Oakland

On Wednesday I dropped by downtown Oakland before going to the concert over at the Freight (Brittany Haas and Lauren Rioux) as I wanted to check the BART lost and found. My keys were not there, but it had already been several months since I lost them. Unclaimed keys are turned over to a locksmith to melt down for new keys, and whatever else that can't be recycled is discarded. Ah well... It probably is cheaper to just make new keys than to take the BART or drive up to the lost and found office, so it didn't bother me so much that I was unable to retrieve my keys.

I took the opportunity to visit True Burger and the cathedral. Neither of the co-owners was present at the restaurant, but I had an early dinner - around 4. Maybe they are there in the morning doing prep. (The kitchen was staffed mostly by Hispanics, as you might expect from the restaurant industry.) I got a double - the patties were cooked medium. There was some seasoning, but the raw taste of the meat wasn't that appealing for some reason. I think there was a slight sour taste to it. Maybe the patties would have tasted better if they had been cooked longer. I also had a vanilla shake, which was decent. The fries were cooked well, but they are rather pricey ($2.50), in comparison with In n Out. The patties are bigger than those of In n Out, but I can't say that they taste better. Now that I've been there, I can try the next burger place...

After dinner I walked across the street to Christ the Light Cathedral. Much of the sacred art (the stations of the cross, the crucifix, and a sculpture of the Mother of God) in the cathedral seemed to be inspired by African sources. (I've forgotten which culture in particular; it is unlikely that the style is representative of all African sculpture art.) How much do black Catholics in Oakland identify with African culture? (What percentage of Oakland Catholics are African-American?) I can now say that I've visited the cathedral. Is it getting enough donations to keep itself open? The cathedral does have some security guards patrolling the building and the grounds - seems typical for cathedrals in big cities these days.

Walking through that part of downtown Oakland, I found the appearance bleak. There are some residential buildings that are probably intended to attract affluent (white) people; are they trying to spark some sort of gentrification of the area? It doesn't seem to be working. Are other neighborhoods surrounding Lake Merritt better? It's actually the first time I've visited that part, as far as I can remember. I've seen the part north of Chinatown and the Oakland Museum. It's been some time since I've been to Oakland Chinatown. I probably wouldn't want to live in Oakland.

The concert, of course, was very good. Rushad Eggleston was a guest performer and his cello-playing was very entertaining. Molly Tuttle was also there as a guest performer. When will the Tuttles be performing around here again?