Humor Abuse
Posted on | February 3, 2012 | No Comments
Apart from the clowns, I don’t think I ever really enjoyed the circus. That is until I first saw the Pickle Family Circus perform. It was for me, like all good entertainment, all consuming and absolutely captivating. Enjoying their Berkeley performances in the 1970’s and 80’s, nephew and niece in tow, was always a magical experience. So too was last night’s performance of Humor Abuse, Lorenzo Pisoni’s auto-biographical piece about growing up in the circus playing through Sunday at A.C.T. in San Francisco. It is part tribute to his parents Peggy Snider and Larry Pisoni, co-founders of the Pickle Family Circus, and part performance art of the acts he did first with his father and then later on his own as he continued to tour with the circus. Lorenzo Pisoni was at home on the stage, brilliant in the execution of the circus acts he performed, charming, and seemingly indefatigable. He was on stage for 90 minutes without a break, the dialogue interspersed with great clown performances providing the type of belly laughs that seem to make time stop. As they say, just what the doctor ordered. We have so many talented performers that started at the Pickle Family Circus that it seems to be the gift that keeps on giving.
Your Neighborhood on film…
Posted on | January 23, 2012 | No Comments
Red Oak Realty has undertaken a fun project: capturing the best of East Bay cities and neighborhoods in videos. They’ve produced 14 so far, with another 10 or so to go. If you haven’t seen them, they’re definitely worth a peek.
Other videos (click on city or neighborhood to view) include Albany and Piedmont, as well as Crocker Highlands/Trestle Glen, Jack London Square, Downtown/Uptown/Old Oakland, Temescal, Montclair and Rockridge in Oakland, and Oceanview, Thousand Oaks and Elmwood in Berkeley.
Want a video for your neighborhood? Think we got the “vibe” of each neighborhood right or wrong? Email or call!
Tags: Albany > east bay neighborhoods > Elmwood > Gourmet Ghetto > piedmont > Rockridge > temescal > thousand oaks
Market News: Winter 2012
Posted on | January 23, 2012 | No Comments
Despite so much gloom and doom on the news, and admittedly serious and scary global economic issues, our real estate clients did not fare so badly in 2011.
We represented nine sellers in 2011 and only one of these properties sold for under the asking price. Four of them received multiple offers and went well over asking price—one of them about 25% over. Even though it is certainly true values have decreased locally, our clients took our advice about presentation and pricing, and we got the job done for them. There’s something to be said for getting on with living!
The average sales price for Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Kensington, Oakland and Piedmont fell only a slight -1% from 2010 to 2011, so the news for sellers really wasn’t that bad. The picture is even better for buyers. Between the decline in prices and the decline in interest rates, the monthly cost of owning the same home has declined significantly over the past five years. With residential rents on the rise, this may be an excellent time to purchase and get out of the rental market. It’s also a good time to buy up, or to lock in your equity if you are relying on it for retirement.
We don’t have a crystal ball, but we do have the experience and expertise to help you accomplish your real estate goals.
Tags: buying up > first time buyers > locking in your equity > our listings > timing the market > value
Living in Northbrae and Loving It!
Posted on | November 7, 2011 | No Comments
(Reprinted from the American Planning Association website in 2011)
NORTHBRAE / Berkeley, CA
Nestled in the rolling foothills amidst outcroppings of volcanic rock, Northbrae stands out for its spectacular vistas of San Francisco Bay, environmentally sensitive design, connections to a unique network of 136 paths and steps crisscrossing Berkeley, and two nearby commercial areas for shopping and entertainment. Built on land used for grazing cattle, Northbrae was developed by Duncan McDuffie, who envisioned a park-like neighborhood of single-family houses nestled on lots facing tree-lined streets.
To see the entire article, click HERE and scroll down to Northbrae – it’s second on the list!
Tags: Best Neighborhoods > North Berkeley > Northbrae
TWO CAFES ~ WITHIN ONE BLOCK
Posted on | August 2, 2011 | No Comments
Welcome to Central Berkeley…
A diverse and friendly neighborhood located near to transportation and urban amenities but with a small town feel. There is a great sense of community here where neighbors look out for each other and sometimes develop lasting friendships. This seller and her neighbors to the north built a gate between their properties so their dogs could have play dates!
With express buses to downtown SF (30 minutes), Oakland (20 minutes), and Berkeley (10 minutes) less than a block away you can park your car and not have to worry about the drive. If you’d rather avoid the roads all together, North Berkeley BART is within easy reach.
Down the block you’ll find the local weekend gathering place, Homemade Café, the popular Breads of India, the newly hip Mo-Joe’s Café with free WiFi, as well as a dry cleaner, convenient store and other local merchants.
For grocery shopping, you can venture slightly north and take advantage of Andronicos Market or go southeast to the popular Berkeley Bowl (yes, it originally was in a bowling alley!) or just hit the weekly Tuesday afternoon Farmers’ Market on Derby Street near Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
If you’re looking for a bigger variety of restaurants and shopping – look no further than University or Shattuck Avenues. For outdoor recreation, there’s San Pablo Park, the Lawn Bowling Park on Acton and Strawberry Creek Park.
If it’s San Francisco hip that you’re looking to find – go no further than Berkeley’s Left Bank, home to numerous popular restaurants, vintage clothing stores, antiques, salvage, and home shops. Don’t miss East Bay Nursery, known far and wide for its extraordinary collection of plants and bulbs. The hub of the neighborhood is Caffe Trieste, of North Beach fame, at the corner of San Pablo and Dwight.
Come home to this wonderful Berkeley neighborhood where the pulse is urban, the living is easy, and your money buys more house!
