Lengths and Breaths

Your Boulevardier is once again hosting the Subcompact Loaner this weekend, and the sun is shining, so this morning was a good one to get out for a long walk on Castro Valley Boulevard. The first stop on our journey was Valley Java, where Your Boulevardier feels safe tying up the SL for a brief moment. (His unease with doing so at busier, more exposed places is explained here.) Our arrival occurred before the church rush, so the shop was quiet, with only a few customers at the tables and soft jazz audible over the hubbub.

Your Boulevardier was tempted to take a peek at the hospital construction site, but opted instead to head east on the Boulevard. It was noted that the ARCO station at Wisteria Street is closed due to an Alcoholic Beverage Control violation. Interesting to note that they're not selling gas during this shutdown; could it be that the Patrón and Pabst brings in more money than the Petrol?



From there the Post Office was visited. Although the sign announced that dogs were not welcome, Your Boulevardier broke the rules and walked the Subcompact Loaner into the building to check his box. Then the Village was passed through; bowlers were already arriving for their morning observances.

Near Peet's, Your Boulevardier had a chance encounter with Paul, the husband of Soeur de Boulevardier. (If there is a colloquial French phrase for "brother-in-law," Your Boulevardier does not know it.) Paul asked if Your Boulevardier was "walking a mop" -- recall that the Subcompact Loaner is a small, white, hairy dog -- and other family news was shared. From there, Your Boulevardier ambulated through the shopping center behind the Wachovia branch that will become Castro Valley's Wells Fargo Bank this coming April. He confirmed that many of the storefronts in the center are vacant, though there is a dentist, a real estate agent, a title company, a hair salon, and a tutoring company in business.

The Boulevard was crossed at Yeandle Avenue -- Rudy's was passed without ducking in, since Your Boulevardier is trying to limit his intake of sweets -- and the under-construction path from Castro Valley Boulevard to the Castro Valley Library was explored. (The work seems to have been stalled by the recent rains.) A book was returned using the Library's nifty self-service electronic scanner, after which the creek was inspected from the footbridge. The streamflow is far calmer than it was just a few days ago, due to the recent dry spell. (Your Boulevardier finds our town's creeks thrilling when they're raging, but much more pleasant when they're just flowing peacefully.)




The rest of the walk to Chez Boulevardier was without incident or observation worthy of reporting. It was a fine morning for a walk, though; the air is clean and smells fresh, the sidewalks and crosswalks are passable (no major flooding or mud traps were encountered) and the sun shone brightly. A fine close to the month of January.

Twilight Walks

The rains continue to drench Castro Valley, but on two successive late afternoons Your Boulevardier has been able to get out and walk the town. On Monday night he ventured onto Castro Valley Boulevard, first passing through residential neighborhoods as area residents rolled their trash carts to the curb. This evening he braved the post-work grocery store rush at the Lucky supermarket. It's a wonderful time to walk, as the town transitions from the workday world to the home and hearth. Lights glow in windows, but shades are not yet drawn; neighbors are chatting as they haul groceries or check mail; yes, people are eager to get home, but the pace seems gentler, more restful, than at mid-day.

A walker sees that a certain amount of post-storm detritus litters the sidewalks and clogs the gutters. But from what little he saw, Your Boulevardier believes that the town has come through the weeklong-plus deluge in good shape.

There are exceptions, of course. The interchange construction at Redwood Road and I-580 is shut down -- and flooded, on the east side. (A FOB who works for the firm doing the project says that, currently, just 1% of the company’s heavy equipment is in active use statewide.) Just up the road, the demolition of the Center Street offramp from I-580 has paused as well, due perhaps to the creation of a sizeable temporary lakelet next to the freeway.

Your Boulevardier has not checked on how the rains are affecting the other big construction project in town, the building of a new Eden Hospital. However, he was impressed by the seven-phase construction plan recently posted on the hospital’s website by civil engineer Jeff Moore of the Castro Valley-based firm Greenwood & Moore. Reading it is recommended.

And frankly, Your Boulevardier was surprised -- and very pleased -- to read that a local firm is so intimately involved in the hospital project. And he is surprised that Sutter Health has not made a bigger deal out of the fact. Your Boulevardier has walked past the Greenwood & Moore offices on Castro Valley Boulevard hundreds of times and never knew what went on up there. Now the veil is lifted, however slightly. (Not that the firm is mysterious; rather, Your Boulevardier does not have need of civil engineering in his daily life, and has precious little knowledge of what a civil engineer does.)

