Archive for February, 2012
by John M. Zukoski on February 29, 2012 | 
3 Comments | Topics: Announcements · Opinions · Polls
Dublin, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Danville, and Livermore residents have a chance to pick their favorite restaurants, shops, and attractions in Diablo Magazine’s Best of the East Bay 2012. Now is the time to vote for your favorite Best of the East Bay foods, shops, services, kid-friendly places, fun spots, and other great finds. Diablo Magazine will tell readers all about the winners in its special July issue later this year.
Here are some of Around Dublin’s favorites in the Best of the East Bay 2012 categories:
- Computer Repair Shop: The Data Rescue Center
- Style & Beauty: Golden Optometry (Eyeglasses Shop) and Cosmo’s (Men’s Haircut)
- Fun & Nightlife: Dougherty Hills Dog Park (Dog Park) and Coco Cabana (Single Scene)
- Food: Lanna Thai (Thai Restaurant) and Cellar 9 (Comfort Food Restaurant)
- Shops & Services: Wine Steward (Wine Store) and Around Dublin Blog (Local Blog)
- Kids & Parenting: Pallen Martial Arts (Martial Arts Classes) and Emerald Glen Park (Fun Park)
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by John M. Zukoski on February 28, 2012 | 3 Comments | Topics: Development · Opinions · Restaurants · Retail
As the economy continues to improve in the Bay Area, high-end retail is making a comeback in a big way. Neiman Marcus will be celebrating the grand opening of its new store in Downtown Walnut Creek on Friday, March 9th. Santana Row in San Jose is preparing for a fresh expansion of its residential, office, and retail space. “Santana Row is doing quite well,” said James Chung, a partner with a commercial realty brokerage called Terranomics. “And the H&M deal is a great sign for the retail market.”
For a few months, billionaire developer Rick Caruso flirted with the idea of building an upscale shopping project in Dublin. Known for creating quality destinations with parks, promenades, fountains, and plazas that seamlessly integrated with upscale retail, Caruso seems to have an eye for what high-end retail consumers want and expect. Although Caruso has decided not to move forward with his first Northern California project, future retail projects in the Bay Area can learn a lot from what Caruso has done and done so well.
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by John M. Zukoski on February 27, 2012 | No Comments | Topics: Schools
Students living in and around Dublin, CA have an incredible opportunity to become immersed in the French language while having fun and socializing with friends. Éducation Française Bay Area (EFBA) is a non-profit organization founded by parents for parents seeking affordable, high-quality French programs in the San Francisco Bay Area. EFBA hires credentialed native French speaking teachers who prepare children to learn, speak, and write in French. The students enrolled in the program will also earn diplomas like the DELF-DALF, which is granted by the French Government. EFBA is now serving K-12 students in the Tri-Valley at Harvest Park Middle School in Pleasanton. Harvest Park Middle School is located at 4900 Valley Avenue.
In addition to French classes, EFBA provides a unique learning environment where children are encouraged to speak and experience French in group activities and field trips to museums. “What I appreciate at EFBA is that the children have the opportunity to learn French inside the classroom and then to use it outside the classroom, during cultural or community events or just with their friends”, said Mary, a mother of an 8-year-old student in Palo Alto.
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by Vickie Nagy on February 26, 2012 | No Comments | Topics: Opinions
The condo real estate in Dublin, CA remains very much a seller’s market in February. At the end of January, Dublin had roughly just over one month of available resale inventory. Most real estate professionals consider anything below five months of inventory to be a seller’s market. Unfortunately the Dublin condos sold in January were primarily distressed properties (75%). Of the 20 units sold, eight were short sales, seven were foreclosures, and only five were traditional resales.
Of the 20 resale condos that closed in January, 11 units (55%) sold at or over list price. Sales of Dublin condos in January included:
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by Around Dublin Team on February 25, 2012 | 28 Comments | Topics: Announcements · City Hall · Development
Promenade developer Jim Tong is alleging that the Around Dublin Blog had falsely attributed our knowledge of Consultant Planner and Southern California resident Mike Porto’s hobby as a car collector to him. According to the letter from family lawyer Martin Inderbitzen, the article has exposed Tong to “hatred, contempt, ridicule, or obloquy.” That attribution, Inderbitzen claims, has also caused Tong to be “shunned or avoided.”
