https://onsanpabloave.com On San Pablo Ave Sat, 13 Dec 2025 01:25:47 +0000 https://onsanpabloave.com en https://onsanpabloave.com/Untitled-Page Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:04:17 +0000 On San Pablo Ave https://onsanpabloave.com/Untitled-Page <img width="1500" height="1000" width_o="1500" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fb12c7675b2fb4c397cc08a9cdda5359d90de7d4fc515290d25030ac2fb67fb4/_JMW0471.png" data-mid="241922138" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/fb12c7675b2fb4c397cc08a9cdda5359d90de7d4fc515290d25030ac2fb67fb4/_JMW0471.png" /> https://onsanpabloave.com/ETHAN-RADLEY-BUNGAY-Precarity-Meets-Placemaking Thu, 04 Dec 2025 21:56:35 +0000 On San Pablo Ave https://onsanpabloave.com/ETHAN-RADLEY-BUNGAY-Precarity-Meets-Placemaking <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b30ae184d0c54d34dff63b5a20fa9652240068b25d412af89dda65dcc2d82e95/1_Bungay_WashingtonAve_and_San-PabloAve.jpg" data-mid="241766546" border="0" alt="Washington Avenue &amp; San Pablo Avenue, Albany" data-caption="Washington Avenue &amp; San Pablo Avenue, Albany" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b30ae184d0c54d34dff63b5a20fa9652240068b25d412af89dda65dcc2d82e95/1_Bungay_WashingtonAve_and_San-PabloAve.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b63459cc718c33d037335fab3675a8de8bbbd744a94663e1e456244ca8f22ebc/2_Bungay_Oakland.jpg" data-mid="241766547" border="0" alt="Oakland, CA" data-caption="Oakland, CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b63459cc718c33d037335fab3675a8de8bbbd744a94663e1e456244ca8f22ebc/2_Bungay_Oakland.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8549a0c5d9facc8d949e62dda49b43361d835fbfbcf5c41b15d0a8062739951c/3_Bungay_1601SanPabloAve.jpg" data-mid="241766548" border="0" alt="1601 San Pablo Avenue, Oakland" data-caption="1601 San Pablo Avenue, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8549a0c5d9facc8d949e62dda49b43361d835fbfbcf5c41b15d0a8062739951c/3_Bungay_1601SanPabloAve.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1125" width_o="1500" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/87e4f10614fff585731a29bca18bb1981a0757e43b9f50f4fe91a653d858a1c7/4_Bungay_SanPabloAve_ElCerrito.jpg" data-mid="241766549" border="0" data-scale="88" alt="San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito" data-caption="San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/87e4f10614fff585731a29bca18bb1981a0757e43b9f50f4fe91a653d858a1c7/4_Bungay_SanPabloAve_ElCerrito.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b8fd0f6fe31bc8922eac865e7960ece796bcb7e86abb853d58ef34d3aaed37bb/5_Bungay_PeabodyLn_and_SanPabloAve.jpg" data-mid="241766550" border="0" alt="Peabody Lane &amp; San Pablo Avenue, Oakland" data-caption="Peabody Lane &amp; San Pablo Avenue, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b8fd0f6fe31bc8922eac865e7960ece796bcb7e86abb853d58ef34d3aaed37bb/5_Bungay_PeabodyLn_and_SanPabloAve.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1125" width_o="1500" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c983fefcce9fb33994e9fc155ef74f33681e55def4cd43c0518535bf6c83dfc6/6_Bungay_10367SanPabloAve.jpg" data-mid="241766551" border="0" alt="10367 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito" data-caption="10367 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c983fefcce9fb33994e9fc155ef74f33681e55def4cd43c0518535bf6c83dfc6/6_Bungay_10367SanPabloAve.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/38e1fda202607e7aec2ec5a3af06615442e168e1f831d85440df539b42c81af6/7_Bungay_810ClaySt.jpg" data-mid="241766552" border="0" alt="810 Clay Street, Oakland" data-caption="810 Clay Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/38e1fda202607e7aec2ec5a3af06615442e168e1f831d85440df539b42c81af6/7_Bungay_810ClaySt.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/08678ed1cdadefc4f336411237e8453010bb5043a0dd8ee694e683b212e63706/8_Bungay_10621SanPabloAve.jpg" data-mid="241766553" border="0" alt="10621 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito" data-caption="10621 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/08678ed1cdadefc4f336411237e8453010bb5043a0dd8ee694e683b212e63706/8_Bungay_10621SanPabloAve.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9de6ea327d72b7c24f81f7ecc3e4e4c0d622a724c807cf2e9c419753a3dc5b02/9_Bungay_1111AddisonSt.jpg" data-mid="241766554" border="0" alt="1111 Addison Street, Berkeley" data-caption="1111 Addison Street, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9de6ea327d72b7c24f81f7ecc3e4e4c0d622a724c807cf2e9c419753a3dc5b02/9_Bungay_1111AddisonSt.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/73c22853c56c10b9f7794b1b27ce33a7a805aafa90af9a5491f38a39ddc93c48/10_Bungay_GarfieldAve_and_SanPabloAve.jpg" data-mid="241766555" border="0" alt="Garfield Avenue &amp; San Pablo Avenue, Albany" data-caption="Garfield Avenue &amp; San Pablo Avenue, Albany" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/73c22853c56c10b9f7794b1b27ce33a7a805aafa90af9a5491f38a39ddc93c48/10_Bungay_GarfieldAve_and_SanPabloAve.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/902445b4c4cd249404ca52d2a9c9801464a0bd43552ecc650514321668d75752/11_Bungay_800Broadway.jpg" data-mid="241766556" border="0" alt="800 Broadway, Oakland" data-caption="800 Broadway, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/902445b4c4cd249404ca52d2a9c9801464a0bd43552ecc650514321668d75752/11_Bungay_800Broadway.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0d3fea863f70f342f3aae40cb7ce14c2ec67c8e387e3e0df7f13180d56d396df/12_Bungay_10443SanPabloAve.jpg" data-mid="241766557" border="0" alt="10443 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito" data-caption="10443 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0d3fea863f70f342f3aae40cb7ce14c2ec67c8e387e3e0df7f13180d56d396df/12_Bungay_10443SanPabloAve.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1125" width_o="1500" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8854b5de84f6ecf0f62c2ab0690d90f0353661739fd6570885c5d37b727c6e2b/13_Bungay_SanJoaquinSt_and_SacramentoAve.jpg" data-mid="241766558" border="0" alt="San Joaquin Street &amp; Sacramento Avenue, Richmond" data-caption="San Joaquin Street &amp; Sacramento Avenue, Richmond" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8854b5de84f6ecf0f62c2ab0690d90f0353661739fd6570885c5d37b727c6e2b/13_Bungay_SanJoaquinSt_and_SacramentoAve.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1125" width_o="1500" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2c1d37ee1af2c1ae607b3ef8ceeecf547fafcaf76f1c99c87ac420ee0b22c1c3/14_Bungay_Richmond.jpg" data-mid="241766662" border="0" alt="Richmond, CA" data-caption="Richmond, CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2c1d37ee1af2c1ae607b3ef8ceeecf547fafcaf76f1c99c87ac420ee0b22c1c3/14_Bungay_Richmond.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9baf97377a9e7e0a63b27bfcd4f3369a57d46c9ba3338313c3e6b70959c7e231/15_Bungay_2403SanPabloAve.jpg" data-mid="241766561" border="0" alt="2403 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" data-caption="2403 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9baf97377a9e7e0a63b27bfcd4f3369a57d46c9ba3338313c3e6b70959c7e231/15_Bungay_2403SanPabloAve.jpg" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/be6d06c2f47e39d8e59538fb5c3ebe9b072b112d1b874727c8dc1daa25bb6b91/16_Bungay_Pinole.jpg" data-mid="241766562" border="0" alt="Pinole, CA" data-caption="Pinole, CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/be6d06c2f47e39d8e59538fb5c3ebe9b072b112d1b874727c8dc1daa25bb6b91/16_Bungay_Pinole.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0b1500bdd54369c91eeecd80f930660ca098691d6d80bf7d51243e6e9a1f4341/17_Bungay_45thSt_and_MacdonaldAve.jpg" data-mid="241766563" border="0" alt="45th Street &amp; Macdonald Avenue, Richmond" data-caption="45th Street &amp; Macdonald Avenue, Richmond" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0b1500bdd54369c91eeecd80f930660ca098691d6d80bf7d51243e6e9a1f4341/17_Bungay_45thSt_and_MacdonaldAve.jpg" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a82d7d35183e7691d157751c90132e0e2ffd1b7db190fa702b54488944d936d7/18_Bungay_828Franklin.jpg" data-mid="241766564" border="0" alt="828 Franklin Street, Oakland" data-caption="828 Franklin Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/a82d7d35183e7691d157751c90132e0e2ffd1b7db190fa702b54488944d936d7/18_Bungay_828Franklin.jpg" /> <img width="844" height="1125" width_o="844" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5505a58c3e1aa4163c958af0897eb7fe123a24d9b6ca503dfec8dc9f3183562e/19_Bungay_10321SanPabloAve.jpg" data-mid="241766565" border="0" alt="10321 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito" data-caption="10321 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/844/i/5505a58c3e1aa4163c958af0897eb7fe123a24d9b6ca503dfec8dc9f3183562e/19_Bungay_10321SanPabloAve.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ae6cb279587b399f3df17f04295f79fee588057c0f2513e57af43b73bb22f2ea/20_Bungay_2000SanPabloAve.jpg" data-mid="241766566" border="0" alt="2000 San Pablo Avenue, Pinole" data-caption="2000 San Pablo Avenue, Pinole" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ae6cb279587b399f3df17f04295f79fee588057c0f2513e57af43b73bb22f2ea/20_Bungay_2000SanPabloAve.jpg" /> Precarity Meets Placemaking by Ethan Radley Bungay My body of work foregrounds the dialectical nature of space and the geographies of encounter, intervening in discourse around questions of reflexivity and environmental justice. In doing so, this sequence of photographs has several goals. The first is to depict San Pablo Avenue not within a paradigm of conflict, but rather through the lens of radical placemaking and place-based community action. The second is to engage in debates concerning traditional research. What are its limitations? How might a creative non-fiction project like “On San Pablo Avenue” address the fundamental issues, both theoretical and applied, of the way in which geographical research is conducted, and what ways might it fall short? The final goal is to then propose a new and counter-hegemonic framework for understanding environmental justice, one that reinforces collective stewardship and agency. It is widely understood that San Pablo Avenue has tremendous historical and contemporary significance to the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a major thoroughfare spanning two counties–Alameda and Contra Costa–across a twenty-three mile stretch. Among its most interesting and defining characteristics is the variation in land use, population, and scale that is present both within the interiors of the cities it passes through and across the seven municipalities along the corridor. Notably, an ongoing issue that has been particularly pervasive for the entirety of San Pablo Avenue is the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists, who have been vulnerable to dangerous conditions as a result of the street’s traffic design. Between 2008 and 2013, approximately 150 bike collisions occurred, as well as dozens of pedestrian and cyclist injuries, and several fatalities (The Oaklandside, 2022). Subsequent research indicated that low-income households, communities of color, and people over the age of 75 disproportionately live adjacent to the corridor (The Oaklandside, 2022). This empirical information brings to the forefront the issues of equity on San Pablo Avenue, which my work interprets as environmental justice issues within the built urban landscape. In the cities of Oakland and Berkeley, for instance, uneven development in relation to systematic gentrification and