Continuing our survey of storm effects, Your Boulevardier has not traveled to Lake Chabot to see the precipitation’s impact on the town’s main waterway. If readers have reports, please consider adding them to the comments. (One can do so anonymously.)

But back to the rain’s effects on local business establishments. The enterprises Your Boulevardier visited did not have telltale buckets catching roof leaks. Restaurants seemed fairly busy; bowlers and barflies were practicing their arts; hot coffee was being dispensed with caffeinated vigor; young people danced and kicked and chopped while their parents waited, sometimes impatiently, for after-school classes to finish. Pete’s Hardware seemed to do a brisk business in tarps, galoshes, and other rain-related retail items. Perhaps the hair-and-nail salons were a bit slow, but they always seem to have empty chairs when Your Boulevardier peeks through their windows.

Skies are forecast to be cloudy but dry for a couple of days, with a chance of rain returning on Friday. (Your Boulevardier will again be hosting the Subcompact Loaner this coming weekend, so walking weather is hoped for.) One should not put away the slicker just yet, but we should all attempt to enjoy the respite from the damp while we can. Perhaps another evening walk is called for.

The Dog-Walking Experience

It was a year ago today that the Trusty BoulevarDog left us. She has been much on Your Boulevardier’s mind on this anniversary weekend, in part because the Subcompact Loaner is spending a few days Chez Boulevardier. To re-enter the rhythms of dog ownership -- the joys and the complications thereof -- has been an eye-opening reminder of the Trusty BoulevarDog’s absence.

The now-absent dog-owning experience comes into particular focus in the twice- or thrice-daily walks that the Subcompact Loaner requires. She has been an enthusiastic walker these last couple of days, particularly for an animal of her tiny size. Walks of three miles have been undertaken without complaint or signs of exhaustion. The walks require the packing of poop bags (and a flashlight in the evening); the constant scanning of fellow pedestrians to determine those who do desire, or who do not wish, canine contact; the instant camaraderie that a dog-walker shares with other dog-walkers; and more. These factors, and others, make walking with a dog more complicated, but also more joyful and mindful, than walking on one’s own.

(On these walks, both on Stanton and Anita Avenues, our town’s patchwork of sidewalks, and the complications therefrom, have also become painfully apparent. But Your Boulevardier has complained enough about that subject of late.)

There’s an outing-related complication with walking the Subcompact Loaner that did not exist with the Trusty BoulevarDog: the Subcompact Loaner is tiny and, frankly, snatchable. The Trusty BoulevarDog was a good companion for a walk to the grocery store or the barbershop because she could be tied up outside without issue or complaint. She was mellow, but because she was medium-to-large in size and bore markings similar to those of a German Shepherd, she was not messed with by strangers. The Subcompact Loaner, by contrast, is less than 10 pounds in weight, light-colored, fluffy, and just plain cute. Sadly, a dog with those characteristics cannot be left outside a shop for 20 minutes without tempting fate. Sadly, not all people who claim to be dog-lovers are upstanding citizens. Look at all the abandoned dogs at the pound if you disagree.

This is a roundabout way of saying that walks with the Subcompact Loaner tend to be single-purpose outings: to walk the dog. They can’t be combined with dining out, or shopping, or other errands. That is a shortcoming of the Subcompact Loaner -- not a shortcoming of her own making or fault, but a shortcoming nonetheless that must be considered.

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Rereading this post from the top, two things strike Your Boulevardier. One, the post is more about the Subcompact Loaner than about the Trusty BoulevarDog. That’s as it should be. The Trusty BoulevarDog is remembered with love, but she is no longer here; the Subcompact Loaner is, and therefore deserves the attention. This does not, in Your Boulevardier’s opinion, take anything away from the Trusty BoulevarDog or her memory; it simply acknowledges the real world in which some of us are fortunate to live. Memory is a lovely thing, but life is more lovely.

Second, this post might be interpreted as complaining a bit about the Subcompact Loaner. That is not Your Boulevardier’s intention. She’s a fine dog and an entertaining companion. She has many positive attributes, including a skill for lap-sitting that Your Boulevardier finds comforting. She has a joie de vivre that's hard to match.

