Inspire Oakland’s billboard winner has been chosen and her name is Ambrosia Shapiro. Here’s Ambrosia’s take on Oakland city:

”For me, Oakland has been on a long winning streak in the contest for the best place to live in the Bay. The diversity and history of Oakland, not to mention the amazing architecture and huge artist population, inspire me everyday. Oakland is rich with culture: Over 100 dialects and languages are spoken in the city, and it’s the birthplace of the Black Panther movement. I wanted to create a design that nods to that very important past while at the same time shows the fresh, new, and exciting place Oakland is today. Children’s Fairyland, Art Murmur, gondola rides on Lake Merritt, swimming in Lake Temescal, and farmer’s markets almost everyday of the week are just a few reasons why Oakland is the place to be.”

Today, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan’s newsletter featured Oakland Digital:

INSPIRE is Oakland Digital’s workforce development program that provides professional development for community college and state-level students pursuing a career in the competitive graphic design job market…Each year, they ask graphic design students to create a billboard design that conveys the question, “What about your city inspires you?”  Three talented students will see their design featured on commercial billboards throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, receive paid internship opportunities, and learn the career-related tools needed to find appropriate employment.

Sources:

- Oakland Digital Inspire Oakland 2013 with honorary judge, Mayor Jean Quan
- Movoto Blog ranks Oakland as No.1 Most Exciting City in America

Rosewood House Anniversary Sale
May 18th through June 16th, hours: 12pm to 6pm.
2523 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 451-7373

p.s. the Daft Punk track featuring Pharrell’s vocals, “Up all night to get lucky…,” has a pop radio lockdown monopoly!

April 28th update: Record 1,130 cyclists in attendance. What does 1000+ cyclists look like? Bay Area riding group, Wheels of Steel WoS, captured the ride pedal pushing from Ashby BART, on Adeline St. One word to describe: “TAKEOVER.” – Love Oakland

San Francisco Bike Party has been happening First Friday’s for 27 straight months and for the first time, is taking a break tonight due to a half dozen people that graf’ tagged Fort Mason at last month’s party. Those actions were by strangers, not part or aligned or work with the SFBP – typical, right? Recall Oakland’s Occupy movement and those hooded vandals who damaged the many local businesses, hiding amongst the Occupy movement. Those few actions made the mainstream dismiss the Occupy movement. Another example of a few that affect the many. When you see those few that ruin it for the many, feel free to shout, holler, and otherwise, make your feelings heard and felt, that you are NOT OK with their actions.

The take away is, OWN what you CHERISH. Looking forward to visiting Art Murmur tonight!

LOVE OAKLAND.

Uptown Oakland roll through.

Taking the lane on San Pablo Avenue.

Attaching the magnetic LED leaves to El Arbol, the Tree Bike, an art and sound bike created by Rock The Bike

Tall Bikes, Cargo bikes, track bikes, road bikes, touring bikes, cyclocross bikes, single speed mountain bikes.

Actual Cafe, awesome bike friendly establishment on San Pablo Avenue. We’ve picked up some riders along the route to the New Years Eve party.

Love Oakland.

Above: One of hundreds of bike party riders, surrounded by sound bikes, a crowd of dancers, in the open night at the first of three, Bike Party stops. 2012 Nuclear Hazard Gas Mask cashmere beanie handmade by LaRece Construction.

Earlier in the day, there were reports that Channel 2 KTVU elected the Bike Party as one of two End of the World festivities. The other option was a themed San Francisco hotel dinner for a thousand dollars. The latter couldn’t be more extremely different from the Bike Party on so many levels. The Bike Party is known for family-friendly fun for all, deeply rooted in the community, riding through ‘hoods throughout East and West Oakland, and “far east” locations such as Richmond, Hayward, Fremont, and even Concord / Walnut Creek. Best of all, you need only your two wheeled human powered vehicle. Human powered vehicles such as tandems, tall bikes, skateboards were also in line with the bike party.

Above: An art themed bike covered in stainless steel scales, forming a fish. To the right are the glowing speakers of the Tube-a-Boom bike.

