Steaming into the Holidays

Your Boulevardier has a small surplus of scraps to post, but is squeezed for time due to other commitments. How can it be that he holidays are already pressing upon us? But it seems that they are. Anyway, a few items are on tap and should appear in the coming days.

Meanwhile, he will report that, while he loves the Castro Valley outlet of Peet's Coffee & Tea, the company really needs to power-wash the area under their outdoor tables. And truly, it would be most neighborly if they would wash the sidewalk all the way to their garbage cans, and around the corner for a few yards on Redwood Road. The rains are coming (we all hope), but they're not going to wash away the sticky stains on the concrete.

Park Renovations Underway

A little over a month ago, Your Boulevardier lamented the condition of the park on Castro Valley Boulevard that includes Castro Valley Creek. One of the architectural elements had been damaged, and some homeless men were noted to be engaged in a loud, profane fight. Your Boulevardier wondered if the park would get more attention with the opening of the new library.

Well, lo and behold, the park is being renovated. It was noted this morning that some trees and shrubbery have been removed; surveyors' stakes around the property indicate, perhaps, the position of landscape features to come. Several massive boulders have been moved onto the property (they're not visible in this photo), indicating perhaps that the naturalistic landscaping theme being used along the creek near the library will be continued to this park.



Your Boulevardier still does not envy the crew that will need to reassemble the bollard.

Obsession in Pink - no, Beige

Your Boulevardier admits to an obsession with the former Carry Outee. Will it become a food place again? (Toula's Gyros was trumpeted, then vanished.) Or will the site -- a large, unsightly lot, currently with a makeshift chain-link fence -- be cleared for a new use? It's one of Castro Valley's enduring questions, perhaps second only to what will happen with the Gemignanis' unopened diner near Rudy's Donuts.

It doesn't answer the question, but one thing has happened to the Carry Outee: the formerly pink building has been painted a mellow dove grey. This happened earlier this week.

Four Castro Valley Murals

Your Boulevardier spent some time over the weekend walking in San Francisco's Mission District and was swept away by the many stunning murals in the neighborhood. Then he realized: though they're not as eclectic, Castro Valley has a few murals of its own. Four are documented here; can you name others? Please click on the photos for larger images.


This mural is on the side of the former Valley Truck, 2625 Castro Valley Boulevard. The place is now a Budget Rent-A-Truck location (Your Boulevardier misses Valley Truck's giant tire sign), and the rental agency has chosen to mar the mural with its drop box and signage. Still, it's a fun mural and very appropriate for the business that formerly resided here.


This natural - perhaps hyper-natural - scene is on the garage door at Castro Valley Companion Animal Hospital, 2509 Lessley Avenue. (It's the same place that has the whimsical three-dimensional sign.)


Another veterinarian's office - this time Boulevard Pet Hospital, 3489 Castro Valley Blvd. - has a fetching collection of animals painted all over its building. The menagerie seems to expand each time Your Boulevardier walks by. (This is where both Chat du Boulevardier and the Trusty BoulevarDog received their care; at times, Your Boulevardier hopes to see their images immortalized too.)


A scene that could easily be at Lake Chabot is actually painted on the wall of Blenzers, 20668 Rustic Drive in Castro Village. Your Boulevardier is surprised that more people don't sit under the eaves at these tables on warm days, but the awnings at Starbucks seem to be more popular.

Burger King Flag Update

Your Boulevardier did not check the flag at the Castro Valley Burger King on Independence Day, but he did today. The flag now flying is bright and clean and proud. If a reader noticed when it was replaced, please say so in the comments. (You can comment anonymously.)

Confirmed: Burger King Flag Has Been Removed

Relating to the earlier post: The flagpole at the Burger King on Castro Valley Boulevard sits empty now; it's hoped that the stars and stripes will be replaced by Independence Day.

On The Surface

It's said that every aphorism has a mirror image -- that is, another adage that is equally accepted as truth, but that has the exact opposite meaning. "Look before you leap" has "He who hesitates is lost." "Out of sight, out of mind" has "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." "Beauty is only skin deep" can be matched with "Put your best foot forward."

