Berkeley

Apr

Bernard Maybeck Posts a Great Past

Posted In: Architecture, Berkeley

This is the first in a series of architectural highlights, which will be posted each week. Each post will visit the heritage and history behind some of the East Bay’s greatest architects and what makes their homes so fabulous. I will also talk about styles, movements, and trends. Bernard Maybeck was certainly a visionary and eclectic connosieur of chamelionesque design [...]

Mar

Bad Berkeley Whole Foods, Don’t Kick the Ashby Florist in the Butt

Posted In: Berkeley, Community, Neighborhood Businesses

I normally love Whole Foods. I don’t think I have ever had anything bad to say about them. Generally they stand for community, free trade, and quality items. But when I read an article last week that said they would be kicking out Ashby Florist, their life-long tenant of 50+ years, I was outraged. And the reason they wanted to [...]

Feb

Days On Market, Last 2 Years: Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito, Kensington, Richmond and Oakland

Posted In: Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Kensington, Local Market Statistics, Oakland, Richmond

Let’s take a look at what the average days on market has done over the last two years in each of our neighborhoods. Percentages are from Jan/07 vs. Jan/09. Albany, down 66% Jan 2007 24 Jan 2008 43 Jan 2009 8 Berkeley, all, down 7% Jan 2007 45 Jan 2008 43 Jan 2009 42 Berkeley Hills, up 7% Jan 2007 [...]

Feb

Berkeley Oakland Median Prices Over Last 2 Years

Posted In: Berkeley, Local Market Statistics, Oakland

Here is a market snapshot for median prices for Berkeley and Oakland…click on the image for a larger view. 1st Graph: BERKELEY Median Price for solds did not change from Jan ’07 vs. Jan. ’09. 2nd Graph: OAKLAND Median price for houses sold down 72% from Jan. ’07 vs. Jan. ’09

Feb

William Wurster home for sale in the Berkeley Hills

Posted In: Berkeley, Listings

William Wilson Wurster (1895 – 1973) was an influential American architect and architectural teacher at the University of California, Berkeley and at MIT. Wurster was born in Stockton, California and is strongly associated with the Bay Area and its regional style, along with Wurster’s mentor Bernard Maybeck, the landscape architect Thomas Church, and fellow architect Joseph Esherick. Wurster designed hundreds [...]

Feb

Who Said California Doesn’t Have Season’s?

Posted In: Albany, Berkeley, For the Heck of It

Look at these amazing trees…I snapped these last week in a charming little neighborhood near the Berkeley / Albany border.

Jan

Explore A Neighborhood

Posted In: Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Emeryville, For Buyers, For the Heck of It, Kensington, Neighborhoods, Oakland, Richmond, Schools

Frontdoor.com has a really groovy interactive map for checking out what is available in a particular zip code. Just pop in your zip code and using the nav bar on the right, find schools, cafes and more. Way cool! http://www.frontdoor.com/Explore-The-Neighborhood/

Jan

Future of Point Isabel in Richmond

Posted In: Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond

A developer is proposing to amend Richmond’s general Plan Land Use Map from Light Industrial to a Regional Commercial District, demolish all buildings at 2700 Rydin td and 4903 Central Ave., and construct a 99,000 square foot Kohl’s department store with almost 400 parking spaces near Costco on Pt. Isabel. The plan also inclsudes reservation of a 76,000 square foot pad [...]

Dec

Forbes.com: 10 Best Suburbs to Sell A Home. Berkeley is #1!

Posted In: Berkeley, Economy, For Sellers, General Real Estate News, Local Market Statistics

Berkeley, Calif., known sometimes as a hippie haven, is becoming a hotbed for home sales. Prices in the Bay Area suburb are up 9% this year, with homes selling for a median price of $790,986. Properties are sitting on the market for 73 days on average, the lowest of any area with positive price trends within the confines of the [...]

Dec

Berkeley’s Fourth Street is primed for the holidays

Posted In: Berkeley, For the Heck of It

I went down to Fourth Street in Berkeley last week to do my part to stimulate the economy (ha!). I arrived just as the sun had set, and as I turned the corner from Hearst onto 4th, I was suddenly overcome with joy. Surrounding me was a spectacular parade of lights. Beads of blue and white lights speckled the sky; [...]