People frequently ask Your Boulevardier if he plans to get another dog. The stock answer -- which is true -- is “Not for now. It’s nice to be able to simply turn down the thermostat and lock the door when leaving the house. And it’s nice to not have tumbleweeds of dog fur rolling around the floor.”

But it also must be said that having another heartbeat in the house is life-affirming, and by re-experiencing it this weekend its absence is more clear. And there’s nothing that compares with the welcome a dog gives one when one returns home, even if one has ony been gone for a few minutes. There were countless delights in living with the Trusty BoulevarDog, and it’s a delight to host the Subcompact Loaner.

So, the next-dog question remains open. This post will close with a favorite photo of the two dogs. The contentment of them -- and, frankly, the humor of one large dog pouring out of its bed while a tiny dog disappears into its bed -- gives Your Boulevardier a happy feeling on a rainy, melancholy day.

Why we love the Village Barber Shop

Your Boulevardier had a tough day today. He hit his desk early in the morning, without bathing or shaving. (Such are the privileges of working at home.) Lunch was eaten at the desk. Such days can be fun and exciting, but they can also be exhausting.

Around 3:00 p.m. a window of time opened up. If exercise was to be gotten, this was the opportunity. So a jacket and walking shoes were pulled on, and course was set for The Boulevard. The bank and post office were visited, after which Your Boulevardier cut through Castro Village on his way to Redwood Road.

He found his barber, Terence "Limbo" Lim, sitting on a bench outside the Village Barber Shop. Cordial conversation ensued, and soon Limbo invited Your Boulevardier in for a free trim.

Now remember: the desk had been hit this morning before bathing. To say Your Boulevard was a bit unkept is an understatement. "C'mon in, buddy. I'm not doing anything anyway," Limbo insisted. The offer was accepted. Jokes were made by other barbers that Limbo would be fired for giving away free trims.

It was a perfect treat for an otherwise-tiring day. A major tip of the Beret goes to the Village Barbershop and to Limbo. Thank you!

Sidewalks Are Optional

Your Boulevardier mentioned a few days ago that curb cuts and ramps were being constructed around town and that he was certain he had seen ramps in locations where there were no sidewalks.

Turns out one such ramp is among those recently built: this one at Redwood Road and Jamison Way. There are uneven dirt paths on either side of the new concrete ramp, and on the Jamison Way side there are multiple obstacles -- a signpost and a telephone pole guy wire -- that would prevent a wheelchair or double-wide stroller from approaching. The photo does not do the situation justice.



Your Boulevardier is not opposed to public works or government spending, but he does not like waste. Can readers convince Yours Truly that this ramp serves any purpose, and was therefore a good use of public funds?

Your Boulevardier's Foolproof Plan for Balancing California's Budget

Step 1: Post a CHP officer at the Redwood Road onramp to westbound I-580.

Step 2: Ticket all motorists who don't yield to pedestrians in in the crosswalk, don't stop for a red light, and/or talk on their phones without using a hands-free device.

Problem solved!

Curbing Your Enthusiasm

Some government money must have broken loose somewhere, because there's a rash of sidewalk ramp installations going on around Castro Valley.

Your Boulevardier noticed the pylons and diggers on Redwood Road north of Castro Valley Boulevard last week. Today, he found several demolitions on The Boulevard. The two photos below were taken at Stanton and Strobridge respectively.

Certainly when the projects are complete the sidewalks and curb cuts will be better for pedestrians -- particularly those in wheelchairs or parents pushing strollers. But for the time being, the work makes getting around quite difficult. The construction at Stanton is particularly disruptive to pedestrians because there is a) no warning that the work is coming; and b) no way around it except to walk in traffic. This at an intersection where motorists rarely bother to look for pedestrians in the first place.


The demolition at Strobridge is curious because the crews have removed only the middle part of an already-existing ramp. Your Boulevardier assumes this is to put down the sort of bumpy rubber surface that many such ramps have.

The strangest ramp installations in Castro Valley occur where there are no sidewalks. (Longtime readers may recall postings in which Your Boulevardier griped about the mysterious pride some Castro Valleyans have in their lack of sidewalks; to some, it's a contributor to our "rural feel." To Yours Truly, lack of sidewalks only contributes to muddy shoes in the winter and impolite, pedestrian-hostile parking year-round.) Your Boulevardier knows he has seen some of these unattached ramps, but has not cataloged them for publication here. Perhaps he will do so in the near future.