Regarding this last pithy pairing, several Castro Valley structures are clearly taking the second saying to heart. Your Boulevardier can name four:

1) The Castro Valley Post Office is getting a new floor in its retail area. And given the condition of the carpet, and the fact that children are often left to crawl about on it, this is a good thing.

2) A section of Castro Village is getting a new roof. Specifically, the portion of the center on Santa Maria, just opposite Swiss Delices; the construction vehicles were blocking a lane of traffic today. (This poor little bakery has had a string of construction operations impairing patron access, starting with an underground project immediately in front of the shop during its grand opening week. The proprietress should earn an award for perseverance.)

3) The building housing Worthington Photography and the Ice Creamery has attractive new paint and a sheathing of slate tiles on its facade.

4) The older portion of JD's has been stripped to the studs. A conversation with the contractor revealed that the building will get a coat of stucco to match the in-progress addition on the back of the restaurant. This business, and its customers, should also have their fortitude recognized.

Not The Flag King

Your Boulevardier returned this last Sunday -- Flag Day -- from a week in Boston. Although the weather was unseasonably wet and cold, the trip was full of delights. From bleacher seats in Fenway Park, a Red Sox victory over the Yankees was witnessed. Parts of the Freedom Trail were walked. Seafood was consumed. Several colleges were visited by Fils de Choux. Some time was spent on the water.

And, of course, in Boston one cannot, and does not want to, escape a proud patriotic streak. American flags, bunting, and general red-white-and-blueness are everywhere.

Perhaps that is why, on a walk this morning, Your Boulevarder noticed, and was particularly distressed by, the flag that flies in front of the Burger King on Castro Valley Boulevard. The once-proud banner hangs sadly faded in a tangled tatter. Even if our West Coast patriotism is, in some minds, not up to Bostonian standards, it's a disgrace and a shame.





Your Boulevardier has combed the Burger King website and has found a Consumer Relations phone number: 305-378-3535. (There is no email address.) Should readers feel so compelled, it would be wonderful if several people called this number to encourage Burger King to replace the flag in time for Independence Day.

Rolling Out the Red Roof

Your Boulevardier apologizes for the dry spell; he has been catching up on work, participating in some musical activities, enjoying a bit of leisure time, helping a friend with a garden project, and hosting visitors for the Bay to Breakers. Posts will resume soon, it is hoped.

Meanwhile, three quick items: the El Rancho STEAK House was getting a new coat of red paint on its roof yesterday. Around the corner, Swiss Delices is open, sorta. (When Your Boulevardier had coffee and pastry there last week, the place was clean and freshly painted, but not well lit and its walls were devoid of artwork; also, sandwiches were not yet being served.) And across Redwood Road from Trader Joe's, El Rancho Supermercado (one does not think it is related to the STEAK House, but could be wrong) has a sign in its window reading "El Rancho Taqueria Finally Opening Summer 2009." (It has been hinted at for a long time; it's not known what the hangup has been.)

More Trash Talk

On his evening constitutional Your Boulevardier noticed this overflowing refuse receptacle by the bus stop next to Safeway on Castro Valley Boulevard.

The Castro Valley Sanitary District will be contacted to inform them of the problem. None of the other trashcans on the Boulevard were similarly stuffed; one does not know if this one gets extra use, or if it was passed over in the last round (or two or seven) of collections.

And speaking of trash receptacles, the earlier post entitled "Yes We Can" about Castro Valley's new residential trashcans has attracted a better-than average number of comments. (Not that one would ever deign to call the esteemed and loyal Wudas "average.") Your Boulevardier is, of course, not an official of the Sanitary District so he cannot answer any of the fine questions posed by readers; however, some of them are addressed here.

And he will describe his own experience with the new cans (which, by the way, the District calls "carts," but Your Boulevardier does not).

The crew came through the Baywood District this last Tuesday delivering the new cans, and the delivery proved to be a strangely hypnotic operation. A flatbed trailer loaded with nested new cans was pulled along slowly by a truck. One worker stood on the moving trailer, putting wheels on each can and dropping it onto the street; another worker rolled one to each home. Another truck came through and collected the older garbage and recycling cans.

