Live in an Elmwood/Claremont Berkeley craftsman home designed by Julia Morgan

Would you like to live a part of California History?

2900 Derby Street, a two story 4 bedroom 3 bath Brownshingle home is on the market for $1,025,000

Open homes scheduled for Sunday 22 Jan 2012 and 29 Jan 2012 from 2:00 to 4:30 pm

Photo portfolio and Elmwood/Claremont Neighborhood Information a 2900Derby.com

This wonderful craftsman home was designed by Julia Morgan, one of the most important female architects of the early 20th century. The Wikipedia entry tells more about this remarkable woman: She graduated UC Berkeley in 1894 with a degree in Civil Engineering. With the urging of her friend and mentor Bernard Maybeck (another remarkable Berkeley architect, she applied to Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and was the first woman to graduate with a degree in architecture from the school.

Although renowned as the architect of William Randolph Hearst’s San Simeon mansion, Hearst Castle, Julia Morgan had a significant architectural influence in the Bay Area, including the Berkeley City Club, Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, Turner Building, Baptist Divinity School. Her landmark houses include Ralph White, Macgregor, and Frederick A. Thomas Houses.

On the main level you’ll find the rooms with her signature first-growth redwood paneled walls, window details and built in cabinetry. The key living room feature is the inglenook fireplace with it’s own hidden nook- look for the door on the upper right.

BAHA (Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association) records show it was built in 1904 and in 1920 moved here from 2819 Garber Street.

The updated kitchen and serene back yard has a southern exposure.

All the bedrooms are on the 2nd floor of this two story brown shingle home.

With a Walk Score of 74 (very walkable) this Julia Morgan craftsman home is convenient to the Claremont’s Domingo area restaurants, bakery & cafe and Elmwood’s Theater, Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, Mrs. Dalloway’s bookstore, Holy Land and Le Med restaurants and numerous cafes. The bus to Rockridge BART runs along nearby College Avenue; The UC Berkeley Campus – Haas Business School, Boalt Hall, Pacific Film Archive is just to the north.

There’s even a one car garage!

Photos of the nearby neighborhoods:

Elmwood

Claremont

The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life  http://www.magnes.org opens in Downtown Berkeley on Sunday 22 Jan 2012 (corrected, thanks to Frances Dinkelspiel)

The Open House Party starts at noon … and admission is free!

It will be a welcome addition to Berkeley .. and the San Francisco Bay Area.  The restored Art Deco building will be joined by  another Art Deco gem when the University Of California Art Building opens downtown in a few years.

Carol and I went to the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco to view the Houdini exhibit before it “disappeared” (their words, not mine).  We’re delighted that the Magnes Collection complement their exhibits.

Sunday would have been my mother Adele’s 97th birthday.  What a nice present for her!

My flickr site has more Magnes Collection  and Downtown Berkeley Deco photos.

2229 Ashby Avenue at Deakin – Open Sunday 23 Oct 2011 2:00 to 4:30 PM

Photo Portfolio @ 2229Ashby.com

Completely remodeled in 2003, this 1907 two story home has four bedrooms, including a master suite, upper level laundry and a bedroom with skylight. There’s a formal dining room and a sun room, and the kitchen has granite counters, stainless finish appliances and hickory cabinetry

Details include designer colors, and hardwood, ceramic tile & slate flooring

Though the address is on Ashby, most of the home is sited along quiet Deakin Street which has no through traffic because of the traffic barrier at Ashby. The noise reducing dual paned windows make a huge positive difference in livability!!

Two decks – one off the kitchen to the yard, the other off the master bedroom.

Need more space? There’s even a huge attic accessible via pull-down stairs!

Spacious garage/workshop and off street parking … all easily accessible via Deakin rather than Ashby.

The Le Conte School playground is just down the street.

2226 Woolsey Street, Berkeley CA 94705 – Photo portfolio at 2226woolsey.com

Sweet two bedroom home with lovely back garden and detached garage … and you’re invited to our Sunday Open Houses on 2 & 9 Oct 2011 2:00 – 4:30 pm!

Lovely woodwork and fireplace details, gracious living room and formal dining room. There’s even a vintage refurbished Wedgewood Stove and and small study off the kitchen.