Post-Holiday Blues ... and Reds

On his walk today Your Boulevardier noticed several broken windows on Castro Valley Boulevard. Specifically, a window at Crush Comics was boarded up, and a window and two glass doors at Direct Sales were secured with plywood or tape and awaiting repair. It's a shame to think that holiday revels in Castro Valley got so out of hand that vandalism was the result, but it so appears. Do readers have any more information about these happenings?

By way of contrast, nature was having none of the human-caused havoc. The morning skies were clear and cold, and the few remaining leaves and berries on deciduous plants were calling for attention, as evidenced by these fruits appearing on a shrub on Redwood Road.



The clear winter weather just begs for long, objective-free walking, in the opinion of Yours Truly. It (the weather, that is) is not supposed to last; off-and-on rain is predicted for the rest of the week. Your Boulevardier has professional work to catch up on, and so, in a way, he hopes the inclement weather comes; it will force him to stay at his desk and complete the projects before the New Year arrives.

Ramping Up

Progress continues on the Highway 580 / Redwood Road interchange. For a long time the work seemed largely confined to the south side of the freeway, but in the last few weeks crews have taken out trees, built a retaining wall, and carved off a portion of the Spencer Mortuary parking lot for the westbound offramp. (Click the photo for a larger view.)



The pace of the project is to be commended -- especially when compared with the interchange modifications at Strobridge Avenue. Your Boulevardier commented on the problems with this project way back in January; only recently has the vacant lot been cleaned up, but the trash along the fence under the freeway remains, and lanes -- both on Strobridge and on the eastbound onramp -- continue to be inexplicably blocked off. (Your Boulevardier does not refer to the closing of Strobridge at Gary Drive, which he approves of in spite of the fact that it makes access to his own neighborhood more difficult.)

Back to the Redwood Road interchange, a number of questions remain in Your Boulevardier's mind, regarding both the roads and the sidewalks. He will post these questions in the near future. Meanwhile, as a pedestrian, he hopes the walk/don't walk signs and buttons will be connected soon.

Near Misses

Twice on his morning walk today, Your Boulevardier was nearly struck by cars while in a crosswalk. Both episodes happened when drivers were making right turns on red lights; both rolled through the crosswalks and were looking left for cross traffic, not seeing the pedestrian -- yours truly -- approaching from the right. In both circumstances, the drivers did not seem to acknowledge the fact that they endangered a person. And in both circumstances, law enforcement was nowhere nearby.

After the second incident, which was frighteningly close and in which the car was traveling at very high speed, Your Boulevardier started to imagine elaborate revenge fantasies. If only he had had a few pieces of very ripe fruit at the ready to lob at the cars! Better: if only he had had a squirt bottle of garish nail polish to squirt on the passing car! (Best case scenario in this version would be that the driver would not notice the polish until later in the day, when the enamel had hardened to an industrial-strength sheen.) Or maybe this: one could roll a watermelon under the car as it passed, then quickly sit on the ground; the driver would feel a bump, look in his rearview, see a red splat and a person, and have a heart attack.

A deep breath is called for. Two wrongs don't make a right.

Motorists, please remember California Vehicle Code section 21453(b), which includes this language: "A driver making [a right turn on a red light] shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk".

Dogs Spotted Yesterday

Your Boulevardier was happy to see two dogs sitting quietly at the feet of their owners who dined on the outdoor patio of Rigatoni's yesterday, mid-day. One was a large golden retriever-style dog (perhaps a mutt) and the other was a small grey terrier of some sort.

Kittycorner, near Chipotle, a young woman walked an energetic white standard poodle -- one with the traditional-yet-seldom-seen "Dutch Clip" poodle haircut.

As Autumn Arrives

Your Boulevardier made an after-dinner circuit of downtown Castro Valley this evening, walking first to the Chabot Cinema to view a truly bizarre movie, All About Steve, and then completing a few errands.

The warm evening air and the fingernail moon were, it seems, enticing to others as well. For a weeknight, the town was buzzing with people. Starbucks, Yogofina, and the Ice Creamery all had crowds; packs of teenagers wandered the streets (clumps of boys in their big shirts and cockeyed hats, trying to look hard, trailed by equally sized clumps of girls in tanks and flipflops, texting as they walked). Bicyclists practiced tricks in the parking lot by Blockbuster, while car buffs admired each others' vehicles near Safeway.