For reasons inexplicable, the pick-up vehicle left behind the old-style green-waste cans, even though the new ones for the same purpose had been delivered. As of today, three days later, the green can at Chez Boulevardier has still not been taken away, and Your Boulevardier is close to considering it a gift from the district for use around the yard. One can always use another sturdy trashcan with wheels.

Also of note: a surprising number of homes in the neighborhood have not yet rolled their new cans from the street and back to their yards. Perhaps they do not recognize them as theirs. Or perhaps the new cans are just too new and clean to put trash in. (Your Boulevardier admits that he can relate to this feeling.) Or maybe it's like a baby animal that has been touched by human hands: its mother rejects it because it does not smell right.

Hit the Bench

On Sunday morning Your Boulevardier noticed that the bench and trash receptacle by the Castro Village sign seemed to have taken quite a beating recently.



Anybody know what happened?

Business Exchange Night

Your Boulevardier took advantage of the sunshine this morning and walked into downtown. The streets had been scrubbed clean by the rain (with the exception of the cigarette butts in front of Fura, about which other commenters on this blog have rightfully complained).

Among the things noticed: a poster for Business Exchange Night, sponsored by the Castro Valley Chamber of Commerce and slated for Thursday, February 19 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Transfiguration Parish. Your Boulevardier would like to attend, but he has a prior commitment; if any readers go, please post a report in the comments.

Strobridge Interchange Questions

The new interchange from Eastbound I-580 to Strobridge Avenue appears to be nearing completion. Most barricades have been removed, and crews appear to be in cleanup mode. Still, four questions remain in Your Boulevardier's mind about the project. They are, in no particular order:

How will the odd patch of earth between the freeway and the onramp be maintained? One finds it hard to believe that a crew will get way up there regularly with a lawnmower to tend the narrow strip. Your Boulevardier is no fan of pavement, but it would make sense in this case to not make the area a haven for unwanted vegation.

Will CalTrans remove the fences that run along both sides of Strobridge Avenue under the freeway? It can't be argued that the fence on the west side keeps anyone out, since it stops abruptly on the south side of the underpass with no gate or structure to close the end. For now, all the fence does is collect trash, and it's very rarely cleaned out.

What will happen to the CalTrans corporation yard on the north side of the underpass? Like the aforementioned fence, the yard is an unmaintained haven for trash. Illegal dumping occurs regularly, and many piles of construction materials and debris remain there as well.

What is the purpose of the metal box at the top of the onramp? Will it be relocated, and if so will the temporary barricades and sand barrels around it be removed?

Maintenance of this offramp has long been neglected by CalTrans. Indeed, one of Your Boulevardier's neighbors left the Baywood District because (among other things) he felt the area gave a slumlike first impression, what with the litter and ill-kept homes along Strobridge Avenue. (And, perhaps ironically, this person drove a garbage truck.)

That Seeping Feeling

The strange little building at 2659 Castro Valley Boulevard has long mystified Your Boulevardier. For a while it seemed to be a construction firm that built decks and fences of plastic, but as of late it seems to just be another un- or under-utilized business shack. (Castro Valley has many, a fact that will be documented someday when time permits.)

Yesterday on a stroll along the West End, it was noticed that the ground on either side of the building seems to be oozing water. It's not known if there's a broken pipe underground, or if the water is simply natural percolation or seepage from the hill to the site's south. But regardless of the source, it looks somewhat unsafe for the structure -- and the sidewalk, with a bit of algae building up, is becoming slippery. Below are two views of the property, from the east and west respectively.


Is there a geologist in the house? Can anyone tell what's going on here?

White Christmas on Redwood Road

Your Boulevardier happened to be on the scene shortly after some pranksters soaped a fountain on Redwood Road this afternoon. He supposes that this is vandalism, but it was a good deal of fun to look at -- especially as winds picked up and the soap bubbles drifted in tiny clouds across the busy road.

