Something to remember, as we enter a new year: Yesterday's history, Tomorrow is a mystery and Today is a gift, that's why it is called "the present". [Via]

Sunday, November 1, 2009

First the artist, then the hipsters...


The artists infiltrate first, moving in for the cheap live-work space; then the hipsters arrive, coming for its rough-edged authenticity; and finally the developers.

One of the first entrants, Holliday Development, is building the Pacific Cannery Lofts in the initial phase of the Central Station community. The 163-unit project is an adaptive reuse of a historic warehouse, the 1911 Pacific Coast Cannery building, which was shuttered during the Great Depression and has sat empty for 50 years.

Ninety-nine lofts are centered on three interior courtyards in the original cannery building.

Experts say it's far greener to move closer to places you need to get to than it is just installing sustainable wood flooring or photovoltaic lights. Rick Holliday, founder and president of Holliday Development, did both. He built next to existing transit and incorporated enough energy-saving items to have the project Build It Green-certified.

Urban planners call this "smart growth." Specifically, smart growth means creating housing close to existing urban infrastructure and job centers while encouraging the next wave of improvements, such as grocery stores and retail shops.

But that car is hardly a necessity because 271 trains hit the West Oakland BART Station daily and the train ride to the Embarcadero station takes just six minutes. There are trains every 1 1/2 minutes during commute time, and the property offers quick access to Interstates 80, 880, 580 [980], [State Route 13 ]and Highway 24.

Complete SFGate Article