displacement is visible. Post-war deindustrialization, freeway construction, neoliberal policy shifts, among other events destabilized the working-class and laid the groundwork for the emergence of modern-day gentrification in Berkeley and Oakland. It is important to note that more generally, gentrification and neighborhood revitalization are often racialized processes insofar as communities of color have been most prone to their impacts. Environmental justice issues have been prevalent in other cities of San Pablo Avenue, including&nbsp; industrial suburbs like Richmond, where a Chevron refinery is sited. Chevron’s operations have produced significant health burdens due to environmental pollution and contamination, emanated by a number of documented regulatory violations and noncompliant operational practices at the refinery. These events concerning environmental public health also embody a racialized dimension, as the population of Richmond is predominantly people of color. In her analysis of Oakland, Brandi T. Summers argues that the city is shaped by two interwoven publics: a neoliberal and sanitized city that serves white residents, and another that is decayed and perpetuates the oppression of working-class Black and Latinx communities (Summers, 2022). Her interpretation articulates the dialectic of space and the geographies of encounter, underscoring that although space is often contested, paradoxical, and unequal, all residents inhabit the same physical environment. The objective of my work is to foreground this idea and extend it to the broader San Pablo Avenue and East Bay Area. While I have referenced several environmental justice struggles along the corridor, my intention is not to characterize San Pablo Avenue through the lens of such conflict, but to visually showcase the way in which individuals have maintained a robust sense of place amid an era of growing precarity. The first part of my photographic process largely involved recognizing my positionality. Although community-based scholarship seeks to mitigate the separation between the researcher and those being researched, it often retains an extractive logic and inadvertently reproduces a dynamic of power asymmetry. In an effort to resolve these intrinsic issues, my priority became to engage meaningfully with the people of the built environment, rejecting developing the practice of blindly photographing with limited context. In the field, I humbly positioned myself as a visitor who sought to not only observe but to actively participate in the landscape, always remaining critical about when and where it is appropriate to press the shutter. I was also intentional about composition, ensuring that all corners of my image reflect the way I wish to depict life on San Pablo Avenue. And in several instances, I paused photographing, instead taking several minutes to observe, both visually and sonically, and converse with my peers and the individuals who live and work on San Pablo Avenue. In this sense, I was a geographer first and a photographer second. Additionally, throughout the course I captured several photographs which featured my peers in the process of actively taking photographs. The purpose of this practice was to visually represent our positionality and instill reflexivity throughout the semester. The final image in my sequence adheres to this objective. It firmly emplaces the class against the backdrop of Pinole’s built environment. In many ways, our class is, in fact, part of the landscape. Our imposition renders questions like “Why is San Pablo Avenue a site worth studying?” and “How can we use the camera to create a narrative that portrays life on the corridor in a new light?” By this logic, the insertion of a UC Berkeley course into the landscape is a living embodiment of the geographies of encounter and dialectic of space: we are interacting materially with the built environment and its inhabitants. On San Pablo Avenue in El Cerrito, I greeted Lorna, the Filipino dental assistant I have been a patient of for nearly two decades who has become a cornerstone of my own Filipino community in the Bay Area. Prior to moving to Berkeley, I did not maintain residency in any of the municipalities along San Pablo Avenue, yet Lorna and I have consistently remained connected as members of the Filipino diaspora in the East Bay. The very nature of my connection to her is a testament to the way in which San Pablo Avenue connects people both physically and ontologically. In conversation with her, she explained why San Pablo Avenue remains important to her: it is where she has lived and worked for as long as she can remember. She vocalized that Dr. Yu, the owner of the clinic, has been her partner for decades, and that she will retire alongside him. Her story signals to the way in which notions of community are fostered on San Pablo Avenue, and how an individual’s daily acts, in this case work, can be heavily valued. El Cerrito Dental Care is immigrant-run, and both Dr. Yu and Lorna continue to speak proudly of their Burmese and Filipino descent. It will soon be passed along to Andrew, the son of Dr. Yu. In this respect, the longstanding community and sense of place cultivated on San Pablo Avenue are intergenerational and enduring.&nbsp; And the constraints of temporality have been transcended. The openness of the diverse communities on San Pablo Avenue to willingly engage in conversation with the class is memorable. Individuals frequently exhibited genuine curiosity and eagerness to share their biography, followed by deep appreciation for the general objective of the project “On San Pablo Avenue” which is to legitimize the qualitative experiences of members in the geographical region. The sequence of photographs I have produced and curated seek to fortify these lived experiences. I was particularly drawn to capturing the daily activity and movement that is ostensibly routinization, yet carries profound significance. From a photograph of a woman protesting the Trump administration in Albany, to a portrait of a working-class man who has resisted efforts to displace him from Oakland, to images that highlight how individuals of different identities regularly encounter one another in the streets, these works collectively capture the complex character of daily life on San Pablo Avenue. This photographic sequence reveals how seemingly mundane scenes possess a unique capacity to reveal the conditions of the enacted environment and the way in which communities along the avenue consolidate their presence through activism, local business ownership, resource exchange, street art, and other practices. My own experience in participating in the “On San Pablo Avenue” project has led me to rethink and challenge the hegemonic logics and epistemological foundations of academic research, in particular geographical scholarship. My body of work frames San Pablo Avenue and the lived experience of individuals through a new and non-traditional environmental justice framework. It is not one that constricts environmental justice research to merely understanding the past and current issues within the natural and built environment, but one that brings notions of placemaking, mutual aid, and visions for formal futures to the fore. Acknowledgements I would like to thank Joel Wanek for his invaluable guidance throughout this course, and I extend my gratitude to my peers for their intellectual insight and unadulterated support. I dedicate this project to the East Bay. https://onsanpabloave.com/AVERY-DAVIS-Absence-as-Presence Thu, 04 Dec 2025 21:57:17 +0000 On San Pablo Ave https://onsanpabloave.com/AVERY-DAVIS-Absence-as-Presence <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2d3469e8b0aa27886d7cb3829dc4775241c5c370590747007505d7f5848b6405/Finalphotos-2.jpg" data-mid="241546519" border="0" data-scale="63" alt="2600 Ninth Street, Berkeley CA" data-caption="2600 Ninth Street, Berkeley CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2d3469e8b0aa27886d7cb3829dc4775241c5c370590747007505d7f5848b6405/Finalphotos-2.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c99672aab14cc93e7c75c25d6a9cc3aa1a2a784340ed0fae1653709f9a79a88c/Finalphotos-3.jpg" data-mid="241546520" border="0" alt="14395 San Pablo Ave, San Pablo CA " data-caption="14395 San Pablo Ave, San Pablo CA " src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c99672aab14cc93e7c75c25d6a9cc3aa1a2a784340ed0fae1653709f9a79a88c/Finalphotos-3.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ea15358d04ff29ef350df91b224c8445673534ea8faf3214fbcdd093b6cc1527/Finalphotos-4.jpg" data-mid="241546521" border="0" alt="3698 Watts St, Oakland CA" data-caption="3698 Watts St, Oakland CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ea15358d04ff29ef350df91b224c8445673534ea8faf3214fbcdd093b6cc1527/Finalphotos-4.jpg" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0f7813ec0c2ac745f7e3a635e088ca4ef6ac304ff3f3b2c4e968de32f6429d3f/Finalphotos.jpg" data-mid="241546560" border="0" alt="1931 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley CA" data-caption="1931 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/0f7813ec0c2ac745f7e3a635e088ca4ef6ac304ff3f3b2c4e968de32f6429d3f/Finalphotos.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0fa9dd955dd9d9567f3a2a0a2be9d7e6ac028d6ec4d02643e6bcdd014f33cf73/Finalphotos-5.jpg" data-mid="241546522" border="0" alt="63rd St &amp; San Pablo Ave, Emeryville CA" data-caption="63rd St &amp; San Pablo Ave, Emeryville CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0fa9dd955dd9d9567f3a2a0a2be9d7e6ac028d6ec4d02643e6bcdd014f33cf73/Finalphotos-5.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ecc1489e696cc84f92fea5d27fe3636a56a68c07304869c39d2392b3cfacab92/Finalphotos-6.jpg" data-mid="241546523" border="0" alt="Jesus Auto Upholstery, 3501 Carleson Blvd, El Cerrito CA" data-caption="Jesus Auto Upholstery, 3501 Carleson Blvd, El Cerrito CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ecc1489e696cc84f92fea5d27fe3636a56a68c07304869c39d2392b3cfacab92/Finalphotos-6.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8cc19313ba615fa0b948e699268686f4e63baac559db114f7548e47c65fec398/Finalphotos-2.jpg" data-mid="241779605" border="0" alt="Exclusive Buttons, 10252 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito CA" data-caption="Exclusive Buttons, 10252 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8cc19313ba615fa0b948e699268686f4e63baac559db114f7548e47c65fec398/Finalphotos-2.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6fda1a5a4edf6cad83a7a53cb28b664a7d41f4a6e61ff9ccd4e398e0d633a8cc/Finalphotos-8.jpg" data-mid="241546525" border="0" alt="Reuse for Arts &amp; Crafts, 1824 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley CA" data-caption="Reuse for Arts &amp; Crafts, 1824 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6fda1a5a4edf6cad83a7a53cb28b664a7d41f4a6e61ff9ccd4e398e0d633a8cc/Finalphotos-8.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1d5bb5da315076fb1b84a213843689c033c3d09c5b1a272672c12769e5387cba/Finalphotos.jpg" data-mid="241594920" border="0" alt="5655 San Pablo Ave, Oakland CA" data-caption="5655 San Pablo Ave, Oakland CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1d5bb5da315076fb1b84a213843689c033c3d09c5b1a272672c12769e5387cba/Finalphotos.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8f76951ee8e86fa0cea47e98ed20873665c49866d6d44e6b3d5f7ea77ae92665/Finalphotos.jpg" data-mid="241663993" border="0" alt="2211 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley CA" data-caption="2211 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8f76951ee8e86fa0cea47e98ed20873665c49866d6d44e6b3d5f7ea77ae92665/Finalphotos.