Rock The Bike, based in Berkeley, California, brought a couple of their sound bikes. The ride leader was on the “Tube-a-Boom”, a long wheelbase cargo bike featuring four cannon like speakers mounted to the back, glowing blue, radially. The second bike weighed in at 370lbs and was packing monster heat with its modified loudspeakers – 4,000 watts – and a bike/trailer combined wheelbase beyond 13 feet. When this sound bike rolled past Uptown’s Fox Theater, flanked by bike party riders, and a soundtrack 4×4 house beat remixed “I Got 5 On It,” sonic booming between the building walls, sidewalk pedestrians and club goers waved their hands in the air, dancing, shaking and yelling, “Bike Party!” When you’re in the bike party, it’s okay to be loud and vocal. The motto is, after all, “When in doubt, Bike Party!”

Above: Riders clearly amazed at the quality of music and sound from the Rock The Bike sound bike!

Above: Tandem bike, sound bike, road bike, sharing the lane and open space in West Oakland.

The night’s ride route was 15-miles, a manageable ride for all levels of cyclists, that included riding into the West Oakland space typically filled with the noise and pollution of the industrial machines of big rig trucks and trains. However, on a Friday night, the operators have all gone home to their families and thus, massive wide roads are open for the taking. When centered with hundreds of cyclists in all directions, one cannot help but feel empowered and free. Bike Party!

Nearing the second stop, the soundtrack played, “What’s Good?!” A jeweled Bay Bridge in view. The city skyline. The lack of running motor vehicles. The waterfront. All your friends riding with you. Club music without the four walls or cover fee. What’s good? Everything in its right place!

Above: What’s Good!? VIP Bike Party style with a waterfront park takeover.

The party isn’t without its fault. There are the rare few who litter or run red lights. These nuisances should be dealt with by calling out the individuals. I only witnessed one or two cyclists, on brakeless fixed gear freestyle BMX style bikes, that ran red lights. These individuals were part of a small sausagefest group from out of town and were not old enough to grow facial hair. I called ‘em out, noting their inexperience and unworthiness of riding fixed gear for looking like an asshole and making everyone around them look like assholes. These few individuals will not be invited nor welcome at forthcoming Bike Party events.

The Bike Party is eternally grateful to the volunteers (who take route turns, contribute time, bring sound bikes), organizers and EBBP’tastic riders who pick up litter and call out those that do not follow Bike Party rules. The rules, are simple:

- Stop at red lights
- Stay right
- Pack your trash
- Don’t get smashed
- Ride straight
- Don’t hate

Above: A fat tired bike hopping around trials-style and a tiger skin painted fixed gear freestyle bike keeping the pace.

Above: East Bay Scorchers around the Lake in critical mass to the final stop of the evening.

Alas, all good things must come to an end. The good news is that there is another Bike Party coming up and after thirty-one consecutive First Friday EBBP’s, we’re onto something! Amplified on the energy from the evening, and well beyond the final BART train, I rode the bonus extension commute home from Oakland’s Lake Merritt to Concord, watching the sun rise from behind the 3,800 ft tall Mt. Diablo. What a night! Thank you, East Bay Bike Party!!!

Report by Wilson Tai, exclusively for Love Oakland.

PS below seen at “When In Oakland” posted the day of the East Bay Bike Party

You are cordially invited to attend Inspiration Awards 2012 on Thursday, December 6th from 6:00pm – 9:00pm at Preservation Park as we honor Mary Grove, Head of Global Entrepreneurship Outreach at Google and Doug Leeds, CEO at Ask.com. World-renown Oakland entrepreneur, MC Hammer is kicking-off the ceremony. Join Oakland Digital, as we highlight their outstanding achievements in a ceremonial manner and thank them for their positive impact upon the Bay Area and beyond. You can learn more and purchase tickets at www.inspiration-awards.com.

Oakland Digital (ODALC) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public benefit organization which aims to educate, inspire, and empower underserved diverse communities to participate in the digital economy.

More on the local food eateries at: http://www.eatrealfest.com./event/Oakland/California/2012/eat-vendors

Get there with the nearest public transit train station 19th St. BART – you’ll pop out from the steps in the middle of the race, how convenient. UC Davis Development Race Team will be racing! Wrench Science Race Team will be racing!

Here’s a photo from race turn volunteer, Yao. - Love Oakland.