this Rooftop Garden mural is on a utility box at the LIncoln Ave. driveway of Alameda Library…read more it shows a motley assemblage of bees, sunflower plants, beetles, flowers, strawberries, tomatos, et al. all of them perched upon the top of tall office buildings.. creator: Jessica Warren

Have a Heart mural is at the 7th St. side. Hear a Heart is a cannabis dispensary…read more the theme of the mural highlights events/symbols seen in Oakland: sideshows, A's baseball, Oaklandish symbol, Hello Kitty, spray painting, vaping, bart, bitcoin, green apple, blue skies, red skies, etc. creator: Charms Von

These types of murals in general prevent a lot of graffiti. Some building these owners turn over…read moretheir exterior walls to artists at a specific cost. I recently spoke to one of these artists. There is some pay involved and there is an understanding that the art work generally doesn't last forever. Its a unique relationship between artist and tenant or building owner. I think the bad part of it is the ulterior motive - its not as if people have these murals for pure love of art - rather its to avoid something bad. I suppose building owners are 'in like' with these sorts of projects. I guess I see it as putting a missing person's face on the side of a milk carton.

the Heal Oakland mural is nearby the back entrance of Dollar Tree. there's a common parking lot…read more the mural shows clenched fists at the upper left and a 2 handed open palm on the upper right. the center shows a ribbon with the words "Heal Oakland" at the top. in the middle is a detached heart with sun burst energy emanating from it. lite candles surround the heart at both sides and the bottom. the heart is being stitched together by an human hand on the left side and a skeletal hand on the right. entire background in black. mural is a reflection on the George Floyd protests. creator: People's Conservatory, Be-Imaginative Collective

Assigned name for a mural upon an utility box nearby named address. "Conserve" is written on bottom…read moreof box even though it probably isn't name of mural. Just a "tag". kois originated from the Middle East, probably Iran. In the last century, variants have been domesticated in Japan & China for cultural reasons. Koi fish symbolizes strength, perseverance, good fortune, peace, love & yjn & yang when 2 are present. Kois in mural seem to be semi deep green waters. Usual habitats for domesticated kois are in large shallow ponds, big fish tanks, acquariums for display or for sale. Creator: name illegible

This year the honey and I decided we would try out a couple different Christmas Tree Lanes instead…read moreof just driving around hoping to find different lit neighborhoods. This Christmas Tree Lane is perhaps the ultimate Christmas Tree Lane, considering it's an extremely dense block where every single home is lit up with different displays. On one end there was a table with kids selling cookies and hot chocolate and in the middle there was a frosty ice cream truck. We got a bit lucky as it was less busy when we drove in around 6pm or so, but it was a madhouse by the time we wrapped up our visit. We later drove over to the San Ramon Christmas Tree Lane on Woodland Drive and found it to be much less busy and a bit more enjoyable as their streets were wider. All in all, this Christmas Tree Lane is definitely something to experience once, but unless you're local to Alameda I'm not sure I'd make it a yearly trip.

This was our first time going to Christmas Tree Lane here! There are not much areas with Christmas…read moredecoration / lights in this area, so it was nice to be able to find an area with beautiful Christmas decorations and lights. Not much parking that was close by and it was a bit cold / windy during our visit, so we just drove down the street and it was beautiful still.

This named mural on the side of a fence & across a building was created by an individual & his…read morestudent associates. Against a background of geometric shapes in pastel colours are 6 black individuals & a group of black persons in black leather jackets. The faces aren't known to me save Esther Mabry, 2d from the left, owner of Esther's Orbit Room on 7th st., a well known jazz night club. At the far right are members of the Black Panther Party, a Black power political organization started in West Oakland, 1966. Other figures may also be from Oakland, Ca. Creator: Dave Young Kim with Neighborhood Kids: Steph, Zach, Dena.