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/be80b0755c890290b40b1c23b50ab429133ab5f1fd6d52b266bdb616c1bd15eb/Finalphotos.jpg" data-mid="241592912" border="0" alt="5th St &amp; San Pablo Ave, Oakland CA" data-caption="5th St &amp; San Pablo Ave, Oakland CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/be80b0755c890290b40b1c23b50ab429133ab5f1fd6d52b266bdb616c1bd15eb/Finalphotos.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/978563bdad04a9e1a18677aa94d6f3508fe5d0fbe2ad6f7300b627747ef179c5/Finalphotos-30.jpg" data-mid="241547320" border="0" alt="711 Camelia St, Berkeley CA" data-caption="711 Camelia St, Berkeley CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/978563bdad04a9e1a18677aa94d6f3508fe5d0fbe2ad6f7300b627747ef179c5/Finalphotos-30.jpg" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/222ab9f45dae34dd5f5df7f9f97433dfa362ca761d85cf668de91b521c9692d7/Finalphotos-22.jpg" data-mid="241546538" border="0" alt="67th St and San Pablo Ave, Emeryville CA" data-caption="67th St and San Pablo Ave, Emeryville CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/222ab9f45dae34dd5f5df7f9f97433dfa362ca761d85cf668de91b521c9692d7/Finalphotos-22.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/61fee47bf0025131a4de18d0c55b56c95eee5eae5c3ce279cc8fb6f0539d46b5/Finalphotos-23.jpg" data-mid="241546563" border="0" alt="1425 Humboldt Ave, Richmond CA" data-caption="1425 Humboldt Ave, Richmond CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/61fee47bf0025131a4de18d0c55b56c95eee5eae5c3ce279cc8fb6f0539d46b5/Finalphotos-23.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1b2877dcd315f225cacd9c32d48c2f2d08053a9e73a3d5c63de2f0847781a774/Finalphotos-10.jpg" data-mid="241546527" border="0" alt="1818 Tenth St, Berkeley CA" data-caption="1818 Tenth St, Berkeley CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1b2877dcd315f225cacd9c32d48c2f2d08053a9e73a3d5c63de2f0847781a774/Finalphotos-10.jpg" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/355a086df0ee281ecd91523b30ad4b25f7ae42d349bcc33218ce839fdb288511/Finalphotos-21.jpg" data-mid="241546537" border="0" alt="Riverside and Humboldt Ave, Richmond CA" data-caption="Riverside and Humboldt Ave, Richmond CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/355a086df0ee281ecd91523b30ad4b25f7ae42d349bcc33218ce839fdb288511/Finalphotos-21.jpg" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c73623e833330c5aa6c0f3f2dd9a93946d1ac3395d7454d4bf3c44ecd9c1e1ff/Finalphotos-2.jpg" data-mid="241663992" border="0" alt="1828 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley CA" data-caption="1828 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/c73623e833330c5aa6c0f3f2dd9a93946d1ac3395d7454d4bf3c44ecd9c1e1ff/Finalphotos-2.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4fbe68aa8008a9adc5d4b0041c4a715ff68198b10954c65baf7ba5b98f2b0617/Finalphotos-6.jpg" data-mid="241666270" border="0" alt="San Pablo &amp; Ocean Ave, Oakland CA" data-caption="San Pablo &amp; Ocean Ave, Oakland CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4fbe68aa8008a9adc5d4b0041c4a715ff68198b10954c65baf7ba5b98f2b0617/Finalphotos-6.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0daf738f07c1bb6f49889b3dc2557276c786df3d3038aa57ea7c7488a2ebba1f/Finalphotos-31.jpg" data-mid="241547575" border="0" alt="2145 Buena Vista Dr, Pinole CA" data-caption="2145 Buena Vista Dr, Pinole CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0daf738f07c1bb6f49889b3dc2557276c786df3d3038aa57ea7c7488a2ebba1f/Finalphotos-31.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/40bd8c82ed3e77d71f51d63224a4dbf96678a4df26136cb45972896965eec71a/Finalphotos-8.jpg" data-mid="241783548" border="0" alt="Clinton &amp; San Pablo Ave, Richmond CA" data-caption="Clinton &amp; San Pablo Ave, Richmond CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/40bd8c82ed3e77d71f51d63224a4dbf96678a4df26136cb45972896965eec71a/Finalphotos-8.jpg" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/db3dcc0a1576186f6682a08999cd28fef6cf8ca49bfc0bdc6a72b7f22aebf0d5/Finalphotos-20.jpg" data-mid="241546536" border="0" alt="El Dorado St &amp; Santa Clara Ave, El Cerrito CA" data-caption="El Dorado St &amp; Santa Clara Ave, El Cerrito CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/db3dcc0a1576186f6682a08999cd28fef6cf8ca49bfc0bdc6a72b7f22aebf0d5/Finalphotos-20.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3a27479d6e9208c2674fd6db7bf345fcf4d235b264feb17c630abe86e029a457/Finalphotos-15.jpg" data-mid="241546559" border="0" alt="66th St &amp; Hollis St, Emeryville CA" data-caption="66th St &amp; Hollis St, Emeryville CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3a27479d6e9208c2674fd6db7bf345fcf4d235b264feb17c630abe86e029a457/Finalphotos-15.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/39024b87194b30048f306eff6d036d5d8a677f2fc0e59b1ca43091bac6300585/Finalphotos-7.jpg" data-mid="241783546" border="0" alt="893 Carleton St, Berkeley, CA " data-caption="893 Carleton St, Berkeley, CA " src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/39024b87194b30048f306eff6d036d5d8a677f2fc0e59b1ca43091bac6300585/Finalphotos-7.jpg" /> Absence as Presence&nbsp;by Avery Davis The city landscape is complex, often revealing misconceptions and hidden truths if one looks closely. New to the built environment of San Pablo Avenue, I set out to discover how my photographs could speak as a narrative to these urban geographies. These spaces shape the lives of thousands of people, where streets act as borders to witness microcosms of change. A stretch of land that shifts across many cultural backgrounds, my hope for this project was to create a photographic exploration of the accumulated traces of activity, and what lingers after movement, departure, and attention fade or drift elsewhere. My work strives to document these stories as such, focusing on the juxtaposition between community and the remnants of life along San Pablo Avenue. In times of transition, communities face threats to their own livelihood, being displaced or priced out of neighborhoods. This is their home; urban enclaves where they have seen generations of milestones, hardships, and celebrations. Even if not physically here, every piece of their story becomes a thread woven into the city’s collective fabric. As San Pablo faces rapid change and redevelopment, how might these images serve as a form of living memory, preserving what is disappearing even as the city transforms? Even as things appear absent or abandoned, people are still very much present. These spaces carry the weight of what is no longer there, yet hint at the human stories that persist around the edges.&nbsp; The many discoveries along San Pablo Avenue that drew my attention were not their emptiness, but their residual presence. How can absence become a quiet invitation to imagine beyond what's at face value? This contrast encourages us to look closer instead of just being passive observers. A storefront, boarded and tagged, speaks not only of closure but of the community that helped build it and begs the question of what relationships have endured since. The belongings we carry in our cars or items we leave on the sidewalk speak to what we value and cherish. By grounding this collection in images of the people we pass on our walks, I hope to capture this continuity and remind viewers that these cities remain alive—a vibrant, ongoing tapestry of experience. Things overlooked actually reveal the beauty of people and places we call home. Each person and object transcends these liminal spaces as part of our community, and we must pay attention to them. Collectively, I hope these images highlight the intimate and vivid textures of San Pablo Avenue.&nbsp; I found myself drawn to the corners of the cities we explored, and photography became an essential component of understanding San Pablo Avenue. Using photography as a vessel for uplifting rather than subjugating others was of the utmost importance to me, considering the nature of photography, as in some cases, "...the camera resembles a gun, something to shoot with; in other instances, it is nothing short of extractive, a piece of equipment that takes or grabs from its surroundings. Photographers often refer to the people in front of the camera as subjects, a term that carries connotations of subjugation, of oppressive powerlessness. Even exposure—a photographic term that refers to the amount of light that reaches the camera's sensor—suggests vulnerability and risk" (Van‘t Hull). Connecting to individuals on a human level is a small step in counteracting this history, and I found my camera bridged this gap when I approached others with honesty. I strayed away from orienting and guiding people to meet my agenda, as authenticity can not be forced. Although these conversations cannot translate through an image, I hope many of these photos "speak" for themselves. Without looking inward, I never would have met owners like Frida of Reuse for Arts &amp; Crafts in Berkeley, (inspired by the vibrant and salient Frida Kahlo), who aspires to share her love of art and reused materials for a world that is centered around consumerism and that demands we always buy the shiniest new thing. Her ability to share the difficulties of her own experience, not only as a creative but as a business owner during the economic turmoil of COVID-19, touched me. Driving by in our cars, which are external barriers to the street, one would never know her background and what hurdles she faced to remain open and emotionally grounded in times of such uncertainty. I wanted to include these images to represent the faces behind the physical walls of the built environment. Some people did not want to be photographed along our journey; I took these as chances to listen to their stories and the legacies of shops, many of them being around for decades. Walking is a way of knowing, feeling, and experiencing our senses together at once; although I will never know San Pablo in the way of people like Frida, I carry this intimate knowledge learned from her and many others with me. Especially over the last few years, the visual aesthetics of San Pablo Avenue have changed, with the closure of many businesses. This is present with the abundance of empty lots and for lease signs across the landscape. Now faced with propositions to expand and create new routes for transportation, building infrastructure is shifting towards this goal. The glimmers of billboard advertisements akin to "Get Money Quick" scams juxtaposed with signs of flashy new car shopping online in areas with many low-income residents point to the fact that capitalist interests are pushing aside public interests. As we walked, I saw many highlights of the bold gentrification grey and bright yellow new property development signs as we approached cities like Emeryville. However, through all of this, I noticed the signs of life in shoes perched over a balcony, graffiti, a hanging clothesline, and the like. These served as visual cues, reminding me of the tension between people and profit, and of a persistent presence that refuses to be silenced. Reviewing and collectively examining my work over the semester, all I can hope for is that I brought some justice to showing the richness of San Pablo Avenue, a living atlas, so to speak. These photographs serve as visual footnotes to San Pablo’s complexity. Both growth and decline, and beauty and decay can exist in unison. They remind us of the hardships endured and of the absence of transition and time in our memory, even though their effects are undeniably real. It’s much easier to look away and try to fill the void than to allow ourselves to feel or grieve the loss of what once was. Community is at the center of cities, and San Pablo gives us a glimpse of how this is impacted by development and where people come and go, albeit letting their presence be known. However, we must recognize the reality of the relationship between place and space, as Doreen Massey puts it, to be this "time-space compression" that hangs over our heads in a heavily globalized world. That's exactly what this class attempts to address, as places are not static and homogeneous, but conglomerates of history, colonization, oppression, and, of course, capital relations. Boundaries have historically allowed us to neatly pick and choose what we want to care about, but to truly understand a sense of place, we must look beyond. I hope that my work carries the message to search for what might be ignored and to appreciate the rawness of everyday urban stories in a rapidly changing world.