filled with a variety of products.

There's a lot of food stations in this facility as well. There's something called a dine-in Market Bistro which has made-to-order foods including sandwiches and soups, and an Asian Express Island, to name some of the areas in this giant food city.

Whole Foods has made an exciting place to be. Check it out!

Violent Crime & Arrest Rates In Oakland, Lake Merritt, Downtown Oakland - 2002-2006

This is a shocking report delivered as a video by me and about a document and its findings called "Violent, Property, Crime & Arrest Rates" in Oakland. The video has the details and I'll lay them out in a text fashion in another blog post.