First time visiting this place and what fun it was! The place is bigger than we expected and had a…read morelot of machines. They are grouped by era of pinball machines. So the front room has the oldest machines and subsequent rooms get progressively newer machines. For the 1 time fee you get unlimited play (so no digging for quarters), there are in and out privileges so you can play, leave to eat etc, and return to play some more. The staff is very nice, friendly and knowledgeable. Only a few machines weren't working, but they had signs so you knew, but almost all of them were working and available to play. Also each machine had a sign that gave some history regarding the art design/layout, or how the particular machine was unique/different etc. I tried to read more of the descriptions but got too caught up in just playing them that I didn't read and learn as much as I should have. Next time I come back I will try to read a bit more. The info provided was actually pretty interesting but I got dazzled by all the blinking lights and sounds. So fun! Speaking of sound- there is enough space between each machine that you aren't drowned out by the other machines or players. There are several rooms of machines so people can spread out. The only thing I would have changed is it is very dark inside (I am guessing to keep the place cool) so it was a little hard to see the action with my aged eyes. Younger people won't have any problems. I am guessing also this place must look amazing at night. We were there mid afternoon. The room with the older machines was nice and bright which was nice. The newer machines are in darker rooms to add to the mood? As we were there on a Friday afternoon, not too many kids/teenagers, but don't know what the clientele would be after school. Street parking is pretty good and there is off street metered parking around the corner. This is a fun place and I will come back and bring visitors.

Great experience all around. Worker(s) were very friendly and made the process of getting in and…read morelaying down the rules quick. Tons of pinball machines and a lot of cool history! Definitely a fun place to go with kids or family. Price was reasonable. No limit to play, only ends when they close.

This place is crazy nostalgic, and I'm loving it. Playing the games I grew up with, along with the…read moresounds of kids having fun, the games are clean, and the area is fantastic. A nice park around the corner and plenty of restaurants a short walk away. I drove just shy of 100 miles to get there and try their games, and it was worth it. The town is like a cool getaway, especially if you live in an area that gets hot.

Good, wholesome nostalgic fun at a great price! I've taken my 22 year old nephew there when he was…read morea kid and a teen and now I take his younger brother who is 11 there to keep the tradition going.

this mural is visible on the upper level of a commercial building. it's a montage of identical…read moreimages of a universal love symbol in various colors layered on top of each other. the repetition repeats into infinity the solution to "Free Humanity": Love, Compassion and it's companion-Understanding. these themes are embodied in various traditional and modern philosophies and religions but not all. applying the implied solution, the perceived limitations of humanity in realms of adequate housing, healthcare, equality, peoples' status, income disparities, etc. can hopefully be remediated, reduced if not eliminated. such actions can make humanity livable, survivable for most. opposing these ideas are forces of division, stigmatism, avarice that do not want humanity to be "free"...

This wolf sculpture gets a lot of attention, but really it goes hand-in-hand with Jack London's…read moreCabin just steps away (see my separate review for that). The wolf and cabin together create an engaging scene for visitors to appreciate, commemorating the great author and some of his most famous literary works, ie. Call of the Wild and White Fang. The art and history displayed here is beautiful, especially with its waterfront setting. There's plenty of seating in the area for public use, as well as a lovely fountain flowing with water. There wasn't much foot traffic on a Saturday evening, and hardly anyone on site except for those dining at Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon situated adjacent to the cabin, so it was easy to pay a visit with minimal distractions.

5 stars for the Wolf in Jack London Square!!…read more The Wolf is right by Jack London's cabin, which is super small. Kids love to ride the Wolf, it's very sturdy and able to handle all the attention it gets. Although there is a small plaque there, I do wish there was more on the spot history here about Jack London, because with all the people that come here, it wouldn't hurt for them to know more about Jack London, the man, and his accomplishments. In short, he was a novelist, his famous books were 'Call of the Wild' and 'White Fang' which is where the Wolf comes from, amongst other things. Check out the Wolf next time you're in Jack London Square!!