&nbsp; https://onsanpabloave.com/ELIZABETH-FISKE-Shovel-Ready-Land Thu, 04 Dec 2025 21:57:19 +0000 On San Pablo Ave https://onsanpabloave.com/ELIZABETH-FISKE-Shovel-Ready-Land <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6dcbeda54a18824ba1fc1112da4b192009eb6298350549c45d529782e44a9878/01.png" data-mid="241626455" border="0" alt="Washington Street &amp; 9th Street, Oakland" data-caption="Washington Street &amp; 9th Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6dcbeda54a18824ba1fc1112da4b192009eb6298350549c45d529782e44a9878/01.png" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a224f38af0b169061ed5f0190a087cd671beefdceed48159ff6b29e70ae9ae45/02.png" data-mid="241626456" border="0" alt="900 Bancroft Way, Berkeley" data-caption="900 Bancroft Way, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/a224f38af0b169061ed5f0190a087cd671beefdceed48159ff6b29e70ae9ae45/02.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/70389dd593a2975e8310c316a8a478dab7450c64b0fd65d2a14341f1a2e1701d/03.png" data-mid="241626457" border="0" alt="388 9th Street, Oakland" data-caption="388 9th Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/70389dd593a2975e8310c316a8a478dab7450c64b0fd65d2a14341f1a2e1701d/03.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/145559254226cf030d0b3e55365a16cb2ad3d1b3bea3d7a4c85d95e5c6d0f1e6/04.png" data-mid="241626458" border="0" alt="Folger Avenue &amp; San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" data-caption="Folger Avenue &amp; San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/145559254226cf030d0b3e55365a16cb2ad3d1b3bea3d7a4c85d95e5c6d0f1e6/04.png" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e6cc6d7aaef1290ca9595d0b0a9e1fe794bdefc80f0d96b5a2fe7136c6fc3fc2/05.png" data-mid="241626459" border="0" alt="1139 Addison Street, Berkeley" data-caption="1139 Addison Street, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/e6cc6d7aaef1290ca9595d0b0a9e1fe794bdefc80f0d96b5a2fe7136c6fc3fc2/05.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1828c67eb16c7c9f68db8a85e56d326b6df1e1837a5834f6ecb2499d3a943223/06.png" data-mid="241626460" border="0" alt="2265 Fifth Street, Berkeley" data-caption="2265 Fifth Street, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1828c67eb16c7c9f68db8a85e56d326b6df1e1837a5834f6ecb2499d3a943223/06.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/669dc97d9819b1bae937def379870a5a5d67257fee0155abd05bb7b73f55def1/07.png" data-mid="241626461" border="0" alt="1469 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley" data-caption="1469 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/669dc97d9819b1bae937def379870a5a5d67257fee0155abd05bb7b73f55def1/07.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2bd4e55ff2b339d3b8c2e2d1f7e2af759deb36e8a8fd9e2742246aff6878ecb9/08.png" data-mid="241626462" border="0" alt="80 Bolivar Drive, Berkeley" data-caption="80 Bolivar Drive, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2bd4e55ff2b339d3b8c2e2d1f7e2af759deb36e8a8fd9e2742246aff6878ecb9/08.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6dc3b7b51e5b996bc0ea436071a1abb1a213cd9cd3af014c78ac1f40247e0c1f/09.png" data-mid="241626463" border="0" alt="745 Cedar Street, Berkeley" data-caption="745 Cedar Street, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6dc3b7b51e5b996bc0ea436071a1abb1a213cd9cd3af014c78ac1f40247e0c1f/09.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c29e0d839ee4b835813e918b472312b4ac567361f5080344b3fa8a928629b5c1/10.png" data-mid="241626464" border="0" alt="1350 Fifth Street, Berkeley" data-caption="1350 Fifth Street, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c29e0d839ee4b835813e918b472312b4ac567361f5080344b3fa8a928629b5c1/10.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fd20c6299bda0b528b9f519ca26cbda5bea1501286279d5ea76b52ac95195b19/11.png" data-mid="241626465" border="0" alt="1151 Washington Avenue, Albany" data-caption="1151 Washington Avenue, Albany" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/fd20c6299bda0b528b9f519ca26cbda5bea1501286279d5ea76b52ac95195b19/11.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d2c576c756b60d3b7425cb1b2ca5d7b775b54f8f130c7860d2e7ea37b6401ba4/12.png" data-mid="241626466" border="0" alt="Martin Luther King Junior Way &amp; 6th Street, Oakland" data-caption="Martin Luther King Junior Way &amp; 6th Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d2c576c756b60d3b7425cb1b2ca5d7b775b54f8f130c7860d2e7ea37b6401ba4/12.png" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c903bc341d247bd0ef9b9eaf0e733e19520333fca43dfb7d21be1849c1b1d2be/13.png" data-mid="241626467" border="0" alt="San Pablo Avenue and 36th Street, Oakland" data-caption="San Pablo Avenue and 36th Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/c903bc341d247bd0ef9b9eaf0e733e19520333fca43dfb7d21be1849c1b1d2be/13.png" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/75cd861fa4b95a6a4ba77aeb8a4e199f9449cf8bc5f223da486b962afb467119/14.png" data-mid="241626468" border="0" alt="1100 Broadway, Oakland" data-caption="1100 Broadway, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/75cd861fa4b95a6a4ba77aeb8a4e199f9449cf8bc5f223da486b962afb467119/14.png" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/dd396c1998e0d3babeae3a6c54ff3df82c9ae99f0475a912d50b5acde915d413/15.png" data-mid="241626469" border="0" alt="1499 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" data-caption="1499 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/dd396c1998e0d3babeae3a6c54ff3df82c9ae99f0475a912d50b5acde915d413/15.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/694c824a316daabdbe680f412af1cd6fbcb316c8a286c33c917c7e2945abbef7/16.png" data-mid="241626470" border="0" alt="Camelia Street &amp; Seventh Street, Berkeley" data-caption="Camelia Street &amp; Seventh Street, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/694c824a316daabdbe680f412af1cd6fbcb316c8a286c33c917c7e2945abbef7/16.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/eff72b14e6754d716a5f92186647694ae8bf347db4282a9efb6210541f5e532e/17.png" data-mid="241626471" border="0" alt="1830 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" data-caption="1830 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/eff72b14e6754d716a5f92186647694ae8bf347db4282a9efb6210541f5e532e/17.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/beec54775d9cb5b862e4af879d24e7d30d2159c20341f27ab8a4b4495c552e14/18.png" data-mid="241626472" border="0" alt="Clay Street &amp; 9th Street, Oakland" data-caption="Clay Street &amp; 9th Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/beec54775d9cb5b862e4af879d24e7d30d2159c20341f27ab8a4b4495c552e14/18.png" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d4cb33a1cc74165194c3bb23ef1cd86d36cb08076a01e72dce5916dd5546dda2/19.png" data-mid="241626473" border="0" alt="Highway I-80 &amp; Riverside Avenue, San Pablo" data-caption="Highway I-80 &amp; Riverside Avenue, San Pablo" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/d4cb33a1cc74165194c3bb23ef1cd86d36cb08076a01e72dce5916dd5546dda2/19.png" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/adaf7a429b7f2e37e9c7955a90047c72378301207dd78583d7b1619eaa163fbd/20.png" data-mid="241626474" border="0" alt="1807 Telegraph Ave, Oakland" data-caption="1807 Telegraph Ave, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/adaf7a429b7f2e37e9c7955a90047c72378301207dd78583d7b1619eaa163fbd/20.png" /> ‘Shovel Ready Land’ How do we value urban space in the era of gentrification and redevelopment? Walking along San Pablo felt like living life at a different pace. At a moment in my life that has been so go-go-go, putting on the camera and moving block-by-block around the Bay forced me to be present. At times this act of slowing down felt at odds with the landscape. San Pablo is a state highway, built to be a liminal corridor for people driving up and down the East Bay. While some stretches of San Pablo (University Ave in Berkeley, Solano Ave in Albany, McBride Ave in Richmond) have a lived-in energy as people walk between work, shops, and restaurants, other sections (all of Emeryville, most of El Cerrito into Richmond) feel like they stretch on forever at a scale too large to be comfortable to a person traveling on foot. While these sparse sections could be exhausting to walk along, it felt especially important to find and highlight the small details that you would miss driving by in a car. Moving through the world actively searching for beauty and stories gave me a deeper appreciation for the built environment around me. I would notice how an old car beautifully complemented in shape and shade to the buildings around it and could also see the car as a nod to the importance of San Pablo’s automotive industry. I could take a picture of a farmer’s market stand to capture the vibrant red color of the banner and to show the contagious joy of the woman selling the food. I had little experience with photography before this class and was struck by how effective photography is as a medium for memorializing visceral and complex relationships in an intuitive way. In my final work, I wanted to highlight how color and contrast interplay to be both visually appealing and to tell stories about development and belonging. On San Pablo you see remnants of deep Bay Area history side-by-side with brand new construction. Much of the stretch of San Pablo is actively gentrifying, but the differential speed of development creates a space that holds many time periods at once. There is a sense of spatial-temportal interconnectedness that Doreen Massey discusses in her paper Traveling Thoughts. My series attempts to take the viewer through a journey across space and time, moving between historic San Pablo and the recent additions to show both the jarring impact of redevelopment and how sometimes the ‘new’ and ‘old’ seem to blend together. As a special testament to the ‘old,’ I really wanted to capture the beauty in what was seen as replaceable. It felt crucial to document the areas that are most vulnerable to change: the buildings behind the glaring yellow ‘Proposed Project’ signs, the murals along parking lot walls, the mom and pop shops founded decades ago. This also meant deeply engaging with the people along San Pablo, whose fates are often only treated as the byproduct of economic opportunity. As buildings are torn down and rebuilt, the people who have lived their lives in and around them are explicitly or implicitly pushed to the margins and eventually out of these areas. I wanted to feature people within my photos as much as possible. The people who spend their days living, working, and moving along San Pablo are what give the street its