Today in West Oakland
Nothing to be said; a few things to be seen.
Nothing to be said; a few things to be seen.
This entry was posted on Monday, September 28th, 2009 at 5:10 pm and is filed under Oakland, Photography. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
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As usual, your photos make the world into a mysterious place, full of floating signs and symbols. Does that old ivy-covered sign say “LOTTERY”? Is that door the entrance to #875 or #873? And where’s the other door? And why the bright yellow dentals? And what are those dogs guarding so colorfully? Are the psychos in the van? Is the van about to smash through the non-gothic window so that the psychos can make off with the gothic window? What is that gothic window doing in there anyway?
All I feel certain of is that I’d take the $2M in cash.
September 28th, 2009 at 6:52 pmThat first photo gave me fits. I tried several different vantage points, but I still couldn’t work in everything I wanted—the shot above omits the bleak streetscape that the “Dream Big” billboard hovers over. That juxtaposition is what first prompted me to take a picture, but then I noticed the American flag and I decided to make it more central. Here’s one of the earlier efforts:
September 28th, 2009 at 10:00 pmThat sure is bleak. Nevertheless, the shot with the flag is better for many reasons, not least because the “BATTERY” sign looks like it says “LOTTERY”–and so on. But I do like the amazing EMPTINESS of the first, bleaker one.
October 1st, 2009 at 3:56 pmIt’s amazing—and depressing—how much of Oakland looks blighted and semi-deserted like that.
October 1st, 2009 at 5:13 pmLove the photos but, for the record, I don’t know that the house with the dogs is really in “West Oakland,” — isn’t it on 55th between Shattuck and Telegraph? Solidly North Oakland, IMHO.
October 5th, 2009 at 5:56 pmkpj: To be honest, I couldn’t remember exactly where I had taken the 2nd and 3rd photos. I know that the first photo is at San Pablo and 29th, and I spent most of my time in West Oakland that day, so I used West Oakland in the headline. I would have guessed that the 2nd and 3rd were probably taken somewhere in the 30’s near MLK or Market, but you may well be right that those garage doors are on 55th closer to Shattuck or Telegraph, because I did make a side trip up to big Long’s on my ride home. If so, then it’s definitely North Oakland (more specifically Idora Park? Bushrod? Temescal? I don’t know the exact “borders” of these neighborhoods). Thanks for the correction—I should pay closer attention to the locations of the stuff I take pictures of!
October 5th, 2009 at 8:21 pmDeserted is the right word for that photo — and quite a few earlier ones — with the Battery sign. But what I like about the picture is the sunlight on the building. There is also, quite faint, a shadow on it, looking like a tree. But where would that tree be? Perhaps it is a bush and the shadow is out of proportion.
Now I don’t know whether to credit you or that amazing digital camera. But I think it’s you.
October 11th, 2009 at 5:17 pmThe one with the dogs is indeed on shattuck near 55th as you say in your comment Dave.
November 7th, 2009 at 12:30 am^and as kpj says above…
November 7th, 2009 at 12:32 am