Last week was my introduction to the wonders of commuting on 880 from Los Gatos to Berkeley. It's less than ideal. Somehow, regardless of whether I left at 8am or 8.45am, I seemed to arrive at 9.45am.
On the things-are-looking-brighter side, I did find a loft apartment to rent near Broadway and 51st on the northern edge of Oakland. I can't tell if it's in "Rockridge", "Piedmont", or "Temescal", but those are all good places to be, apparently. Hopefully I haven't fallen through the cracks in between them all. Safeway is a block away for quick grocery trips, it's a short walk to BART, by total fluke there's a 50m pool only 4 blocks away, and there's a bike shop 4-5 blocks away in the other direction. It's 4-5 miles from work, and it'll be interesting to figure out what a good bike commute route is, if it exists. I'm thinking of totally converting my old MTB to a full-time commuter: anyone got a rigid fork with fender braze-ons?
For now, though, I haven't moved anywhere, and the 2+ hours a day of driving combined with essentially learning a completely new field to the point of being conversant at a PhD level has left my brain feeling mushy. I bought "Great Expectations" as an audiobook to listen to in the car, but my attention span is noticeably diminished in the evenings, so it may take a while to get through. The slimy weather this weekend hasn't helped me to feel energized, either. Yesterday I was pretty much a shut-in slug. Today I focused on the domestic things--cleaning, groceries, laundry--as well as getting a run in, which left my mind a bit more at ease.
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3 comments:
sounds like it's temescal - although if it's nearer to rockridge BART then you're in rockridge. you're right at the apex - unless you're more near piedmont avenue and then it's "piedmont ave" neighborhood.
i didn't help, did i.
at any rate, sounds like you can walk/ride to piedmont ave, which is great to be near. lots of good food and cafe's to hang out in - and same with college ave.
ask morgan about the fork. he probably has one.
Uh, thanks for clearing that up! I don't feel so bad about my neighborhood identity crisis.
There's even a Trader Joe's nearby. So much for shopping at Berkeley Bowl...
Neighborhood designations are a subject dear to my heart (from a messengering point of view, not a real estate point of view, which means I don't like to make up terms that make places sound nicer than they are), and I think that if you're east of Broadway, Piedmont, if you're west of Broadway and north of 51st, Rockridge, leaving the south west quadrant for Temescal.
Sounds like you're quite close to Montano Velo, epicenter of east bay cycling coolness where you can browse at Pegorettis. Jason Montano is a super interesting guy.
The big cycling hang-out cafe used to be Royal Coffee (now called Cole's) at 63rd and College. I don't know what the scene's like now, but they always made a good cup. Go to the back/side door on 63rd St. Either way it's a nice place to hang out before heading up Tunnel for a ride.
Sounds like you're in a nice place.
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