character. As a guest, hearing and representing their stories as a part of my work felt vital in making a photo sequence that might encapsulate any aspect of San Pablo. Taking pictures of people was also something I really struggled with over the course of the class. I did not want to take pictures of people without their permission, but found it very uncomfortable to go up to someone and ask to take their picture. While that underlying fear still has not gone away, whenever I did go up to ask people to take their photos they were always very gracious, even when saying no. The kind interactions I had with strangers are some of my favorite memories I made along San Pablo this fall. On our final photography trip, our class returned to the Berkeley part of San Pablo. While on lunch break, Gabi and I went to explore the residential areas around the University Ave intersection. We were taking pictures of a beautiful, historic multi-family home, when one of the residents came out and started talking to us. After learning that we were in a photography class, she invited us inside to get a better look at their home and introduce us to other residents. She led us around their property and offered us tea once we had taken a break from taking pictures. We spent an hour chatting in their backyard learning that this property had once been workers housing for a nearby factory and was now a cooperative living space. Gabi and I were able to share about our own experiences living in student co-ops at Berkeley. It was a really heartwarming experience and it was very interesting to see this beautiful example of communal, affordable housing in an area that is so expensive to live in. Having this interaction and learning more about the neighborhood gave me an even deeper appreciation for this area that I already loved. Especially for pictures of people and vulnerable areas, I wanted to make sure my images were not extractive. Over the course of this class, the general sense I developed was that the camera can be alienating if you do not fully engage with your subject, but in so many ways it can be a tool for connection and learning. After Gabi and I visited the co-op, the woman asked us to share the pictures we took so they could be used on the co-op’s website. It felt nice to give something back after having such a special experience. I wanted to lead with a sense of curiosity and openness when taking pictures, which, for me, sometimes meant not prioritizing the pictures. What made our visit to the co-op so special was the human connection, not the pictures we got as a result. Gabi and I left the co-op without ever taking a picture of the woman who invited us in. While this felt like a big missed opportunity at first, now it feels like a beautiful testament to the fact that it is okay for the images we make to be a secondary consideration sometimes. I feel guided by the idea that the most important thing I was gaining in this course was a new sense of place for San Pablo, and the photos were a central, but not exclusive, means of building this understanding. I appreciated getting to revisit places I was familiar with through the new perspective of street photography, and many of my favorite photos came from these trips. Photos from Oakland and Berkeley compose the majority of my final sequence. Growing up in Oakland, I have spent a lot of time along these stretches of San Pablo. I have a lot of love for many of the places we visited on these trips, and I think this showed through in the pictures I took. Finding new locations felt even more special and unexpected in the areas I thought I knew so well. Having a sense of belonging and feeling less like an outside presence on these trips made me more comfortable talking to strangers and asking to take their picture.&nbsp; We also did two visits to both of these locations. Going to the same place twice allowed me to reflect on what I liked best about the first trip and return with focused intention. Our Friday walks became a time that I cherished, when I could engage fully with the people and places around me. The photos I took became a way to connect with and appreciate the street that hosted us every week, creating a fragmented narrative that captures my observation and emotions. As our class traveled, San Pablo not only made an impact on all of us, we shaped the street in turn. Our reciprocal relationship making photos and building understanding made us a part of the environment. I like to think that seeing a gaggle of students meandering around with cameras made people’s Friday more interesting. That seeing a crowd of sixteen people intently taking pictures of the front of an abandoned party supply store makes someone reconsider the property as more than shovel ready land. https://onsanpabloave.com/GRACIE-DAI-Amber-Moments Thu, 04 Dec 2025 21:57:15 +0000 On San Pablo Ave https://onsanpabloave.com/GRACIE-DAI-Amber-Moments <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b655aed2a8f1b47ab4394058e457dbfb102ee38d75923f26503fcfa0d1784370/Final-1.png" data-mid="241707004" border="0" alt="Albany, CA" data-caption="Albany, CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/b655aed2a8f1b47ab4394058e457dbfb102ee38d75923f26503fcfa0d1784370/Final-1.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/eed5c6bd975d94de60d76dfd6ddc32c71f790996973164695c3c654190f090a9/Final-2.png" data-mid="241707005" border="0" alt="Emeryville Amtrak Station, Emeryville, CA 94608" data-caption="Emeryville Amtrak Station, Emeryville, CA 94608" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/eed5c6bd975d94de60d76dfd6ddc32c71f790996973164695c3c654190f090a9/Final-2.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/baf6d85eac50f653033af2dcef6d663d0bbb7dcf43980f50c5676503eb3b1a95/Final-3.png" data-mid="241707006" border="0" alt="547 8th St, Oakland, CA 94607" data-caption="547 8th St, Oakland, CA 94607" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/baf6d85eac50f653033af2dcef6d663d0bbb7dcf43980f50c5676503eb3b1a95/Final-3.png" /> <img width="1126" height="1500" width_o="1126" height_o="1500" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b59d0c3b5f82bfecad94cffd693c502b976da8a34c4fb648bcbad7db9189509e/Final-4.png" data-mid="241707007" border="0" alt="12th St &amp; Franklin St, Oakland, CA 94607" data-caption="12th St &amp; Franklin St, Oakland, CA 94607" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b59d0c3b5f82bfecad94cffd693c502b976da8a34c4fb648bcbad7db9189509e/Final-4.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0dd4fd4442896e1a7ac544a5c9361ac25558e41be83ac909a8a3afe508f00c11/Final-5.png" data-mid="241707008" border="0" alt="201 13th St, Oakland, CA 94612" data-caption="201 13th St, Oakland, CA 94612" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0dd4fd4442896e1a7ac544a5c9361ac25558e41be83ac909a8a3afe508f00c11/Final-5.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c29c0f409c25a1a68509ebf03f26bc36adf6624b417ed866fcc7c92ab551a021/Final-6.png" data-mid="241707009" border="0" alt="Richmond, CA" data-caption="Richmond, CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c29c0f409c25a1a68509ebf03f26bc36adf6624b417ed866fcc7c92ab551a021/Final-6.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1094" width_o="1500" height_o="1094" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/08872a1de24d4c1ee4b130dd775721febbdd3dab45f15287910c857e4946835a/Final-7.png" data-mid="241707010" border="0" alt="408 12th St, Oakland, CA 94607" data-caption="408 12th St, Oakland, CA 94607" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/08872a1de24d4c1ee4b130dd775721febbdd3dab45f15287910c857e4946835a/Final-7.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/905875145d63e170166a8b75a6291d7b0e5098a063d7ce2f5345025499aacfa3/Final-8.png" data-mid="241707011" border="0" alt="Oakland, CA" data-caption="Oakland, CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/905875145d63e170166a8b75a6291d7b0e5098a063d7ce2f5345025499aacfa3/Final-8.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/48fbe4ca637f38e3cccc57f983bdb9b68aff4e7b8dd3f09445b4e6dda4a09600/Final-9.png" data-mid="241707012" border="0" alt="2013 23rd St, San Pablo, CA 94806" data-caption="2013 23rd St, San Pablo, CA 94806" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/48fbe4ca637f38e3cccc57f983bdb9b68aff4e7b8dd3f09445b4e6dda4a09600/Final-9.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7610196f6afbaafe00c0ac5ff856a5e8cae680e643c22b75003d1dd0291521cd/Final-10.png" data-mid="241707013" border="0" alt="12860A San Pablo Ave, Richmond, CA 94805" data-caption="12860A San Pablo Ave, Richmond, CA 94805" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7610196f6afbaafe00c0ac5ff856a5e8cae680e643c22b75003d1dd0291521cd/Final-10.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3f07f830d6c6fe109b29f50307f9696dcd4f660b909ba009bc9d657b0140e080/Final-11.png" data-mid="241707014" border="0" alt="West Berkeley" data-caption="West Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3f07f830d6c6fe109b29f50307f9696dcd4f660b909ba009bc9d657b0140e080/Final-11.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1081" width_o="1500" height_o="1081" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1bf8eb253d8d359da0bdeba3343eb68e20c1170b4388fb79174fa421d541a9a4/Final-12.png" data-mid="241707015" border="0" alt="12826 San Pablo Ave, Richmond, CA 94805" data-caption="12826 San Pablo Ave, Richmond, CA 94805" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1bf8eb253d8d359da0bdeba3343eb68e20c1170b4388fb79174fa421d541a9a4/Final-12.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/64a560d8f3e0111c094aa997dc40c631d4479d0fccb9ae75bdac959f3183d4fe/Final-13.png" data-mid="241707016" border="0" alt="4216 Clinton Ave, Richmond, CA 94805" data-caption="4216 Clinton Ave, Richmond, CA 94805" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/64a560d8f3e0111c094aa997dc40c631d4479d0fccb9ae75bdac959f3183d4fe/Final-13.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ffb84cea83cec2f57f40887708d7779b36fe93faa38e3633d48ea0763f262872/Final-14.png" data-mid="241707017" border="0" alt="4010 San Pablo Ave, Emeryville, CA 94608" data-caption="4010 San Pablo Ave, Emeryville, CA 94608" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ffb84cea83cec2f57f40887708d7779b36fe93faa38e3633d48ea0763f262872/Final-14.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/014a54e09a7035a7c7f4be06f167f3c960425d1096c7747b68a50a24448bfb4f/Final-15.png" data-mid="241707018" border="0" alt="Old Oakland Farmers' Market, Oakland, CA 94607" data-caption="Old Oakland Farmers' Market, Oakland, CA 94607" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/014a54e09a7035a7c7f4be06f167f3c960425d1096c7747b68a50a24448bfb4f/Final-15.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5020194f49dfcaf99864b12e9ffafcc76164611a91142e2ef9225a5ee580dcf5/Final-16.png" data-mid="241707019" border="0" alt=" 640 Second St, Rodeo, CA 94572" data-caption=" 640 Second St, Rodeo, CA 94572" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5020194f49dfcaf99864b12e9ffafcc76164611a91142e2ef9225a5ee580dcf5/Final-16.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c5818e9e3d74396ddf0763d0a85fd46a876e0a1ffae386cc729ee9729f8b34fd/Final-17.png" data-mid="241707020" border="0" alt="1009 Yuba Ave, Richmond, CA 94806" data-caption="1009 Yuba Ave, Richmond, CA 94806" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c5818e9e3d74396ddf0763d0a85fd46a876e0a1ffae386cc729ee9729f8b34fd/Final-17.