Among his errands: Your Boulevardier took a few cuttings (for rooting, even though this is the wrong time of year to do so) from the lantana in front of Chateau Fiebig. The building itself may be an architectural monstrosity, but the colors of the flowers in front of it are wonderful.

Stylish Sidewalk

Your Boulevardier notes that the Redwood Road sidewalk under I-580 -- the one on the west side, closest to the BART station -- has reopened. The new wall of faux stone in various golden hues is quite attractive. Let us hope it does not receive the attention of taggers.

The sidewalk on the opposite side of the street -- that is, next to Spencer's Mortuary -- is now closed, and Your Boulevardier assumes it will get the same stylish treatment as part of the road widening. Your Boulevardier found out about this closure the hard way last night while walking from downtown to Trader Joe's. Fortunately, the temporary barricades were easy to hop.

Sunday Buzz

Your Boulevardier and the Subcompact Loaner walked to Valley Java this morning. We have three observations:

1) The construction of the 238-Strobridge interchange seems to have stopped at about 90 percent of completion. Though the ramps themselves are finished, cones (or whatever one calls those upright orange pylons with the black bases that are glued to the pavement) and striping are all that, to this layman's eyes, remain to be completed. Along with regular trash removal, of course.

2) The congregants of the Neighborhood Church may be fine people, but they really don't seem to care much about pedestrians and small dogs who are trying to cross Castro Valley Boulevard. A little more observation and courtesy would be appreciated. Please, friends: at least pretend to stop at the limit line -- that's the first line of the crosswalk -- before turning right onto John Drive.

3) The activity level at Valley Java was, at least at this visit, considerably lower than it used to be. Maybe Peet's has siphoned off some of the business, or perhaps the decamping of Judge Peggy Hora to parts east has caused her klatsch to find another place to gather.

Dog Walks Coming Soon!

Your Boulevardier will be hosting the Subcompact Loaner for a few days next week. Mon Petit Chou has been conditioning the chien for longer walks - unlike the late Trusty BoulevarDog, she's a tiny animal - and Your Boulevardier hopes to get the SL onto the Boulevard a couple of times during her stay.

On The Button

It would appear that crosswalk buttons around town are being replaced. This past weekend Your Boulevardier walked on the west side of town, north of Castro Valley Boulevard, and noticed a new-style button in place. This one was photographed at Lake Chabot Road and Somerset Avenue.


As you can see in the photo, the new buttons fit into the existing fixtures. They have a red light-emitting diode (LED) in the center, and emit a sharp beep sound when pressed.

Your Boulevardier believes that the new buttons are accompanied by crosswalk signals that count down as the time to cross the street runs out.

Budding Spring

Your Boulevardier walked to the Hayward Japanese Garden (which, one believes, is technically in Castro Valley) this morning. The garden was transformed in an instant late last year, when the giant pine tree that dominated it was toppled in a storm.

It's a surprisingly different place now without the massive tree -- Your Boulevardier used to call it "The World's Largest Bonsai" -- but the garden is still an island of serenity in a sometimes-chaotic world. And because the neighboring senior center is at present closed for renovations, parking is easy and plentiful (should one not care to walk to the garden).

At this time of year the tightly pruned maples are starting to leaf out. The colors and shapes are dramatic and different than any other time of the year. While the good weather is with us, Your Boulevardier recommends a visit. (Alas, our canine amis are not welcome, which at present, sadly, is not an issue for Your Boulevardier.)

If one can't go, a lovely collection of photographs by one James Phillips can be found here.

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.

No Wonder Your Boulevardier is So Forgetful

Your Boulevardier was very excited when he read the first sentence of a recent neuroscience story out of the University of Michigan; could it be that his everyday activity was actually mental, as well as physical, exercise? The article began:

"Go outside: It helps improve your focus -- even when it's cold out."

But the excitement was short-lived. It turns out one must walk in nature in order to bolster brainpower. Walking on city streets was specifically tested:

Berman [the scientist who conducted the research] decided to test that theory by sending study participants on walking routes around Ann Arbor. Participants walked on an urban route down main streets and also on a route in U-M's Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, taking in nature. When participants walked in the Arboretum, they improved their short-term memory by 20 percent, but showed no improvements after walking down city streets.

Indeed, simply admiring pictures of nature proved beneficial.

