Alameda, CA

There I was, on the Tuesday broker's tour for Alameda looking at the listing at 1821 Broadway (one of my clients had shown some fleeting interest in that property). This little home is near the corner of Broadway and Clement.

Across the street on the Northeastern corner of Clement and Broadway there it was. A little non-descript industrial building. Done in the Mission Revival style popular at the time.

The architect William Raymond Yelland, who is most famous for his storybook style buildings was also dabbling in mission revival also.

One of his signature elements was stamped tin weather vanes and other roof ornaments. On a house built on Euclid street in Berkeley were the startled cat tin ornament along the roof ridgeline, a rooster topped the chimney and a flour de les grace a roof peak.

This little industiral building in Alameda has one of these such ornaments. In this case it's a little cabelero cowboy riding a bucking bronco. Age has taken it toll on this wonderful detail, the front half of the horse has withered away into history.

When looking for Yelland's it pays to look up. Considering that commercial property goes for less (around here it's a pretty good investment) this little building would be a great piece of property to fix and bring back to life.

Have a pinic, wind surfing or just walking Alameda's Beach after your children enjoy visiting Crab Cove!

Crab Cove Visitor Center at Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda features all new exhibits opened in April 2004. You can see bay creatures in the 800-gallon aquarium system, use interactive stations for varying age groups to view microscopic animals, build a crab from the inside out, or get a lug worm's view of the mudflats. You'll see amazing depictions of the underwater world of San Francisco Bay. At the Visitor Center you can also plunge into San Francisco Bay without getting wet, or travel back in time to Alameda's colorful past.

These entertaining educational opportunities all have a serious purpose--to increase public understanding of the environmental importance of San Francisco Bay. There is strong emphasis on the interdependence of marine life and shore life and on the urgency of preserving the marine and estuarine environment.

Dedicated to interpreting relationships between people and the earth's marine environment, this center attracts visitors from all over the Bay Area.

A focal point for this educational effort is the Visitor Center's Old Wharf Classroom. There, in a picturesque setting, youngsters and adults alike can learn about such topics as shoreline wildlife and the food chains that sustain all living creatures.

The waterless plunge takes the form of a display case showing a cross-section of bay, with lifelike models of shoreline and underwater animals. Adjacent rooms contain an aquarium and lots of interactive exhibits.

Education continues just outside the center, where the Crab Cove Marine Protected Area, at the foot of McKay Avenue, was designated the first California estuarine marine reserve. Its mud flat and rocky shore area are an important wildlife habitat. A special ramp allows wheelchair users to explore the tidepools at low tide. Collecting or disturbing creatures in this protected area is forbidden, thus preserving a unique shoreline environment for study and education.

Naturalist-guided programs for school groups and other organized groups are available Wednesday through Friday by advance reservation. See the Field Trips page for details or call visitor center at (510) 521-6887. Weekend programs provide exciting opportunities for you to learn about Bay ecology and the local area; download our monthly program guide to see a list of upcoming activities.

Up until the late 1930s, the area now occupied by the visitor center was part of a thriving resort community featuring bathing spas and an amusement park. Later, during and just after World War II, it was the site of the U.S. Maritime Service Officers School, a training base for Merchant Marine commanders. What is now the visitor center building was the base infirmary.

Floridian Investment Group Buys Rights to Alameda's Lagoons.

Mar 27, 2008

ORLANDO, Fla. (Mar. 27, 2008) - Floridian Investment Group has acquired the water rights to the lagoon system in Alameda, California.

"Beginning in the first quarter of 2009, our group will be raising alligators in the lagoons. The West Coast operations will supply zoos, aquariums and theme parks with alligators" said Joe Kingly of The Floridian Investment Group.

"The salt water lagoons are ideal for raising these reptiles" said Kingly. "The constant flushing of the system to and from the bay makes it one of the best locations we have found yet"

Keep your pets and small children away

Kingly warns residents along the lagoon system to be careful when in their backyards barbecuing. "It's just asking for trouble" said Joe Kingly. Keep your pets and small children away from the water and there shouldn't be any problems because the alligators really prefer the water.

The Alameda Citizen's Advisory council sold the water rights to the Floridian Investment Group to help the City of Alameda pay for it's ailing school system. April Ha of the Alameda Citizen's Council stated at the meeting on March 1st "This may also help reduce the school overcrowding issue".

A visitor center will be constructed along Otis Drive across from the Alameda Towne Center.

About Floridian Investment Group Floridian Investment Group, a member of Global Organic Ocean Farming(NYSE: GOOF) family of companies, is the world's largest alligator related business, as measured by the number of alligators currently being raised. Floridian Investment Group is headquartered in Orlando, Florida, and is supported by more than 1,200 employees globally.

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Media Contact:
Joe Kingly - Manager, Corporate Communications
Floridan Investment Group
(510) 334-7800
mailto:Joe.Kingly@AlamedaAligatorfarms.com

Happy April Fool's Day

Well, I'm back from a little break. This time we hit the Rhine River from Amsterdam to Frankfurt with stops in Dusseldorf, Cologne and more. Now, back to the real estate market...and real estate blogging!

I love Ikea as much as the next person, but sometimes you need something a little different. One of the great ways to find unique and affordable home decor ideas is to hit the Alameda Point Antique and Collector's Faire. This where many of the East Bay's top interior designers and home stagers get their goods, so why shouldn't you have a chance at them, too?

I've been meaning to write about the Alameda Point Antique and Collector's Faire for quite some time, but now I don't have to because the SF Chronicle has just run a terrific article about the place. It is a great read full of tips and guidance on navigating about 750 vendors and bumping elbows with about 9000 other early-rising shoppers.

Here are some of the main tips shared in the article:

• Get there early. Very early! The gates open at 6pm and eager shoppers are already waiting in line.
• If you see something you like, buy it. It probably won't be there when you come back.
• Feel free to haggle. One designer recommends asking "How much are you asking?" as opposed to "How much is it?"
• Some shoppers like the new vendors on the far side because they may not be as savvy as the old-time vendors
• Grab a map and take notes so you don't get lost.
• Prices usually drop as the day goes on so that vendors don't have to cart stuff back.

The Faire occurs the first Sunday of each month, so mark your calendars for April 6th. The admission cost is $15 each, but it goes down in price as the day gets later.

This article is a fun read and really gives you everything you need to know about the Alameda Point Antique and Collector's Faire. And, if you ever have questions about interior design and home staging in the East Bay, just let me know. I'm always happy to help. I can be reached at 510-547-5970 x57 or MSmartt@jps.net.

Alameda's history so much revolves around the resort era and San Franciscans summering here across the bay. It would be nice to honor that history with something that brings it back.

I would like to toss the idea out that it is possible to create a modern tribute to Neptune Beach's history.

A company called LANDRY restaurants built a restaurant complex called the Kemah Boardwalk near Houston Texas. Landry's which owns, Cadillac Bar & Grill, Rainforest Cafe, Aquarium, Saltgrass Steakhouse, Joe's Crab Shack and The Chart House located all these concepts together with some boardwalk styled attractions, shops and even a hotel.

Landry's could do something similar with the area just to the west of the town center in the area near the current McDonald's, County Court House and Post office.

Here is a link to the Kemah Boardwalk. Http://www.kemahboardwalk.com

Just an idea I have at the back of my mind. Not that Alameda would ever go for something like this. Alameda has been known to be very cautious when it comes to growth.