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/37e6bc66b079af22bf4fbb75a70493ce74a267d7fd54f551a9528ed1756bdb9f/Final-18.png" data-mid="241707021" border="0" alt="Pinole, CA" data-caption="Pinole, CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/37e6bc66b079af22bf4fbb75a70493ce74a267d7fd54f551a9528ed1756bdb9f/Final-18.png" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3adef136146da8efca53bc7461341ab6a2d1b7df4d0b5f99165020c2d491d764/Final-19.png" data-mid="241707022" border="0" alt="741 Cerrito St, Albany, CA 94706" data-caption="741 Cerrito St, Albany, CA 94706" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/3adef136146da8efca53bc7461341ab6a2d1b7df4d0b5f99165020c2d491d764/Final-19.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1061" width_o="1500" height_o="1061" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cec29d84666cde66f29db92b7552c16305e22b3927f2c2338c0302649c443b68/Final-20.png" data-mid="241707023" border="0" alt="1298 62nd St, Emeryville, CA 94608" data-caption="1298 62nd St, Emeryville, CA 94608" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cec29d84666cde66f29db92b7552c16305e22b3927f2c2338c0302649c443b68/Final-20.png" /> Amber Moments by Gracie Dai Walking along San Pablo Avenue has been an enriching experience for me as the path tells a story that is both deeply rooted and constantly evolving – a story shaped by the presence and perseverance of immigrant communities who have built lives along its 23-mile stretch. When people view my photos, I want them to understand that San Pablo is more than a road connecting multiple cities; it is a cultural corridor shaped by countless individuals whose daily routines, businesses, and interactions form the avenue’s heartbeat. Many of these residents remain underrepresented in public conversations or civic decision-making, yet their contributions are unmistakable in the physical and cultural landscape of the street. Through the walks, I became more aware of how the Avenue embodies diversity not through abstract labels but lived, everyday coexistence. Chinese vendors working beside Latin American storeowners in Oakland’s Chinatown, Middle Eastern restaurants next to Vietnamese cafes, and many other mixed markets – each pairing is a small but powerful sign of how communities adapt and thrive by leaning on one another. These relationships reflect the quiet but constant negotiation of belonging that defines immigrant life. The history of the street also shapes the present in ways that are important to acknowledge. As we walked through Southwest Berkeley, I learned that the neighborhoods west of San Pablo were once intentionally zoned for low-income Black workers, a legacy of redlining and discriminatory housing policies. Other immigrant groups along the avenue also faced their own forms of exclusion, whether through limited economic opportunities or stigmatization of their neighborhoods. San Pablo’s modern diversity does not erase these histories; rather, it emerges from them, illustrating how people have reclaimed and redefined spaces that once restricted them. What makes San Pablo particularly special is how it functions simultaneously as an artery and an archive – a living record of cultural layering. As a historic highway, it once carried traffic through the East Bay long before the freeways were built. Today, while it still grapples with its car-oriented past, it is also home to many pedestrian-friendly corners, community events, music venues, and redevelopment projects that attempt to balance growth with preservation. Beyond infrastructure, San Pablo stretches across spiritual worlds: people do not stand alone here. Frequent conversations emerge on 72-bus, region-specific flyers on utility poles…they interact, adapt, and support one another in subtle and profound ways that form the tightly knit social fabric I wanted to capture. My personal connection to San Pablo grew through the people I spoke with while taking photos. These conversations were what grounded me, helping me move from an outside observer to a participant in the avenue’s rhythms. One moment that remains vivid is my conversation with Moe during the trip to El Cerrito. He shared his spiritual journey with disarming honesty: raised in a Christian household, drawn at one point toward Islam, but ultimately embracing omnism – a belief system that welcomes all religions and people. He explained that his identity as a Latino immigrant meant constantly navigating contradictory expectations, and omnismoffered him a way to reconcile those tensions. His reflections touched me deeply because they echoed my own experience of studying and living in a foreign country since the age of fifteen and struggling to harmonize different parts of myself. Moe’s perspective made me consider what inclusion really means, and how communities like his sustain connection despite economic pressures and ongoing redevelopment. Encounters like his reinforced my love for San Pablo. Each story offered a glimpse into a life shaped by place and time – moments that, once passed, never fully return. Photography became my way of holding them still, like capturing insects in amber: small and delicate, but precious in their accumulation. In my work, I set out to document the inclusivity and cultural layering expressed through San Pablo’s built environment. I gravitated towards storefronts, each carrying traces of community histories – African Caribbean markets filled with imported spices, Chinese insurance agencies offering services in multiple languages, etc. These businesses reveal the marks immigrants leave on the street, marks that evolve into the very identity of the avenue. At the same time, I became increasingly fascinated with everyday gestures: someone pausing at a bus stop, two people sharing a conversation outside a market…these small moments, often overlooked, say more about a place than its landmarks. My process was shaped by several works we encountered in class. Jonathan Gold’s reflections in the Mapping Pico Boulevard podcast encouraged me to pay close attention to what kinds of places exist along San Pablo and how they reveal underlying cultural ecosystems. William Littmann’s observation that “you don’t see the verticality when you just look at the map. Verticality is something you measure with the body” shifted the way I walked. I became more attuned to elements that cannot be captured on maps: scents from a bakery drifting onto the street, the way afternoon light hits a faded storefront sign, or the hum of overlapping conversations. These bodily experiences informed my photography, guiding me not just to document what I saw, but to record what I felt. Carlos Araya Diaz’s El Viaje Espacial (from the film class) was a particularly significant influence. His technique of placing the camera in a fixed position and letting people enter and leave the frame as they naturally moved through their day fascinated me. It created a sense of time flowing within the image rather than around it. I tried adopting a similar approach for many of my shots of storefronts and sidewalks, allowing the camera to become a quiet participant, observing without intruding. This method gave my photos an openness, a sense that life continues both inside and beyond the frame. Throughout this project, my understanding of San Pablo and of photography changed substantially. Living in downtown Berkeley, I rarely ventured west of Sacramento Street, partly out of habit and partly out of safety concerns. But as I walked towards the Marina and explored deeper into the neighborhoods surrounding San Pablo, I realized how narrow my world had been. The communities grew increasingly diverse with vibrant cultural cues in the shops, murals, and passing conversations. Carrying a camera helped me connect with people I would otherwise never approach. Many were curious and open, immediately launching into conversations about their work and their past. These interactions offered me an insider perspective, one that dissolved the psychological boundary I had long held about the “other side” of the city. Technically, I expanded my skills in color correction and overall editing. In the beginning, I focused mostly on achieving a balanced image, adjusting shadows and highlights to mimic what I saw. Over time, I learned to embrace intentional stylistic choices, some inspired by methods I once dismissed as “low-quality.” Overexposing a shot to give it a washed, sun-bleached feeling, or softening certain areas of the image to create a dreamy texture, allowed me to reinterpret scenes rather than simply replicate them. I began to understand that photography is not just about accuracy; it is also about evoking memories and emotions at the shooting moment. This project fundamentally reshaped how I view San Pablo Avenue and the community thrived on it, and how I approach photography. Through walking and connecting with people, I came to see San Pablo as a layered, living narrative shaped by immigrant histories, everyday resilience, and cultural interconnectedness. Influenced by artists and writers who emphasize embodied experience and the poetic potential of the ordinary, I developed a photographic approach that values both process and reinterpretation. Ultimately, the avenue taught me to slow down and look more carefully, and to use the camera not simply as a recording device, but as a tool for honoring the fleeting, irreplaceable moments that make a place meaningful. https://onsanpabloave.com/DAN-NGUYEN-Constructing-in-the-World Sat, 13 Dec 2025 01:25:47 +0000 On San Pablo Ave https://onsanpabloave.com/DAN-NGUYEN-Constructing-in-the-World <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ccfbb0914d6e06f5b8b6baaec353ed534a455771b47d2da7acae8f98c690dcb8/_1080144.png" data-mid="241767859" border="0" alt="14th St &amp; Harrison St, Oakland" data-caption="14th St &amp; Harrison St, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ccfbb0914d6e06f5b8b6baaec353ed534a455771b47d2da7acae8f98c690dcb8/_1080144.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d62c644f81fdfa447d8e14deebef317aecf91cdba423420a2b2f7bb2ee6b80cf/_1080326.png" data-mid="241767858" border="0" alt="5425 San Pablo Ave, Oakland" data-caption="5425 San Pablo Ave, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d62c644f81fdfa447d8e14deebef317aecf91cdba423420a2b2f7bb2ee6b80cf/_1080326.png" /> <img width="845" height="1126" width_o="845" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/44ee2981cc03f53af7b7a72c4184ff0e6f71ffd1ecea2b1bd6f5cc460ee06744/_1080641.png" data-mid="241767837" border="0" alt="1101 University Ave, Berkeley" data-caption="1101 University Ave, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/44ee2981cc03f53af7b7a72c4184ff0e6f71ffd1ecea2b1bd6f5cc460ee06744/_1080641.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b0079236ed4c2ed4719651992a2d77c8f18f5a6fcc68c3fbad56aca4b3cb8c78/_1080699.png" data-mid="241767838" border="0" alt="San Pablo Ave &amp; Francisco St, Berkeley" data-caption="San Pablo Ave &amp; Francisco St, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b0079236ed4c2ed4719651992a2d77c8f18f5a6fcc68c3fbad56aca4b3cb8c78/_1080699.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3d06f4ed4a6c40e1fe61a7cfcf54d753ec0f9ffaa9c39b3271cf2513faff480e/_1080257.png" data-mid="241767834" border="0" alt="35th St &amp; San Pablo Ave, Oakland" data-caption="35th St &amp; San Pablo Ave, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3d06f4ed4a6c40e1fe61a7cfcf54d753ec0f9ffaa9c39b3271cf2513faff480e/_1080257.png" /> <img width="845" height="1126" width_o="845" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/278598bcc093818c2d456f6ed75941be4b99327b537a03c646b72cc16e7cdf1b/_1080922.png" data-mid="241767839" border="0" alt="Albany Twin, 1115 Solano Ave, Albany" data-caption="Albany Twin, 1115 Solano Ave, Albany" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/278598bcc093818c2d456f6ed75941be4b99327b537a03c646b72cc16e7cdf1b/_1080922.