This Used to Be Our Playground: South Oakland on Summer Night

I had a horrible day at work. My computer was completely busted, and it was taking me four times longer to do everything as a result. I had already taken a day off that week, so feeling behind and feeling extremely frustrated, I basically fell apart and had the worst day. As I packed up my stuff for the ride home, I asked myself, "What would make me feel better?" After batting away the many thoughts of different ice cream places I could go to, I decided to return to Oakland, where I had biked past some pretty nifty murals, street art, and graffiti earlier in the week on my way to my doctor's office.

It ended up being a wise decision.

I invited Corey with me, so we took our bikes and rode through Bloomfield and North Oakland and through the Carnegie Museum's parking lot (so much fun to zoom around with no cars in the lot). We locked up in Sennot Square and started our walk. When I say it was the most perfect summer night, I am not exaggerating.

Corey says Warhol looks like a '90s female talk show host. No one in particular. Just your run-of-the-mill '90s female talk show host.

I went to college here. I spent four years walking these streets. I'm sure this was there then. How did I miss it? Now, it's the first thing I see. What a difference five or six years makes.

What I love about Pittsburgh (because I'm almost always a pedestrian): Louisa Street in Oakland turns into a stairway halfway through.

Groceria Mercante. Everything about this sign is great. The font of "MEATBALLS" might entertain me for days.

This is a rocket, but I also see a butt.

Rocketeer with a paintcan on a dumpster.

Kind of grammatically awkward and incorrect, but at least it's pleasant.

Ghost Bikes make me incredibly sad.

Another reason I love Pittsburgh: murals in unexpected places. I wouldn't exactly pin the wall of Gene's Place off of Louisa Street in South Oakland as the prime spot for this display. But it works, so well.

I've only been in Gene's Place a couple times, but walking by made me want to plan a night of South Oakland bar crawling, before the students get back, of course.

I dont think it's meant to look like this pig with wings and a crown(?) is pooping, but that speck is sure in a great place to assume that is what's happening.

The bike ride, the walk, the sights, and the company were enough to rid me of the bad mood that hovered over me all day. I was feeling so good by the time we'd biked back to Bloomfield, that I decided to make chocolate chip pancakes for dinner.

It ended up being a wise decision.