Remodeling McDonald's

Your Boulevardier notes that the McDonald's on Castro Valley's Fast Food Island is closed for remodeling. This event has been in the planning stages for years, it seems. This morning a cold steel fence kept all but the birds from visiting the Golden Arches. And because the restaurant was not being patronized, and the fries and burger buns on which the pigeons and seagulls had, in the past, feasted were not forthcoming, so the avian scavengers had precious little to do. One telling note as to the abruptness of the property's fencing: copies of USA Today remain in the newsrack by the restaurant's door.

Deep in the recesses of Your Boulevardier's memory, he can recall eating at this restaurant when it was brand new. The building was covered with white tile, and sported several red concrete outdoor tables in lieu of indoor dining then. The structure was spanned by the trademark aureate arcs. The hamburgers cost, if memory serves, twenty-nine cents.

Over the years, the building expanded as its real estate morphed. The playplace was added, and a section of the dining area was segregated as a party room. (Neveau de Boulevardier celebrated at least one birthday there.) The establishment's parking lot grew dramatically, even as the freeway and its offramps encroached.

Automobiles have always been the preferred mode of access to McDonald's, it seems, and pedestrians such as Your Boulevardier took some risks in attempting to walk to the place -- what with motorists juggling too-hot coffee, filing their change, shushing the youngsters, and, oh yes, driving their cars from the drive-through.

But one can say what one will about McDonald's -- Your Boulevardier has concerns about its business practices and the health value of its products -- but the company has maintained its Castro Valley property well through all the changes. On a survey mission this morning, Your Boulevardier noted the lush green lawns, carefully trimmed shrubbery, and crimson Pistache trees along the property's perimeter. Let us hope that the new structure adds some architectural interest and other thoughtful touches, since this site is, for better or worse, one of the gateways to our town.




Postscript, unrelated: On a walk to Valley Java this morning, Your Boulevardier noted that gasoline at the Shop 'N' Save on Stanton Avenue has dipped one tenth of a cent below $2 per gallon.

Wudas Is Right

There are fewer things online that are more pathetic than an abandoned blog. One of those things is a blog with a long hiatus followed by a post reading "Sorry it's been so long since there has been a post."

The Castro Valley Boulevardier falls into the second category.

The usual excuse applies: real life has been busy. Several things have been noted by Your Boulevardier, but he has not taken time to post on them. For example:

• A couple of weekends ago, several of the concrete trash bins on Castro Valley Boulevard were knocked over. They were righted within a day or so.
• Other vandalism seemed to spike as summer drew to a close. The pedestrian overcrossing over Highway 580, frequented by Your Boulevardier, was tagged again, and promptly cleaned up again. Your Boulevardier is pleased that the appropriate authorities are staying vigilant to it.
• Restaurants have come and restaurants have gone. The Indian restaurant in the Village, the Vietnamese place across from Pete's Hardware, and the "Theme Unknown" place by Kragen Auto Parts are among the openings. (Your Boulevardier has not tried any of them.) Closed are Fongs, Peking Village, and Pancho's. Meanwhile, Bangkok 580 fell victim to a takeover robbery.
• The cloudy creek question (the post on which prompted Wudas to remind Your Boulevardier to update the blog) was resolved, and it appears the problem was simply construction erosion upstream. If Your Boulevardier appeared alarmist, he apologizes.
• Your Boulevardier participated in Barefoot Boot Camp at Castro Valley Yoga in the third week of August. The upper body is still complaining, though proud to have made it. It's amazing and heartening to think that a dozen people would be up and exercising at 6:00 a.m. for six consecutive days!
  
• School has opened, and it is pleasing to Your Boulevardier to see children walking to their classes. Still, school zones continue to be dangerous places for pedestrians, what with distracted parents driving their offspring while engaging in telephone conversations, eating breakfast, or attending to their grooming.
  