Bonus space below and a detached garage provides workshop space.

On a quiet cul-de-sac near Berkeley and Oakland Telegraph Avenue shops, UC Berkeley, Rockridge & Ashby BART and I-80 and 25 highways … with an amazing Walk Score of 94!

And from the owner to you:

2226 WOOLSEY ST., BERKELEY:  WELCOME PROSPECTIVE BUYERS!

Fifteen years ago I found this gem tucked into an established neighborhood.  The wide open street  & spacious lot were appealing but it was the charm of the bungalow’s architecture with all its nuances that I fell in love.  Restoring the hardwood floors that had long been buried under shag carpeting & restoring the old Wedgewood stove have been a few of the highlights of the improvements made.

It was a challenge & joy digging up the junipers in the front yard & creating a Monet inspired garden where the fragrance of jasmine & rose waft into the front of the home & more tea roses, jasmine and honeysuckle scent the back.  The large boulder by the front patio was purchased as a magical rock  where grandchildren could one day climb & warm themselves in the sun.  Right now, Wilson, the neighbor’s cat has laid claim.

The front yard is open & friendly to complement the temperament of the neighbors  who you’ll find are candid & caring but not intrusive.  Every 4th of July we close down the street & we all spill out onto Woolsey with our barbeques & lawn chairs & celebrate. Some have lived here for over 40 years along side new families who moved in within the last couple which creates an interesting, safe & vibrant neighborhood.

Friends named my car, Walker, because I rarely need to drive given how ideal this location is to 2 Bart stations, Rockridge, Kaiser, Berkeley YMCA, Whole Foods, Andronicos and Cal Berkeley where 2 of my neighbors work & bike daily.  Woolsey is part of the greater Halycon Neighborhood & a monthly newsletter advises activities from yoga to work/social parties in our park to earthquake preparedness classes.

I love my backyard where it is serene. Nature abounds with birds, butterflies & squirrels who have provided much entertainment over the years.  On more than one occasion hummingbirds dance in the spray as I water the plants & those are truly magical moments.  The large Australia Bush tree had been destined to have a tree house & swing when my sons settled down and had families.

I will miss being perched in the alcove or sitting in front of a roaring fire with a good book or waking up to the trees gently swaying in the breeze.  I will miss the easy entertaining with all crowded round the stove or spilling out to the patio below.  I will miss the greetings of my incredible neighbors as I water out front or go for a walk.  As my life transitions, I must leave this gem which is filled with  fond memories & which has been restored it to the best of my abilities.  When the for sale sign went up, the tears spilled as this has been more than a home but a lovely refuge.

May this bungalow and this neighborhood bring you as much joy, love and contentment as it has for my family.

Do you like coffee?

Love coffee?

Me too!

The first ever Berkeley Coffee & Tea Festival berkeleycoffeeteafest.com is  Saturday 24 Sep 2011 9 am to 1 pm at the Hotel Shattuck Plaza in Downtown Berkeley.

Want to make the experience even better?  

Click on the Berkeley Coffee & Tea Festival web site, like the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce Facebook page and get $5 off!

See you tomorrow.

Update 25 Sep 2011

Hope you were there! It was jammed and a great success! Here are some of the photos I took. Go to my Berkeley Coffee & Tea Festival Flickr Photo Page to see them all.

We saw the Lueders house at 1330 Albina Avenue in Berkeley’s Northbrae Neighborhood.  It is literally jaw-dropping.

We’ve seen the outside of the home on numerous Berkeley architectural walking tour … it’s now for sale for $2,500,000. The sellers are represented by Bebe McRae of the Grubb Company, who describes it as a “Historic Treasure”  I told Bebe that this home was “jaw-dropping” and she was delighted when I told her I wanted to tell everyone about it.

You can view interior photos and find out more about this remarkable Victorian treasure  at the 1330 Albina Avenue MLS link on our Berkeley MLS Home Search Site and the 1330 Albina web site.

Lucy, our late beloved calico cat developed our LTC (Lucy The Cat) home rating system … where each home receives a 1, 2, 3 or 4 paws.  Special homes receive the dread hair-ball rating.

