Michael's Blog

Here I am sitting in the office on a Sunday afternoon.  2 days before Christmas 2007.  It's a sunny day here in Alameda California.  A good day to blog.

I didn't want to do an open house this close to Christmas, I wanted to give it a break.  I have been showing the same house every Sunday.  It's an official W.R. Yelland home.  The Taylor Residence and it's blueprints are in the collection at UC Berkeley.  1982-1/2006.  I have been holding it open for my friend Dona Pedvin who is the listing agent.  I like this house.  Just look at the random brickwork at the bottom of the first floor and on the corners of the building.  The Brickwork around the front door is very interesting too.....Classic Yelland.  The light fixture on the front porch was something that the architect would design himself in many of his designs.  There's no reason not to think that that fixture isn't an original Yelland as well.  Not every home has obelisk finials on top of their stone columns.

Speaking of light fixures for older homes I will add a link for Rejuvenation Hardware to my side links.  Rejuvenation, a company out of the Northwest, Portland I think has a wonderful collection of lighting fixtures that are reproductions from originals.  www.rejuvenation.com

Getting back to 857 Alma Place,  It has really cool features all over the house.  On the side gate to the rear yard it has a classic Yelland Startled Cat.  The startled cat is a feature that Yelland would make out of the stamped tin and he'd place it on the ridge-line of the house.  In this case, It's a cut out on the gate.  The shutters on the lower windows have little chickadee birds cutout.  They are incredibly detailed and they even have little eyes.  I'll try and post they flyer if I can manage that.

I had fun last weekend while holding the house open.  Across the street at another home for sale 874 Alma Place the HGTV television show "Hidden Potential" was filming.  That home across the street is a major fixer upper and needs some serious work.  I met the show's hostess, when she came through my open house.

On another note:

I am looking out the office window from the computer room at Prudential California Realty at the historic Croll's Building at the corner of Central Avenue and Webster Street.

The Prudential office is on the West side of Central Avenue at the end of Webster Street and was the historic location of an old Amusement Park, or trolley park called Neptune Beach.  For several blocks all around this location there are random remains of Boardwalk style architecture from the turn of the century.

I really wish that Alameda would get creative with their zoning and make this area a fun place to shop and dine.