Discovering the Dimond
Licoln Court Senior Housing

I went to the dedication today of the new (ok - not so new - but newly celebrated) senior housing at Lincoln Court at the corner of MacArthur & Lincoln/Champion.

It was amazing...something like 200 people gathered to celebrate. I'm struck by the memory of how many layers of community, governmental help and money it took to make such affordable housing possible in the Dimond District. Councilwoman Jean Quan spoke, and what I remember as poignant was her sharing that the Hillcrest Motel (what was on the site before) was the #4 on the list of most heavily crime reported sites in Oakland. WOW! Such a transformation of a crime-infested, prostitued-ridden, drug-homeish site into a home for diverse seniors and families, in the middle of the dynamically re-emerging Dimond District!

The lunch - provided by some great Dimond merchants/restuarants including Cybelle's Pizza, Farmer's Joe's, Full Moon Restaurant, and Los Comales was amazing. The friend that invited me to the celebration retired early with her desert to her apratment. So I took my luch buffet-on-a-plate to the patio outside the Apartment Building. While there I overheard 3 mutli-racial bobo's commenting on the Dimond. Here's what I remember.

An Anglo Woman, "You know it's just like Piedmont Avenue...but there's still some...."

An Asian Man, "WOW! What is this Farmer Joe's place? I hear so much about it?"

An African-American Woman, "It's just like some sort of neighborhood, smaller Berkeley Bowl. You should go."

I wrote earlier this week about a great article in the Tribune talking about the changes, transformation and gentrification/renaissance (depending upon which side of the fence you are on) of Oakland. I foudn that my experience at the Lincoln Court dedication was more proof of the transformations that have already taken place.

The slideshow pictures were taken during my tour of the apartment complex. It's quite a place. 82 apartments. There were over 1,000 requests and applications for the housing. They have a beautiful new computer lab, funded by the Pleasant Valley Adult School, with wait-listed classes starting soon, and a vision of a Senior Center without walls. Exciting. What does this mean for the whole melting pot mix of what is emerging now - and in the near future - in Oakland's Dimond District.

Jean Quan talked about how many businesses/people want to come to the Dimond now following the openings of Farmer Joe's, Peet's and La Farine and how it is causing rent prices to rise. Great news! I wonder who else is trying to come to the Dimond to open for business? I also wonder how much support were giving to existing, and long-fighting-for-the-neighborhood businesses such as Paws & Claws and Two Star Liquors?