Places Of Note

That Fresh Industrial Air Problem

There’s no question that Oakland mixes up the good and bad, and air quality falls in this camp too.  You can breathe fresh air in the hills, and smog isn’t part of our language.  If you are near the industrial zones or freeways, then expect to take in a more toxic stew.

Industrial pollution is impacting the health of Oaklanders. Take a look at this Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) map from last year, showing asthma emergencies.   The darker colors show the worst rates for kids, and you can see the absolutely worst areas surrounding the Port of Oakland – at two to three times the rate of other places.

Alameda County Asthma

Health Impacts Are Real

According to an Alameda County study, the pollution impacts West and North Oakland residents over the long haul.  Research shows there’s a 2.5x greater lifetime risk of  cancer for these Oaklanders versus all Bay Area residents.

The study claimed that 71% of the risk comes from truck traffic and that residents breathe three times more diesel particles.  In West Oakland alone, researchers concluded that risks could be as high as five-fold indoors and nine-fold outdoors.

Not surprisingly, more people living below the poverty line also live closer to the pollution.  About twice as many poor live within one mile of toxic release sites (13.4%) than 2.5 miles away (7.4%).  The pollution is visible to local kids, who are learning that soot at home comes from Port activity.

Some Schools Present Risks

The connection between children’s health and nearby pollutants is well-documented, and the California Legislature even passed a law prohibiting new school construction closer than 500 feet from roads with 100,000+ vehicles daily.  That’s a good start, but where does that leave Oakland today?

It turns out that Oakland has seven schools located near high-traffic freeways, among the ten grandfathered schools in Alameda County. There are no remediation plans for these older schools. Additionally there are 47 schools in Alameda County next to roads with 25,000-100,000 vehicles daily.

What Should Be Done?

Alameda County health officials have proposed a series of fixes, and some seem quite plausible.  Truck traffic could be controlled better, by eliminating trucks in residential neighborhoods and enforcing no-idling laws near schools.  Additionally, the schools near freeways could be retrofit with heating and ventilation system upgrades if funded.

Of course, there are bigger picture recommendations from the health officials which seem beyond scope.  Shippers and truckers should be focused on reducing their emissions, though the green incentives and approaches are tough for Oakland to tackle on its own.

It’s a difficult balancing act.  The Port of Oakland is an important part of our economy, which means we generally welcome the truck traffic through the city.   Yet the health impact on nearby residents is undeniable, and we must figure out how to be kinder and gentler – we don’t live in the Third World.

How Home Values Look These Days

For all you armchair realtors, here are the latest home values.  Since we reported at year end, both median and average prices declined but they haven’t literally crashed.  The big adjustment was last summer, so it’s about steady malaise for now.

Within our 94611 zip code, AOL Real Estate reported the average price dropped from $939,185 in mid-December to $874,040 in mid-February, or 6.9% over two months.  Cyberhomes separately reported a $786,852 median in mid-December, down 3.2% from prior month.

Since the zip code doesn’t tell a complete story, I reached out for advice from realtor Deidre Joyner.  We ended up discussing Montclair real estate over a cuppa coffee, and she recently blogged about the district.  Suffice to say, there are special challenges when selling in the hills.

Brubeck In Montclair

Our topography creates hurdles:

Montclair conjures images of a hillside forest, with houses tucked into nooks and crannies.  Often you see homes perched on the hills, which take engineering ingenuity to remain upright.  At the far end of the scale are tree houses, like the cool place where jazz great Dave Brubeck raised his family.

We love living here, but it turns out these picture-perfect perches aren’t terribly practical for buyers.  Since we’re in the downturn, these preferences become more obvious.  One perfect home won’t sell because there are too many stairs, while another one gets picked up far more quickly.

While several comps had been listed for 80+ days, Deidre Joyner recalled a listing which “stood out from the rest and every buyer knew it.”  Sure enough this home offered easy access, a flatter layout, backyard and patio – and there were multiple offers last summer.  It’s not easy to find horizontal gems among the verticals here!

We have five distinct market zones:

When trying to figure out Montclair values, everything hinges on the topography.  There are differences based on homes situated in the forests or more open spots.  Of course, the homes vary around the district, including originals, sweet renovations, newer homes or palatial estates.

Joyner took a look at Montclair statistics including recent sale prices, prices/sq ft, days on market and overall home condition.  Although there’s no “true formula,” she was able to define five distinct zones with different home values:

  • Piedmont side of Montclair – west of Rt 13 and next to the City of Piedmont
  • Piedmont Pines – between Ascot and Shepherd Canyon roads
  • Fernwood – just off Thornhill and within walking distance to the Village
  • Broadway Terrace – between Thornhill and Broadway Terr, east of Rt 13
  • Montclair – other neighborhoods known simply as Montclair

So it’s worth tuning into this hyper-local view of the real estate market.  We’ll continue to look at the 94611 trends, along with other smoke signals from these locations – realtors, please help us.  The numbers continue to soften, and who knows how long this recession will last.