The researchers also tested the same theory by having subjects sit inside and look at pictures of either downtown scenes or nature scenes and again the results were the same: when looking at photos of nature, memory and attention scores improved by about 20 percent, but not when viewing the urban pictures.

One can only sigh. The walks will continue in spite of this scientific rebuke.

Night Passages

In the summer, beginning a stroll downtown at 6:30 p.m. is nothing special. But as the calendar nears the Winter Solstice, and when a cold front approaches from the north, it can take on the feel of an expedition.

Such was the case when Your Boulevardier decided to walk into town this evening. He bundled up -- a long-sleeved thermal shirt, a light-but-warm windproof jacket, gloves, and a beret -- and sallied forth.

The cold seemed to slow things down. Cars were scarce and generally polite at intersections. Christmas lights twinkled gently. Most of the few persons who were out on foot were bundled up with hats and coats -- and many were walking their dogs. (Your Boulevardier will be walking his into town again soon; she's well on the mend.) Even the fiberglass horse that stands guard outside of Rowell's Saddlery was wearing a coat -- in his case, a festive quilted satin number. (Your Boulevardier calls the cheval immobile "Don," after Don Castro. He does not believe that anyone else does.)

The parking lot in Castro Village was full, yet the few businesses that were open seemed, for the most part, to be empty. (It seems generally that the retailers in Castro Village don't stay open in the evenings, but the restaurants do.) It was noted that two establishments were busy: Don Jose's was bustling with full tables, and almost all lanes in Castro Village Bowl were in use. Green-and-red holiday messages were displayed on the screens over the alleys.

After a brief stop at the grocery for unsalted butter, Your Boulevardier returned home to bake some Madeleines using this recipe. The cookies taste good but are unsightly. More experimentation is needed.

Postscript to Wudas: a photo of the recuperating BoulevarDog -- also known now as the Spleenless Wonder -- has been snapped and will be posted soon. She is not exposing the five-inch scar on her underbelly in the photo, but perhaps that's for the best.

At Home with the BoulevarDog

The Trusty BoulevarDog came home on Monday afternoon and has been resting comfortably and sleeping quite deeply all day. One thinks that the time at Boulevard Pet Hospital, while healing, has not been restful for her; she is generally not a fan of other dogs, but it is hard to get away from them at a veterinary office. One suspects she did not get much rest that was not created or induced through chemical means.

She has taken two brief walks on our street to relieve herself and has been eating heartily. For now, she is forbidden from climbing stairs (Chez Boulevardier has many) so we are restricting our activities to one floor of the home. The restriction from climbing is due to the five-inch incision on her belly; it needs to heal up before strain is put on it, not to mention the many ligated blood vessels inside her abdomen that formerly were attached to her spleen.

She received a visit from mon petit chou today; the two were very happy to see one another. And, though Your Boulevardier is a bit anxious about the fact, the chien sans rate will spend a few hours at home alone this evening while Your Boulevardier visits Bijou in Hayward. A report will follow.

Monday Morning Meanderings

Basking in his newfound fame, Your Boulevardier took to the streets this morning sans chien. (She will come home this afternoon.) The usual haunts were visited: Peet's, where a skeleton crew scrambled to keep up with orders; and the Post Office, where a line of impatient patrons stretched out the door at 9:30 a.m. and parking had begun to get, shall we say, creative.

Around town, a few bits of weekend randomness were noticed. The corner of the curved awning at XOTek Windows (at the intersection of Castro Valley Boulevard at Nunes Avenue) had, apparently, been struck by a tall vehicle; stucco lay in chunks on the sidewalk below, and scrapes were visible in the fascia. Across the street, the large concrete refuse container by the Blockbuster Video bus stop had been pushed from its moorings to a random location. (For what it is worth, the container on Redwood Road in front of Safeway, near to Peet's, was shoved from its appointed spot months ago and has never been relocated.)

Your Boulevardier walked up Castro Valley Boulevard, then turned north on Lake Chabot Road a piece. He noticed that the former professional office buildings across from Eden Hospital are being deconstructed from the inside out. While Sazio's Italian Restaurant, Sushi-Ya, and Theadora's Salon seem to cling to existence (though Yelp describes Sushi-Ya as closed), the establishments surrounding them are vacant and stripped to the studs, while the exterior remains largely unaffected. (Gutted like a fish, a sushi-eater might say.) A peek along the culvert behind the buildings finds that the structures' innards have, for now, been tossed out back; from the street, the parking lot looks clean and tidy. This demolition strategy confuses Your Boulevardier, since the debris will need to be hauled back through the buildings before it can be trucked away -- unless, of course, the buildings themselves will be demolished, in which case heavy equipment can be used to scoop up everything. But if that's the case, why bother with the interior demolition in the first place? Why not do as was done at McDonald's -- simply crush the buildings and pick the valuables out of the rubble?

