July 31, 2024. I found too much to put into one expedition! There will be a Part two at some point. I started at the new-ish section of the Emeryville Greenway running southwest from Powell and Hollis. This sculpture is called Windspire but I didn’t see any other info about it. The route is lined with colorful murals. I like this dog munching on a California poppy, our state flower since 1906. Also featured are what might be a bocce court and a pingpong table.
I biked down a street that I thought was just a dead end at a corporate parking lot and found this cute little park, Hollis Green Park. I like these bright yellow, single piece, 2-person tables. Then I rode down Spur Alley, a former Southern Pacific Railway spur. I don’t remember seeing this pretty seating area last time I visited. The JR Watkins company manufactured personal care products. There’s a company online with an updated personal care line and an address in Oakland; perhaps it’s the same company?
I’ve been very curious about Pixar’s 15 acre campus because it’s very hard to see! On most sides it’s hidden behind dense foliage and berms. One spot I could peek into featured a giant seagull from Finding Nemo perched on a building. EASY was a car part shop: European Auto Salvage Yard. Cute.
I had to visit The Oaks Card Club after my invigorating encounter with the carpet at Artichoke Joe’s. Founded in 1898, it’s open 24 hours a day and is Emeryville’s largest tax payer. The current owner is the grandson of the founder!
The interior is 80s looking motel decor. The carpet is ugly but nowhere near as eye-catching as Artichoke Joe’s. The cigarette vending machine is cash only. The mosaic dragon mural on the building’s front looks more like 60s vintage. Emeryville was once known as Rotten City because of its corruption and numerous gambling halls and saloons.
The cute little Town Hall was built in 1903 and is now occupied by city offices and not open to the public, unfortunately. It’s now attached to the very modern looking Civic Center building, built in 2000. In Part Two I want to explore Emeryville’s Rotten City past a bit more!