five-one-oh

Living local, urban design, sustainability, landscape architecture, and places in the East Bay. Design that works where it is.

Berkeley Rocks

You really have to see Berkeley’s rocks. Ancient rock outcroppings are not so unusual in California, but the way North Berkeley’s neighborhoods integrated the boulders into the built landscape is pretty awe-inspiring. Indian … Continue reading

February 24, 2015 · 3 Comments

Art, Anti-Fracking & Asian Food

Density, diversity, and being  part of a larger urban context enlivens Oakland and other Bay Area Cities and makes them exciting places to live and visit. Saturday, Jan and I skipped the … Continue reading

February 10, 2015 · 2 Comments

Placemaking

I’ve been posting about all things local here in the East Bay. What about you and the place where you live? What do you love about your neighborhood? What would make it even … Continue reading

February 3, 2015 · 1 Comment

The Vibe is Still Groovy at the Trident, Sausalito

During the 1960s and 70s, you could have bumped into Janis Joplin, enjoyed an impromptu concert by Bob Dylan, or had Robin Williams bus your table at a natural foods restaurant in Sausalito: the … Continue reading

January 27, 2015 · Leave a comment

Hidden Walk in Sausalito

Jan and I love to hike in beautiful open space areas like the East Bay Regional Parks, Joaquin Miller Park, or Mount Tamalpais, but sometimes we also enjoy exploring urban areas. The residential … Continue reading

January 13, 2015 · Leave a comment

Plank

Jack London Square once had a Barnes & Noble bookstore for an anchor. As of October, the new tenant is Plank. Plank features fun. A cacophony of noisy, frolicking, frivolous … Continue reading

January 6, 2015 · 2 Comments

Longfellow: A Vibrant Neighborhood

I read a thoughtful blog post a few weeks ago from The Girl Next Door is Black, and it inspired me to write about Longfellow. For the last few years, I’ve worked and walked in Longfellow, … Continue reading

December 2, 2014 · 1 Comment

Whistling Past the Graveyard

People in Oakland have great places to walk. There’s the East Bay Regional Parks, Lake Merritt, the Bay Trail, Arrowhead Marsh, Joaquin Miller Park, and a bunch of stairway walks through … Continue reading

November 25, 2014 · Leave a comment