by Ira Serkes on July 29, 2010
Wildlife – one of the reasons we love living in Berkeley.
Carol and I have seen goats, turkeys, deer, possums, raccoons, chickens (two coops just on Yosemite Road) and even peacocks in our travels around the Berkeley Hills, Claremont, Kensington and our Thousand Oaks Neighborhood.
Want to see the goat cross the road? Just click on the photo to view the video!
We saw this cute guy in the Berkeley Hills crossing Shasta Road, just above the intersection with Tamalpais. Tamalpais Road connects twice with Shasta, this was near the lower intersection where Shasta, Tamalpais and Rose all come together, just east of the Berkeley Rose Garden and west of Buena Vista Way and Maybeck Twin Drive.
by Ira Serkes on July 28, 2010
Been using computers since IBM Punchcard Machine on the 4th Floor of Cooper Union’s Engineering Building in the East Village of Manhattan. Some people think of me as a “techy”. I’m actually at “toolie” and always inspired to find the right tool for the job.
Brian Copeland, an amazing Realtor in Nashville Tennessee invited me to teach Realtors attending the 10th Annual Certified Residential Specialist Conference in Las Vegas Nevada last week what makes the iPad so special. Only 4% of the Realtors in the United States have been Certified as Residential Specialists (both Carol and I have been) so it was a particular honor to be asked to speak.
Thinking of getting an iPad and wondering how you can use it for photography, maps, travel, email, project management, satellite views … and more? Just click on the image below and view a PDF file of my ”iLove my iRa iPad” presentation.
One great thing about visiting Las Vegas is that it really makes you appreciate living in Berkeley in the summer. It was 99º at midnight one night, and 57º when I returned home to foggy Berkeley. BerkeleySide.com has some great posts “in praise of fog” today.
Another great thing about Las Vegas is that it gave me a chance to revisit some of my favorite places. Hoover Dam’s amazing Art Deco Sculptures by Oskar Hansen “Winged Figures of the Republic” and Downtown Las Vegas’ installation from the Neon Museum of Las Vegas.
Want to see the rest of my photo sets? Simply click on each image and you’ll go directly to my flickr.com/serkes photo sets for Hoover Dam or Fremont Street Neon.
by Ira Serkes on July 28, 2010
Carol and I love to shop locally, and one of our favorite things to do is to go to the movies. We saw two great movies recently.
Exit Through The Gift Shop at the Oaks Theater in the Thousand Oaks Neighborhood. I kept on wondering if Exit Through The Gift Shop was a spoof like Spinal Tap … and it wasn’t. It’s a real movie by Banksy Films, and everyone who has seen it has loved it. I was talking to another photographer on my Mission District World Wide Photo Walk last week, and he pointed out that the movie transcended all ages and backgrounds.
City Island at the Elmwood in the Elmwood Neighborhood. I’d recommend it even if I hadn’t grown up in The Bronx, loved to visit City Island with my mom, and it didn’t have a cameo shot of The Bronx High School of Science.
Oaks in Thousand Oaks, Elmwood in Elmwood – that’s what I mean by neighborhood theaters!
When I first moved to Berkeley, there were many more local theaters – some large like the UC in Downtown Berkeley (Rocky Horror Picture Show!), others small such as the two Northside Theaters on Euclid (Where I first saw Casablanca), two tiny ones on the 2nd floor of Telegraph Avenue (just south of Dwight), and the Fine Arts on Shattuck & Haste.
Those will be part of my “that used to be … ” blog posts.
by Ira Serkes on July 13, 2010
The Magnes Museum collection gives its collection to the University of California, Berkeley
The Roy & Dale Rogers museum closes its doors and auctions off Trigger.
Here’s where to read “Meeting Again, at the auction house”
Discuss.
by Ira Serkes on July 4, 2010
Parades in Orinda and Alameda.
Marin County Fair
Come on out to celebrate!
