Odds and Ends

The deliberate -- some would say slower -- pace of a Boulevardier allows one to see the small things that may escape the notice of persons who rarely leave their cars. On several walks around Castro Valley over the last few days, Your Boulevardier has noticed a few things -- some large, some small -- that are of note.

Reconstruction of the Valley Antiques store at the corner of Grove Way and Redwood Road has finally begun. A fire there some months ago has closed the shop, which -- when Your Boulevardier was un petit garçon -- was once a Rexall Drug Store. The Mexican market next door has continued operations -- the fire did not seem to affect it much. The entire shopping center, and the parking area behind it, are in dire need of a serious cleanup.

Small, hastily printed signs in the windows of JD's say that the main electrical box at the restaurant has exploded, and that repairs are expected on Monday, July 30. Walk-up patrons were surprised to find the Castro Valley institution closed.

Remodeling of the shopping center in which Treible's Stationery is is anchor tenant is complete, and Your Boulevardier is impressed with the results. (He will be even more impressed when the plantings grow out and vines cover the arbor surrounding the building.) The upgrade was completed with the help of Alameda County's Facade Improvement Program. The shops across the parking lot have also received a pleasing paint job. The proprietor of Treible's told Your Boulevardier that he is considering re-opening the door to the store that lies on Santa Maria Avenue now that the landscaping there provides a welcoming path. If that's to happen, the placement and maintenance of the shopping center's trash receptacles will also need to be addressed.

Your Boulevardier walked through the tail end of the Grand Opening Fair at Eden Bicycles on Saturday afternoon. It seemed to be a festive and well-attended event. Stunts were being performed on a ramp in the shop's parking area; fat-free persons with duck feet, aerodynamic eyewear, and tight clothing clomped around the lot, and impressively loud hip-hop music was being played by a live DJ.

While in the Village, a head was poked into Aran's Colour and Glaze Studio, which has moved across the parking lot. The new space looks very nice, but unfortunately Haim's Cafe is no longer part of the operation. Since Kampus Korner, the falafel stand at CSUEB, closed -- forced out of business by an over-aggressive national food concessionaire -- Aran's was one of the few places in the Hayward-Castro Valley area to get a good falafel. Alas. Of course, one can still glaze pottery there.

And speaking of Village dining establishments, the Castro Valley Breakfast Lions Club is once again sponsoring its Restaurant Walk on August 21 from 6-8 p.m. The sketchiest of details can be found here.

Across the Boulevard from the Village, it appears that a car has struck the front of Knudsen's Ice Creamery. The far-left window is temporarily replaced with plywood, and a dent is apparent in the stucco. Your Boulevardier would be interested in any details readers might have of the incident.

The old adage that "what goes around comes around" still holds here in town. The news media have already reported that Albertsons stores will be rebranded as Lucky markets. That effort is well underway inside at the Castro Valley store; the old-style script logo is already splashed on the store's walls. The sign outside continues to read Albertsons, for the time being.

Lastly, Your Boulevardier has something to say about the sidewalks around Hollywood Video, but is saving that comment for its own post.