East Dublin residents got to know who Jim Tong is when he tried to get his 21-story towers approved at Grafton Plaza five years ago. Many remember he touted his mega towers as the “missing piece of the puzzle” he needed to build out the Promenade. When Tong’s legal tiff with Toll Brothers threatened to derail the Promenade, the community rallied around Tong and helped him move forward on delivering the high-end retail project that has been long promised to everyone who bought in the Dublin Ranch Villages and Sorrento.
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by John M. Zukoski on February 25, 2012 | No Comments | Topics: Announcements · Local Issues · Things To Do
The family that rides together thrives together. Safe road bicycling takes a lot more than balance, a helmet, and a good attitude. Join the East Bay Bicycle Coalition’s (EBBC) League of American Bicyclists certified safety instructors for a day of fun games, safety drills, skills building, and a neighborhood ride. This free event will be held at the Heritage Park and Museums in Dublin, CA on March 3rd from noon until 2:30PM.
This workshop is for kids who can ride a bike and are ready to ride on the roadways with their parents. Parents and kids must attend together and should bring their own bikes. Each child receives a free red blinky light for participating. Registration for the event is available online. The Dublin Historic Park and Museums is located at 6600 Donlon Way.
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by Around Dublin Team on February 24, 2012 | No Comments | Topics: Opinions · Restaurants
Opening its doors to customers during a time when many restaurants were leaving the business, Lanna Thai in Livermore has quickly become a frequent destination for residents living in the Tri-Valley and beyond. Lanna Thai Owner and Executive Chef Prakin Gamble has built such a reputation as to attract stars such as American Idol runner-up Adam Archuleta. Cornerstone Fellowship founding pastor Steve Madsen and many from his congregation are also said to be regulars at Lanna Thai.
With the economy improving as more jobs, new home construction, and businesses return to the Bay Area, Lanna Thai has taken bold steps to prepare for the elevated expectations from their customers. Diners visiting Lanna Thai will notice a distinctly different feel to the experience that starts with the beautiful new menus. Inside the menu, Prakin finally added many entrées that have long been enjoyed by loyal customers who know about them. These crave-worthy favorites include the Spicy Chicken Roti, Curry Crab Meat Fried Rice, and Larb, which is a pork dish seasoned with lime juice and special Thai spices.
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by John M. Zukoski on February 23, 2012 | 15 Comments | Topics: Development · Local Businesses · Local Issues · Opinions · Retail
Fresh off a victorious two-pronged sneak attack on Pleasanton and San Ramon, Walmart looks poised to open two of their Neighborhood Markets in the Tri-Valley. One of the new Neighborhood Markets would be located at the former Nob Hill Market building on Santa Rita Road in Pleasanton, and the other one would be at the Country Club Village shopping center on Alcosta Road in San Ramon. By pouncing on desperate property owners in older shopping centers and having them quietly pull out the necessary permits, Walmart appears to have secured the rights to open their new stores without even the knowledge of both cities’ Councilmembers. Rumors had circulated for months prior to Walmart’s recent revelations.
Both of the new Walmart Neighborhood Markets will be located within a mile of an established supermarket. In Pleasanton, Walmart Neighborhood Market will go head-to-head with Safeway; in San Ramon, the controversial grocery chain will compete with Lucky. Many would assert that the competition from Walmart should be a good thing for Tri-Valley residents in the short-term, as Safeway and Lucky will be forced to lower their prices and offer friendlier customer service; on the other hand, the long-term effects of having so many Walmart stores in the Tri-Valley may be less rosy.
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by John M. Zukoski on February 22, 2012 | 2 Comments | Topics: Local Issues · Opinions · Public Works
As a direct result of the public outrage expressed by ratepayers in Dublin, San Ramon, and Pleasanton over the past few months, Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) has decided to eliminate the the controversial “Pay for Performance” program that funneled more than $2.5M in bonuses over the past 13 years to the water agency’s employees. The widely criticized bonuses were above and beyond performance-based incentive compensation paid out as part of the agency’s employment contracts. Prior to the unpopular decision to approve these bonuses for DSRSD’s top brass last year, DSRSD had passed a series of rate hikes on to its customers in Dublin, San Ramon, and Pleasanton.
“We probably received a hundred emails from rate payers and a lot of attention was generated through media attention and local blogs,” said DSRSD Board Member Dan Scannell in an interview with Contra Costa Times. Scannell has been a board member since 2000 and a vocal opponent of the controversial bonus program. “The residents were outraged over these huge bonuses during a recession, and wanted to know why we were not reducing rates instead.”
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