Here’s where to find what’s happening for the 4th of July around the Bay Area
by Ira Serkes on June 21, 2010
I was showing homes in the Berkeley Hills this morning, and took a stroll up Rose Walk, one of Berkeley’s magical places. I first discovered it in the late 70’s when I lived at 2833 Buena Vista Way.
Here’s the link to the Berkeley Path Wanderer’s Association web page about Rose Walk
Rose Walk was designed by Bernard Maybeck, and buildings were designed by Henry Gutterson. It’s right next to Codornices Park and the Rose Garden. There’s a terrific concrete slide in the park; a tunnel under Euclid Avenue takes you to the tennis courts and Rose Garden.
Rose Walk – It goes from Euclid on the west to Rose Street on the east. The lovely “Renaissance Revival stairway” is just to the east and south of the crosswalk on Euclid.
The Berkeley Rose Garden is a traditional place to watch the sunset, and since todays’ the Summer Solstice I thought you’d be interested seeing where the sun rose and set on the longest day.
Rose Walk is at the blue circle bottom right corner. The large trapezoidal structure is (was?) a reservoir. Codornices Park is north of the reservoir; you can clearly see the Rose Garden Amphitheater and Tennis Courts; The Tennis Courts were a WPA (or analogous) project.
Close up view. The hemispherical landing is filled with people at sunset.
And here’s how the sun rises and sets on the Summer Solstice!
Sunset over Marin.
And the Winter Solstice in Sydney Australia. The sun sets at 4:54 PM for our friends down under.
And why I love looking at photos of the beautiful Sydney Harbor!
by Ira Serkes on June 16, 2010
When I first got my iPad about a month ago, I spent hours searching the maps – places we’ve been too (atop the Sydney Harbor Bridge, a hotel next to the Pantheon in Rome) and also our wonderful neighborhoods of Berkeley.
What delighted me was the insights that satellite maps give about our neighborhoods.
Here are two examples.
This map shows the Thousand Oaks Elementary School on Colusa Avenue, just north of Solano. The trees to the left of the circle, where the Blackberry Creek was daylighted. What I didn’t realize till I looked at the map is that the beige walkway likely shows the path of the creek as it travels from Colusa Avenue to the daylighted section. If you’re familiar with the area, that section of the school is actually a bridge – which literally and figuratively bridges the creek. How cool is that?
North Berkeley - Lovely Tree Lined Mariposa Street
This map shows Marin Circle at the top left. What I was intrigued with was the band of green connecting the top right corner with the center bottom.
Greenery usually indicates creeks.
In this case, is shows the magnificent trees along Mariposa Avenue – one of Berkeley’s special streets. Grand homes, grand trees, and a delightful Halloween Festival every year.
You can see why we love living in Berkeley!
by Ira Serkes on June 5, 2010
Berkeley Homes Dot Com Logo in Chalk
Saturday 5 Jun 2010
Thousand Oaks Spring Carnival – Noon to 4:00 PM
The Thousand Oaks Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is sponsoring the Spring Carnival Today
840 Colusa Avenue – Just north of Solano Avenue
North Shattuck Association – 10 AM to 5 PM
Eat Chocolate, Make Art – right up my alley – literally and figuratively – our office is in the heart of North Shattuck – Shattuck and Vine is where it’s at
My favorite? The chalk artwork and chocolate samplings.
The Chocolate & Chalk Art Festival web site has all the details you need.
Sunday 6 Jun 2010 – Noon to 6:00 PM
Temescal Street Fair – Telegraph Avenue between 45th and 51st Streets
Green Zone, Taste of Temescal, Circus Arts & More
Here’s the Temescal Street Fair Schedule
Saturday & Sunday 12 – 13 Jun 2010 – 1o AM to 6 PM
Live Oak Park has the Live Oak Park Fair
Artists, crafts, quilts, baskets, food & Drink
Live Oak Park Fair Website