2,493 homes have received an LTC ranking over the past 4 years.

This is the first home we’ve seen which deserves to be ranked “jaw-dropping” (though I’m not sure how to put it in terms Lucy would use … best of show? #1 in 2,500?)

It’s simply astonishing.

Diane Mintz, recipient of the National Association of Realtors “Good Neighbor” award, told me that she heard about my description of 1330 Albina as “jaw-dropping” and felt the same way.. Diane said it would be wonderful if an institution or historical organization purchased it so it would be available for all of us to admire and use.

The Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA) berkeleyheritage.com) is hosting a champagne reception for members on Tuesday 27 Sep 2011 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm.

The BAHA web site says:”The Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA) is Berkeley’s non-profit preservation organization whose mission is to promote, through education, an understanding and appreciation for Berkeley’s history, and to encourage the preservation of its historic buildings.”

You can view this remarkable home at the Sunday Open House, but I think the BAHA reception will be an even more special opportunity … and one more reason I encourage everyone to become a Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association member.

BAHA has dedicated a web page to Peralta Park in Berkeley’s Northbrae/Westbrae Neighborhoods, with photos the history of the remarkable Lueders home, described as “one of the finest Victorians in the East Bay”

The BAHA website said it was “Built by Ira Boynton in 1889″

Ira (no relation) Serkes

Usually in October ..it’s mid September in 2011.

The Spice of Life web page tells what’s happening – cooking demonstrations, beer and wine, local musicians (Berkeley High School Jazz Band is terrific), art, jewelry, clothing, massages …a nd more!

Click on the video below  for a sneak preview!

Thousand Oaks Urn Project – Dedication and Celebration of the Restored Urns

Carol and I have lived in Berkeley’s Thousand Oaks Neighborhood for almost 30 years, and have always been intrigued by the monumental urn next to Indian Trail on The Alameda.

On Saturday 10 Sep 2011, The Thousand Oaks Urn Project had a “Dedication & Celebration of the Restored Thousand Oaks Urns”

Click the photo to see all 44 photos I took during today’s dedication ceremony

From the dedication notes:

“Inspired by the successful restoration of the Marin Circle Fountain, in 2003 the Thousand Oaks Neighborhood Association (TONA) began fundraising to restore the existing urn and recreate new ones as a Centennial project under the leadership of Elizabeth Sklut and Trish Hawthorne. Many neighbors have worked on the project and many more have made donations”

I was TONA President on year, and Carol and I were delighted to contribute to the project.

The Urn Project still needs funds to complete the work.

To contribute send a tax-deductible check made out to “Berkeley Partners For Parks” and mail to TONA, PO Box 7572, Berkeley CA 94707.

Thank you!

Ira

Resources

tona.org
berkeleyheritage.org
berkeleypaths.org
bpfp.org

Every year in early September (usually the 2nd Sunday) Berkeley and Albany celebrate the Solano Stroll … a mile long block party with a parade, music, food, dance and community organizations.

It’s one of my favorite events of the year.

The parade starts about 10 am … and the festivities continue till 6 pm. Find out more at the Solano Avenue Association Solano Stroll Web Page

I’ll be shooting new video this Sunday … be on the lookout for a tall bearded guy with a large tripod wearing a black photographer’s vest and two (or more) camerii.  Here’s a video I posted to YouTube 4 years ago … amazing how much better quality videos I create now.

A new urn with admirer

Carol and I have lived in Berkeley’s Thousand Oaks neighborhood since 1982, and have always been intrigued by the giant urn on The Alameda.

TONA – the Thousand Oaks Neighborhood Association began fund raising several years ago … and two new urns will be dedicated on Saturday 10 Sep 2011 from 3-5 pm.  At 1 pm, the Berkeley Path Wanderer’s Association will lead a walk through our Thousand Oaks Neighborhood.

Here’s where to read the Berkeleyside article “Historic urns restored in Berkeley’s Thousand Oaks”  They used my iPhone photo (slightly different from the photo above) in the story

These photos … taken by serendipity!  I was travelling down The Alameda when I saw a friend.  Turned the car around, talked for about a half hour, then made a right on Yosemite, saw the urns, and stopped to take the photos.