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/aa9965d48004dc708c48954ae71103206fe06991dcf5ca8ebed4abc859b5b7fa/_1090168.png" data-mid="241767843" border="0" alt="Placer St &amp; Carlson Blvd, Richmond" data-caption="Placer St &amp; Carlson Blvd, Richmond" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/aa9965d48004dc708c48954ae71103206fe06991dcf5ca8ebed4abc859b5b7fa/_1090168.png" /> <img width="845" height="1126" width_o="845" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/257bc691d894061427e757d47545cf84bde5dd795119b936d27a17c09910d18b/_1080097.png" data-mid="241767833" border="0" alt="480 9th St, Oakland" data-caption="480 9th St, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/257bc691d894061427e757d47545cf84bde5dd795119b936d27a17c09910d18b/_1080097.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3ee663d2b592766f6f685e71b1637fbdff8f481595b9f1a312b27da0493cf83c/_1090721.png" data-mid="241767863" border="0" alt="All-Pro Bail Bonds Oakland, 490 7th St, Oakland " data-caption="All-Pro Bail Bonds Oakland, 490 7th St, Oakland " src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3ee663d2b592766f6f685e71b1637fbdff8f481595b9f1a312b27da0493cf83c/_1090721.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/92aae10c824b380dd7bedac29025fca8f9ba42615783c7030e8bdec51c4f727f/_1090083.png" data-mid="241767842" border="0" alt="5620 Central Ave, Richmond" data-caption="5620 Central Ave, Richmond" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/92aae10c824b380dd7bedac29025fca8f9ba42615783c7030e8bdec51c4f727f/_1090083.png" /> <img width="845" height="1126" width_o="845" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1457cd4b748feaf26adb6428dcd1a810c35b136abce38ff0b8f1a73aabeb356a/_1090346.png" data-mid="241767846" border="0" alt="I-80 &amp; Riverside Ave, San Pablo" data-caption="I-80 &amp; Riverside Ave, San Pablo" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/1457cd4b748feaf26adb6428dcd1a810c35b136abce38ff0b8f1a73aabeb356a/_1090346.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f1e3c0aa726cea28a17a08fbda5955f7e92034179b9a731d3454cdb4ee21ba7d/_1090356.png" data-mid="241767847" border="0" alt="Humboldt Ave &amp; Riverside Ave, San Pablo" data-caption="Humboldt Ave &amp; Riverside Ave, San Pablo" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f1e3c0aa726cea28a17a08fbda5955f7e92034179b9a731d3454cdb4ee21ba7d/_1090356.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f07f4a9565dce651668cc85806b05a1a410b6e5cf6293bf099e76397e281a70b/_1090262.png" data-mid="241767845" border="0" alt="4838 Macdonald Ave, Richmond" data-caption="4838 Macdonald Ave, Richmond" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f07f4a9565dce651668cc85806b05a1a410b6e5cf6293bf099e76397e281a70b/_1090262.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d326f9da7f95b98f977ffc593b33529bac75f5d1c26de1aaf20011a8cbb467d6/_1080971.png" data-mid="241767840" border="0" alt="Kathmandu Bazaar &amp; Liquors, 759 San Pablo Ave, Albany" data-caption="Kathmandu Bazaar &amp; Liquors, 759 San Pablo Ave, Albany" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d326f9da7f95b98f977ffc593b33529bac75f5d1c26de1aaf20011a8cbb467d6/_1080971.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a1754a3d8c8790f4effb779c6a03032288c1bd49a2ab64b2f1a9afbb4a34056e/_1080378.png" data-mid="241767835" border="0" alt="5887 San Pablo Ave, Oakland" data-caption="5887 San Pablo Ave, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a1754a3d8c8790f4effb779c6a03032288c1bd49a2ab64b2f1a9afbb4a34056e/_1080378.png" /> <img width="845" height="1126" width_o="845" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2b3bed97a97b744b66446aca0401c0a9d3cb8547848197051be43b8e474ab43e/_1080432.png" data-mid="241767836" border="0" alt="6430 San Pablo Ave, Oakland" data-caption="6430 San Pablo Ave, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/2b3bed97a97b744b66446aca0401c0a9d3cb8547848197051be43b8e474ab43e/_1080432.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ee2f7a4b09a7ccb44848bda1796904bb7beb068e9b41ea714b94f6b9c87783c0/_1080108.png" data-mid="241767856" border="0" alt="Swan's Market, 510 9th St, Oakland" data-caption="Swan's Market, 510 9th St, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ee2f7a4b09a7ccb44848bda1796904bb7beb068e9b41ea714b94f6b9c87783c0/_1080108.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/039b00bb2520b46ba84a6e0c7d9105b9fdbd0c139595a0e1c02b206bbfd22663/_1090841.png" data-mid="241767851" border="0" alt="Martin Luther King Jr Way &amp; 5th St, Oakland" data-caption="Martin Luther King Jr Way &amp; 5th St, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/039b00bb2520b46ba84a6e0c7d9105b9fdbd0c139595a0e1c02b206bbfd22663/_1090841.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/725e6d89cc5b184b772e4be7555cb282a4a44bb980eb5d3c4f41fb61aca85940/_1090234.png" data-mid="241767844" border="0" alt="Elora Family Apartments, 11690 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito" data-caption="Elora Family Apartments, 11690 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/725e6d89cc5b184b772e4be7555cb282a4a44bb980eb5d3c4f41fb61aca85940/_1090234.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/419b36711c2555f66995b1b061259bc9157b4e8138b036fb5ed26d9cd814b89f/_1090792.png" data-mid="241767867" border="0" alt="Embarcadero West &amp; Webster St, Oakland" data-caption="Embarcadero West &amp; Webster St, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/419b36711c2555f66995b1b061259bc9157b4e8138b036fb5ed26d9cd814b89f/_1090792.png" /> Constructing in the World&nbsp;by Dan Nguyen&nbsp; Landscapes have depth to them all, especially on San Pablo Ave where a number of spaces which may not necessarily&nbsp; seem related or connected to each other are. As they are impacted by the roles of capital, extraction, power, and uneven development that influences the cities (Summers, 2022). Whether it be through multinational corporations such as Uber in Oakland (Ghosh, 2017) or Chevron in Richmond (Bay City News, 2025), or the local government with the construction of a campus for police in San Pablo (Hernandez, 2023). As I revisit my photographs, there is much to be noted within these images, seeing as San Pablo Ave encompasses much of the landscape and characteristics of the Bay Area, of a diverse landscape, but all overcoming difficulties.The building and existence of communities together, sometimes parallel or uneven is paramount in understanding the region and San Pablo Ave, such as in the case with Uber’s once planned office in Downtown Oakland (Ghosh, 2017). Continuing as a vacant space, Uber decided to sell the office, cancelling the ambitions of growth and expansion into Oakland’s landscape that never came (Ghosh, 2017). It is a question as to what the role of these firms are for the cities that they embed themselves into, are they a driving force into increasing unaffordability? As it relates, in writing by (Summers, 2022), Summers covers the landscape of Oakland throughout 2020, with art pieces highlighting the inequalities and injustices that have affected Black Americans, presenting Oakland as having a number of layers and existing as a city as both a city that has privileged and wealthy residents with the disparities of its communities of color that do not have the same access and resources that these other individuals have. That in a way can be seen in the model of Uber’s own business model, being a firm that exists with those at the top of the firm having capital and being privileged while the majority of its drivers and contractors are disproportionately low-income individuals that are predominately people of color (Montoya-Boyer, 2017). This unstable economic model of extraction whether it be through the built environment or its people can lead to major repercussions in the long term future. As it is with multiple landscapes in Oakland, the role of Uber resembles this aspect as well. There exists two different companies in that case, one that is underprivileged, without the benefits and compensations that is adequate for its drivers, compared to the corporate Uber that has a much less diverse workforce from leadership positions to staff (Montoya-Boyer, 2017). Moving between firms over a number of years, the building appreciated over from the next transaction, eventually landing in control of Square (Brinklow, 2018). In attempting to incorporate itself into the landscape, Square has announced to support the community through collaborating with local businesses and organizations and said to hire those from the surrounding area (Avalos, 2020). This contrast was an aspect that I wanted to represent through photography, from the actions of larger oil companies in Richmond that utilize their role as a producer of goods and a significant employer in the region, that often puts the company in an advantageous position compared to the residents that are attempting to protest. Seen in one of my photographs of Chevron station being juxtaposed with a safety sign, that of a pollution organization being right beside a billboard highlighting the importance of safe roads and the public health initiatives pushed for by the city in Richmond.The contrast in development and space is important to consider when understanding a number of my images and photographs. In going out and throughout our experiences on San Pablo Ave, I wanted to focus on and highlight the continuing change that has occurred in the region, but more specifically how important the impacts of these changes build on top of each other, and can continue to exacerbate inequalities or can improve and those that are there. A number of my photographs represent this, but this is one example that I have highlighted, with the example of a home at the edge of West Oakland right besides the Bart tracks and the role that Bart has had in the region, from being an important region transportation device, but also being an aspect of the region that has been a part of inequities within the region, as in itself Bart was mainly a region transportation device that was utilized by residents within the surrounding suburbs, from San Leandro to Fremont (Dahlstrom-Eckman, 2024). Within that, San Pablo Ave has relationships with this development as well, as with that, San Pablo Ave can be utilized as a thoroughfare that people drive through without interacting with the surrounding landscape, or being a part of the landscape in one’s use of the street. It is an aspect that can be noted with Bart tracks and it runs right by the home. Though you can compare that to infrastructure alongside the Ohlone Greenway which is in contrast to much of Bart’s surrounding landscape and relation to the homes and neighborhoods that surround it (Wallace, 2025). One interaction that was particularly interesting was our conversation with the owner of Low Cost Appliances in Oakland, as he spoke about his personal experiences of living along San Pablo Ave, noticing the gradual and significant changes over his lifetime (personal communications, September 26, 2025). As small businesses and shops are now one piece of entire redevelopment projects, it changes the perception and environment of San Pablo Ave. His insight was special as well, as he is someone who has traveled all over the United States, seeing a number of landscapes and the people across our landscapes, highlighting the kindness that exists, which challenges the common preconceived notions that