Toontown

The beauty of street art is that you can be snorkeling in Maui, turn the corner and be cruising down Loopy Lane in Toontown. It's an urban playground perfect for the post work blues. And the best part is every couple months you get to explore a whole new world of walls!

Wearing all vintage and JC boots. 

Photos by Wesley Carter 

Down by the Lake

Nothing beats a walk around Lake Merritt at dusk. When I moved to the Bay Area a year ago I really didn't know much about the East Bay. I stayed with a friend for a couple months because I was homeless and he lived right by the lake. There's something really special about a natural escape being smack dab in the middle of a downtown scenery. And Oakland is no ordinary city. The mix of people and culture in so mistakenly represented. Commonly known as a "dangerous" area, people judge Oakland stiffly, which goes to show how naive the mass public truly is. I'll stop right there, I could go on and on. This post is about beautiful Lake Merritt, which is actually it's location title on FB and Insta! The lake is a common ground wedged at the edge of downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. There's a couple different woodsy escapes, several view points of the downtown skyline, washed up piers, grassy plains, a bird sanctuary and boat docks. There's a little set of islands at one corner. All in all it's a setting that totally represents a relaxed common ground for the diverse crowd of Oakland. I come here to run or explore all the time and it never gets old. With that eclectic Bay Area touch there really is always something new to see here. 

Missions in The Mission

As I squeeze through my last couple weeks in the Bay Area, I've been making it a point to spend time in all my favorite neighborhoods. Calling The Mission district of San Francisco "unique" is really an understatement. Historically the community has gone through many layers and it is now a prime location for the influx of people moving to this already overflowing city. Always being a progressive community, I don't want to continue on about how the charm is diminishing because of the techie boom.. Keeping it positive here!  

I just want to say that no matter what the opinion is, The Mission is a space of colliding forces with the backdrop of a true concrete jungle fueled by constant artwork, characters, food and shops. This is my go-to spot for fabric, thrifting and spontaneous gadgets. Walking around here you feel such an extraordinary energy. It's unlike anywhere else. Obviously the reality of living in this neighborhood is now clouded by all kinds of controversy, but the bohemian warmth still exists in the streets. I really hope that doesn't slip away.. 

Wearing all vintage, Jeffrey Campbell boots and H&M sunglasses. 

Photos by Wesley Carter