MONTCLAIR, PIEDMONT & BERKELEY LIVING MAGAZINES: February, 2020
Category Archives: General
The big cheese appears in Montclair
Ginny Prior/for Bay Area News Group Farmstead Cheeses and Wines’ chief cheese monger, Jeff Diamond, “cracks a parm” — slices open a giant Parmesan cheese wheel — for food and wine writers recently at his Montclair store.
MONTCLARION: May 20, 2019
As far as cheese goes, it was a beaut — 85 pounds of fresh Parmesan, a wheel so big it took a young clerk to flip it. Farmstead Cheeses and Wines’ chief cheese monger, Jeff Diamond, treated journalists to a show the other night. “Cracking a ‘parm’ is a very cool thing,” he quipped. “And I’m always excited when I can show folks how it’s done.” Continue reading
Four Days on Mount Diablo
“Four Days Diablo” hikers dine recently at Curry Canyon Ranch in the shadow of Mount Diablo. At least three Montclarions participated recently in the soft-adventure hiking and camping trip along the 30-mile Diablo Trail linking Walnut Creek to Brentwood.
MONTCLARION: May 9, 2019
Montclarions Steve and Carolyn Balling have hiked all over the world. So has Oakland’s Shirley Langlois. But there’s a place in their own backyard that keeps calling them back — Mount Diablo. Continue reading
Town Crier: Montclair raises over $10K for Antioch Court project
Ginny Prior/for Bay Area News Group Kent Steinwert, the chair of Farmers and Mechanics Bank (F&M), appears recently in front of the new building his bank financed in Montclair. F&M will occupy one of three new spaces in the building.
MONTCLARION: April 25, 2019
It’s been 15 some years in the making, but plans are moving forward to transform Montclair’s Antioch Court into a pedestrian plaza. A handful of us reminisced the other night about our meetings back in the early 2000s, when we first started exploring this concept. With the Montclair Village Association behind it, the money is starting to come in for a community space on a little street with so much potential. Continue reading
Town Crier: What you can do about the Oakland hills’ neglected roads
MONTCLARION: DEC. 2018
Potholes and parking are making us crabby. And yes, the two are related because they add stress to driving on increasingly crowded Oakland roads. The pitted streets read like a laundry list: Park Boulevard, Thornhill Drive, Valley View, Shepherd Canyon, Tunnel … and on and on. Critics note despite Oakland’s high property taxes that never seem to quench our city’s thirst for spending, streets like Thornhill have been on the repaving list for years. Continue reading
Town Crier: Montclair Parking Garage proves prolific mural canvas
MONTCLARION: January 24, 2019
An artist once told me that everything is a canvas. Even a drab concrete slab can be transformed into an inspiring art installation. Enter the Montclair Parking Garage, which has rapidly become a kind of open-air gallery. Twelve murals — some up to 50 feet high — now adorn the ramp walls, including the latest piece by Shannon Hood and Victor Garcia. Continue reading
Town Crier: Montclair ‘heartist’s’ work being shown in San Francisco
MONTCLARION: February 21, 2019
Who says you can’t put a price on love? Eight oversized hearts just raised millions for a Bay Area hospital — and Montclair artist Adele Gilani is pumped. You see, Gilani spent much of last fall painting a 5-by-6-foot, 400-pound sculpture for Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital’s “Hearts in SF” fundraiser. She was chosen from a select group of artists after applying for the honor the three previous years. Continue reading
Happy Wanderer: S.F.’s Tenderloin not for all but worth a visit
EASTBAYTIMES.COM: February 14, 2019
Famed columnist Herb Caen once said “Any city that doesn’t have a tenderloin isn’t a city at all.” But the San Francisco’s Tenderloin District as a tourist destination? It sounds like a contradiction in terms until you start to explore this oft-overlooked neighborhood. Continue reading
Winter rains soon to produce upsides in Montclair
The Montclair Lucky store’s newly remodeled floral department is stocked and ready for Valentine’s Day. (courtesy of Kara Piganelli)
Around town: Montclair is for lovers — and the proof is in the high number of flower shops in Montclair Village. From longtime favorites Flowers by Myrna and Montclair Florist to Flower Outlet and Gifts and the local Safeway and Lucky stores, floral Valentines can be found on almost every block. Continue reading
A Plea to Home-owners: Leave the Lights on
MONTCLARION: January 11, 2019
January is a tough month. Let’s face it — the holidays are over and tax season is on the horizon. It’s easy to slip into a funk, But here’s a way to spread joy without lifting a finger. Leave your lights on. Continue reading