• For Sale signs, and vacant properties, seem to be appearing more frequently around town, at least in Your Boulevardier's home district of Baywood.
• Your Boulevardier saw a poster for a Green training class co-sponsored by the Castro Valley Sanitary District and the Castro Valley Adult School, upcoming on September 27. More information can be found at the Adult School website (appropriately enough, on Mr. Green's welcome page.)
• A production of Carousel is coming to the Center For The Arts later in September. One can't go wrong with Rogers and Hammerstein.
• Castro Valley product Rachel Maddow is getting a regular MSNBC show. Your Boulevardier does not partake of intense political coverage from any portion of the spectrum, so he has not seen the show; but he knows friends of Maddow's parents, and hears that they are rightfully proud of their daughter.
  

For now, this list of tidbits will have to suffice. Again, Your Boulevardier apologizes for the long drought of new material.

Overpass Gets a Blast

Graffiti-removal crews have worked for two days to clear graffiti from the pedestrian walkway over I-580 connecting the Baywood District with the BART station and downtown Castro Valley. As Your Boulevardier and the Trusty BoulevarDog are regular users of this overpass, its cleaning is most welcome.

A workman on the crew told Your Boulevardier that his firm had been hired by Alameda County to do the work. He said that there had been some conflict between CalTrans and the County over who was responsible for the cleanup but that in the final analysis the responsibility had fallen to the County. He also said that cleanup was not (yet) on a regular schedule, so it would behoove users of the walkway to contact the County when the tags reappear. One can call (510) 670-5500; more information can be found here.

Personally, Your Boulevardier is busy composing a thank-you note to Supervisor Miley. One does not know if he was responsible for the cleanup, but it's good that he knows that graffiti removal is important to residents of Castro Valley.

Ups and Downs

Your Boulevardier and the Trusty BoulevarDog took advantage of today's bright, cool Sunday morning to stroll the West End. Some things in Castro Valley are looking up, and other things in Castro Valley appear a bit downtrodden. A brief catalog of observations:

Upside: Some time was spent at Valley Java, which was as bustling and busy as ever. A new railing around the outdoor seating area provided a hitching post to which the Trusty BoulevarDog could be secured while coffee and a blueberry muffin were procured. It's good to see a locally owned independent coffee place busier than the forlorn Starbucks on Stilts at the corner of The Boulevard and Lake Chabot Road.

Downside: Properties along The Boulevard are in need of maintenance, especially vacant ones. The former rental yard on John Drive, the vacant gas station at the corner of Stanton Avenue, and the landscaping in front of Tony & Ted's Liquors all look pretty shabby.

Upside: Work has resumed in earnest at the future Saigon Bistro (next to Valley Inn). A workman was there this morning, in fact. New windows and granite facing on the building's front are in place. The windows were obscured so Your Boulevardier could not see what has been accomplished inside, but he noted construction-related vehicles in front of the shop earlier this week so he assumes that progress is being made.

Downside: What in the world is going on at Carry Outee? The lot looks more like a dumping ground with each passing day.

Upside: The Rowell Ranch Rodeo is coming, and businesses around town are preparing for our anachronistic Western festival with window paintings, posters, and other decor. Your Boulevardier, it should be known, is a fan of horses but not of rodeo, and looks forward each year to the Rodeo Parade. This year it is on May 10, and as always the real entertainment begins at around 9:30 when the Castro Valley Community Band warms up the crowd.

Downside: The Daily Review has apparently decided to distribute its newspaper for free in some neighborhoods on an occasional trial basis. (If there is a pattern, Your Boulevardier cannot detect it.) Sadly, people who are not in the habit of receiving a newspaper at home are also not in the habit of picking them up from their driveways or yards, so dozens -- perhaps hundreds -- of yellowed, pathetic-looking papers are littering our streets and sidewalks.

Upside: a new business has opened next to Knudsen's Ice Creamery: Jazzy Crafts. Your Boulevardier has not yet visited -- the grand opening was just yesterday -- but it's always exciting to see people pouring their entrepreneurial ambitions into our town. Best of wishes to the proprietors.

Downside: Your Boulevardier notes with a sigh that election season appears to be upon us. Oblivious to irony, sign-posters for Dennis Hayashi and Loni Hancock have been busy piggybacking their placards onto the signboards that tout vacant real estate about town. Is this honestly the association that these candidates want?