How Oakland Looks To Hip San Franciscan

Let’s take a moment to smile about how Oakland looks to a hip San Franciscan and her friends.  This now-former Yahoo employee commuted from San Francisco to Sunnyvale daily, and decided to map her commute a while ago.

You can see the length of her daily drive and world view, in a thick blue line running 36 miles along 101S.   It’s a classic and traffic-filled journey that she endured for many years.

Perception Of Oakland

The ex-Yahoo displayed the whole Bay Area map, and began annotating areas beyond the commute.  A friend joined the game, and described an unknown and unexplored East Bay:  The mysterious land to the East.  Here be Berkeley and Oakland (and dragons).

I wonder how often some San Franciscans leave their tip of land and head east?  Maybe Marco Polo should be shipped out on an adventure, to find the shortest routes to spices.  I swear there is already a there, there…we’re here and willing to conduct trade.

Perception Of 94611

Then our commuter pointed to the Oakland Hills again, singling out what appears to be our 94611 zip code:  This is the mysterious section known as “French Oakland.”  They speak in an entirely different dialect over there.

At least we all speak the same language, right?  I could not have described our world any better than this hip chick, who has only passing interest in our city.  Touche.

Artistic Merits Of The Bay Bridge

As a commuter, the Bay Bridge can become something you barely even notice – except for the traffic delays as you scurry back and forth.

Yet if you slow down, our beloved “number two” bridge displays its artistic merits in spades.  Here’s a quickly-curated photography exhibit that reveals the elegance and moods of this work-a-day bridge.

Bay Bridge Alignment

“Alignment” – Our first photograph provides nice contrast between the man-made structures and well-lit sky above.  It almost looks like the bridge towers and skyscrapers were built in a formal alignment.

Bay Bridge Industrial

“Industrial” – This next image highlights the scale of the bridge, compared to the surrounding land.  We can marvel about the bridge’s construction in the 1930s, and understand why it takes billions to support infrastructure now.

Bay Bridge Peaceful

“Peaceful” – In this third photo, the bridge fits perfectly within the serene landscape.  It seems to be a welcomed icon when viewed from the San Francisco Embarcadero, right at water’s edge.

Bay Bridge Streaming

“Streaming” – Finally, this bridge of streaming light just screams at you.  The photographer creates the sensation that you are entering an alternate or virtual universe here.  What intensity!

So that concludes our quick photography exhibit of the Bay Bridge.  The next time you are trying to cool your heels in the maze or are crawling eastward through the second level dungeon, maybe you’ll pause and appreciate – rather than curse – this amazing bridge.

Last Minute Holiday Lights

2011 Lights Update:  These displays are all-aglow now.  Zoolights run through January 1st and prices are $7.50/adult and $5.50/kid, and members receive a $1 discount.  The  Mormon Temple is free as usual, shining through the New Year.

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After Christmas passes, it’s not too late to check out the last minute holiday lights – but it does take more than just driving by and noticing them.  You do have to stop, take a breath and walk around a bit.

The Zoo: First check out Zoolights, which is filled with animal and nature scenes honoring the Oakland Zoo’s residents.  As a preview, look at this beautiful display with elephants wandering around the place.

Luckily the Zoo (map) runs this show through January 4th.  It opens at 5:30 pm all week, and closes at 9:00 pm  (Mon-Thur) or 9:30 pm (Fri-Sun).  It costs $7.50/adult and $6.50/kids, and parking is free.

 

Oakland Zoolights - 2008

The Temple: Another pit-stop should be the Mormon Temple in Oakland, just a five-minute drive down Highway 13 (map).  While this YouTube video is sort of shaky, you see the huge palm-trees and other lights on a very grand scale.  Regardless of your own religion or politics, this amazing display is worth seeing in person.

The Streets: You can’t go wrong just wandering Montclair streets, with all the lights hidden in nooks and crannies.  Generally the decorations are fairly understated but even a few strings of outdoor lights – on fences, garages, a few trees, and houses – make things feel nice and festive.

If you haven’t scoped your own block or two, then bundle up and wander around tomorrow evening.  For the more ambitious, try this great walking map, so you can plan your route beforehand.  It’s all pretty ephemeral, but we have time to slow down and appreciate things throught the holiday season.