JULY 2023 TAGC NEWSLETTER

Mid-Century Modern Hidden in Upper Rockridge

There are a lot of Mediterranean homes in the hills of Oakland's Upper Rockridge district. Among these are some hidden gems that were designed and constructed in the 50s. My clients waited for 15 years for this house to come available, and when it did, it was a mess. To initiate the complete makeover and face freshening, we removed all the existing floors and all finishes.

We started in the master bedroom, then remodeled the bathroom, two hall baths, and the office, after which we moved to the core of the house.

Hall Bath

The Other Hall Bath

The kitchen, dining room, and living room received a complete facelift. The new engineered oak floors replaced the old carpet and cork. All the tile is, of course, new. Slab countertops complement the contemporary flush panel cabinets, and new stainless steel appliances were installed, and, voila, the place was ready for guests.

Kitchen Desk/Counter

Living Room

Dining Room

This was an excellent collaboration between Tracy's team and the clients. They had clear, definite ideas of what they wanted to achieve and set out to make them happen. We finished this complete house remodel in less than four months, on time and on budget!

Photos by Olga Soboleva/Rave Photo

THE TAGC GOURMET

Eating and Drinking on the Bart Line

The Rockridge BART station is in the heart the Rockridge neighborhood around College Ave in Oakland. This area contains way too many eating and drinking establishments to suggest in one article. But, I am gonna tell you about a few of my favorites.

First off is Market Hall, a combination of specialty stores I shop in at least once a week. I frequently pop into their pasta shop for amazing deli selections including sliced charcuterie and one of the best cheese stores around. The produce in Market Hall is consistently the freshest I can find in the East Bay.

Marin Sun Farms Butcher Shop, located in Market Hall, is a mainstay. I love to talk to their butchers to get ideas for preparing new cuts of meat and poultry. When it is time to create a fine meal, you cannot miss shopping at Market Hall.

Across the street is, Cactus Taqueria, that's been serving great Mex in the same location for over 30 years. When it first opened, and Rose and I were still living in Rockridge, we would frequently go there for their tacos dorados, the best chile releno, and authentic pozole.

A16, the sister restaurant of their original eatery on Chestnut Street in San Francisco, is about four blocks down from Market Hall. It has some of the best Italian food you can find.

Finally, you should pop into McNally's Irish Pub for a cocktail. It is right next door to A16, and a Rockridge tradition that is still a great dive. 

We hope you had an excellent Fourth of July celebrating our democracy. 

– Tracy and the crew

-Tracy