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.

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.

Your Boulevardier Hits Southern California

This weekend Your Boulevardier visited friends in Southern California. Of course, he did some walking. As you may know -- he did not -- Angelenos are not enthusiastic walkers on their often scenic streets. They are car people, even in an era of $4 gasoline. Your Boulevardier's hosts were discouraging of his footborne forays, and often offered him rides, even for short distances. Very warm weather may have been part of their thinking, but regardless of motivation it struck an odd note. Anyway, the three areas walked were:

1. West LA to Westwood Village. Your Boulevardier walked from his hosts' home in West Los Angeles to UCLA to attend the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. The walk had everything -- huge open spaces (the VA and National cemetery), a busy freeway (the 405), crowded apartment houses (everywhere), and chic shopping (Westwood Village). Pedestrians did abound as the UCLA campus was neared.


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2. The Toluca Lake area of Burbank. Your Boulevardier shared breakfast with an old friend at the historic Bob's Big Boy on Riverside Drive, then explored the very lovely Toluca Lake neighborhood adjacent to Lakeside Golf Club and Universal City. The homes in this neighborhood are among the loveliest Your Boulevardier has ever seen.


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3. A wildflower hike near Calabasas. The open space between Mulholland Highway and North Topanga Canyon Boulevard -- the shaded area on the map below, if you click for the larger version -- is bursting with native and nonnative wildflowers right now, including various sages, mustard, chemise, some remaining lupines, and creamy orange sticky monkey flowers. That such wild territory is so close to suburban development is one of the delights of this area of Southern California.


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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?

Welcome Visitors

Your Boulevardier received a flattering email that he will reproduce here in its entirety.

To Our Boulevardier,

I recently discovered your blog entirely by chance through a Google search (interestingly, a Google search for "Castro Valley falafel" hits your July 2007 posting). I love your blog -- thank you for writing it!!

I thought of you and your blog when I heard an interesting inverview on the "Living on Earth" radio program on public radio. Will Self talks about the allure of exploring a city on foot and discovering things one ordinarily wouldn't experience in a car or other means -- much like you do in your blog.

Brief quote:
"So there's this marvelous sense that one gets of being cut off from the mass of humanity in this very, very simple, very self-directed way. You don't need any equipment. You don't need any fancy accessories. You can just get out of your chair and do it and you're instantly exploring in that way. You're finding out new things about your environment."

If you're interested, you can listen to the 9-minute interview or read the transcript (here).

Thanks, and keep up the good work!
Jim

You have our gratitude, Jim. Your Boulevardier welcomes such praise, and is happy to hear about -- and post links to -- interesting resources on the Internet for those interested in walking about.

Alas, not enough walking about has been done by Your Boulevardier of late. Work pressures have, unfortunately, coincided with the current spate of fine spring weather. The trees are blossoming (the apricot at Chez Boulevardier is loaded and lovely), to the bane of those with allergies but to the delight of those of us who are visually oriented. One wishes he had time to spend nosing about. Soon, it is hoped.

Birdland in Castro Valley?

Your Boulevardier has been chained to his desk -- fortunately these days, not literally -- but today he did venture forth briefly to walk with the Trusty BoulevarDog to the post office and Trader Joe's.

The Chinese Pistache trees along the Boulevard near Redwood Road are about to burst into fall color. Their seed pods are already ripening to a torrid fuschia, and on Tuesday afternoon around dusk the trees were loaded with tiny singing birds, eating their fill.

Corroboration from the Sage of St. Paul

Garrison Keillor, of A Prairie Home Companion fame, has a sweet essay on Salon.com on the joys of walking. Your Boulevardier heartily recommends it. Here is a snippet:

When you walk in the open, exposed to beauty and grandeur and our common mortality, no words can quite suffice, but one must keep trying. It's a good life in a paradise of a world. Inscribe this in your heart, reader: Whenever you feel sad or bored, get out and take a hike.

See you on the Boulevard. Ideally, on foot.