exist (personal communications, September 26, 2025). People nowadays come to a conclusion about entire cities and states, without even having stepped foot into them. Although I have been to a number of these cities and communities on our trips, I had not really interacted with members of the communities, which is paramount in understanding the neighborhood as it is difficult to really understand a space without interacting with the individuals that define and developed the landscape to be the way it is.For myself, I avoid coming to any conclusions or assumptions about a space, and even once I may have visited and interacted with the landscape, I can only say so much as an individual that is only visiting for the short-time that I have.Throughout this semester, I have improved and learned on a number of fronts, from abilities and skills of being able to utilize our camera and photograph to my interpersonal skills of being able to communicate and interact with strangers and the people along our trips. At the start of the semester, I was intimated by all the technical or nontechnical aspects of photography and whether or not my photographs would be able to highlight and emphasize the landscape and people across San Pablo Ave. As someone that constantly overthinks every little detail and action, I would say that I improved on this frame of thinking, that everything has to be perfect and exact, but I had to reframe how I approached the world in a way. Whether it be doing something wrong or facing rejection in a way, I had to accept that to get stuck on perfection was making my work worse than benefiting it. Though the kindness and openness of the individuals and community along San Pablo Ave cannot be taken for granted. I never thought that people would even come up to me and ask me what I was up to or doing, being open to questions. Though, as we are from UC Berkeley that can present itself as being a validation in a way of what we are doing, being sanctioned by the university in our work photographing. It also comes into the role of UC Berkeley itself throughout San Pablo Ave and the role of the school as a significant landholder and actor in the development of San Pablo Ave, having the ability to support and work with members of the surrounding communities. As I have worked on my photographic skills and attempted to understand the art of it, I feel that I have improved on that front, being able to represent and showcase my perspective in a way through my own lens and photography. With that, as one looks at another’s photograph, there is a specific intentionality behind each photograph and the different perspectives that every individual has. With that, one of the questions that I had was if many people within our class would have the same photograph as we are on the same walk and often capture the same individual or building, but even then, no one photograph is the same as we all interpret and understand the world around us in different ways. We all try to emphasize and showcase different aspects of the landscape and have different stories to tell. You can see the different ways in which people utilize the landscape, from some individuals using it as aplace to showcase their perspectives and protest against the status quo and the harms of members of communities from the current ICE raids that disproportionately affect communities within San Pablo Ave. There were a number of signs and imagery on the windows of businesses that highlight that members of the community would not tolerate ICE entering their neighborhoods. The community organizing and solidarity that exists throughout the East Bay and along San Pablo Ave is an important characteristic that strengthens the community. This is a trait of San Pablo Ave that makes it special as a landscape. In other landscapes, it can feel as if there is not the same level of connection and energy, but San Pablo Ave does. As we come to the end of the semester, there are a number of takeaways that I have concerning all the work that we have done, one of which is that there is always more to the surface than that is seen. Being open is necessary to continue learning and building on top of what we already know. References Avalos, G. (2020, February 13). Square moves into new downtown Oakland offices in hip Uptown district. The Mercury News. https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/02/13/square-moves-new-downtown-oakland-offices-hip-uptown-di strict-tech-jobs-real-estate/ Bay City News. (2025, December 3). Chevron fined $900K for air pollution monitoring failures at Richmondrefinery, air district says. ABC 7News. https://abc7news.com/post/chevron-fined-900000-bay-area-air-district-pollution-monitoring-failures-rich mond-refinery/18246755/ Brinklow, A. (2018, December 21). Square takes over enormous Oakland building. Curbed San Francisco. https://sf.curbed.com/2018/12/21/18151762/square-uptown-station-lease-oakland-uber Dahlstrom-Eckman, A. (2024, May 16). When BART Was Built, People — and Houses — Had to Go. KQED. https://www.kqed.org/news/11986396/when-bart-was-built-people-and-houses-had-to-go Ghosh, S. (2017, August 25). Uber has abandoned plans to move into massive California headquarters because it needs to cut losses. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-ditched-massive-headquarters-oakland-california-2017-8 Hernandez, J. (2023, October 3). New $44M police headquarters, regional training center in San Pablo comes with some pushback. NBC Bay Area. https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/east-bay/san-pablo-police-headquarters-regional-training-cent er/3333237/ Levin, S. (2019, July 2). 'There's no way to stop this': Oakland braces for the arrival of tech firm Square. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jul/02/theres-no-way-to-stop-this-oakland-braces-for-the-arrival -of-tech-firm-square Montoya-Boyer, A. (2017, March 28). Uber Releases Diversity Numbers. Joint Center For Political and Economic Studies. https://jointcenter.org/uber-releases-diversity-numbers/ Summers, B., T. (2022). Black insurgency aesthetics and the public imaginary. Urban Geography, 43(6), 1-11.https://doi.org/10.1080/02723638.2022.2049084 Wallace, S. (2025, October 28). North Berkeley BART station improves pedestrian and cyclist access, sets stage for housing. The Daily Californian. https://www.dailycal.org/news/city/transit/north-berkeley-bart-station-improves-pedestrian-and-cyclist-ac cess-sets-stage-for-housing/article_4a815b51-a755-43cd-b69c-eb5c243e2931.html https://onsanpabloave.com/GABRIELA-CAMACHO-Discount-on-Fate Thu, 04 Dec 2025 21:56:58 +0000 On San Pablo Ave https://onsanpabloave.com/GABRIELA-CAMACHO-Discount-on-Fate <img width="1150" height="864" width_o="1150" height_o="864" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/38de9e4eb2c355128dbe2d9a5826af79ff375fdbbe63a7b246319d517276401e/01_Camacho_WebsterSt_and_9thSt.png" data-mid="241852560" border="0" alt="Webster Street &amp; 9th Street, Oakland" data-caption="Webster Street &amp; 9th Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/38de9e4eb2c355128dbe2d9a5826af79ff375fdbbe63a7b246319d517276401e/01_Camacho_WebsterSt_and_9thSt.png" /> <img width="845" height="1125" src="//freight.cargo.site/w/845/q/94/i/3b904c5a4efe8762b996dd06347607ceee2de7e83f9d4ce9590ab61b7aa57503/02_Camacho_WashingtonSt_and_7thSt.png" data-src="//freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3b904c5a4efe8762b996dd06347607ceee2de7e83f9d4ce9590ab61b7aa57503/02_Camacho_WashingtonSt_and_7thSt.png" data-caption="Washington Street &amp; 7th Street, Oakland"> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3ecb0f7afa150f00a17ab0df1b0ee0c81e44b11bc2d5fb26d632f68b08d32cf4/03_Camacho_388NinthSt.png" data-mid="241852562" border="0" alt="388 9th Street, Oakland" data-caption="388 9th Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/3ecb0f7afa150f00a17ab0df1b0ee0c81e44b11bc2d5fb26d632f68b08d32cf4/03_Camacho_388NinthSt.png" /> <img width="1150" height="864" width_o="1150" height_o="864" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4a40268a9f54b11ec04e0e5e671ceac702a4a3914c412355a317d5258cd2c42b/04_Camacho_2000SanPabloAve_and_OakRidgeLn.png" data-mid="241852563" border="0" alt="San Pablo Avenue &amp; Oak Ridge Lane, Pinole" data-caption="San Pablo Avenue &amp; Oak Ridge Lane, Pinole" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4a40268a9f54b11ec04e0e5e671ceac702a4a3914c412355a317d5258cd2c42b/04_Camacho_2000SanPabloAve_and_OakRidgeLn.png" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4385a46495b6ecc3dd483ac118c43472739f672f0c7ece9aaf823320477440ab/05_Camacho_UniversityAve_and_ShattuckAve.png" data-mid="241852564" border="0" alt="University Avenue &amp; Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley" data-caption="University Avenue &amp; Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/4385a46495b6ecc3dd483ac118c43472739f672f0c7ece9aaf823320477440ab/05_Camacho_UniversityAve_and_ShattuckAve.png" /> <img width="1150" height="864" width_o="1150" height_o="864" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3979b2f55f109a476ca17a8e3ac2b13a016d8c4096d52ad7a53b3838968ab067/06_Camacho_1918MartinLutherKingJrWay.png" data-mid="241852565" border="0" alt="1918 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland" data-caption="1918 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3979b2f55f109a476ca17a8e3ac2b13a016d8c4096d52ad7a53b3838968ab067/06_Camacho_1918MartinLutherKingJrWay.png" /> <img width="1150" height="864" width_o="1150" height_o="864" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cf96b7825adc04da07633909fcb8f114834539bf7f974e827db0ff8f1b7ac889/07_Camacho_Richmond.png" data-mid="241852566" border="0" alt="4216 Clinton Avenue, Richmond" data-caption="4216 Clinton Avenue, Richmond" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cf96b7825adc04da07633909fcb8f114834539bf7f974e827db0ff8f1b7ac889/07_Camacho_Richmond.png" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5305959b2a908b43decb9fad4ea0f6e0fa3c1f170e2757b4838e1e2229fb0312/08_Camacho_4301SanPabloAve.png" data-mid="241852567" border="0" alt="4301 San Pablo Avenue, Emeryville" data-caption="4301 San Pablo Avenue, Emeryville" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/5305959b2a908b43decb9fad4ea0f6e0fa3c1f170e2757b4838e1e2229fb0312/08_Camacho_4301SanPabloAve.png" /> <img width="1150" height="864" width_o="1150" height_o="864" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3efa6ce4a48fcc45d54ad4a6ec9c187af94bb3fd89c0a65bf4bb13e92a488299/09_Camacho_941CarletonSt.png" data-mid="241852568" border="0" alt="941 Carleton Street, Berkeley" data-caption="941 Carleton Street, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3efa6ce4a48fcc45d54ad4a6ec9c187af94bb3fd89c0a65bf4bb13e92a488299/09_Camacho_941CarletonSt.png" /> <img width="1150" height="864" width_o="1150" height_o="864" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b508a98fb2e00ee073aa8c47a9a245ba8f786eed7aca5add54b55ea68bb087e1/10_Camacho_1050SanPabloAve.png" data-mid="241852569" border="0" alt="1050 San Pablo Avenue, Albany" data-caption="1050 San Pablo Avenue, Albany" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b508a98fb2e00ee073aa8c47a9a245ba8f786eed7aca5add54b55ea68bb087e1/10_Camacho_1050SanPabloAve.png" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/17a550d557b4958bb59914b1f23f805cb30292da67acd85d937dc9cb0309f0f6/17_Camacho_1139AddisonSt.png" data-mid="241852576" border="0" alt="1139 Addison Street, Berkeley" data-caption="1139 Addison Street, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/17a550d557b4958bb59914b1f23f805cb30292da67acd85d937dc9cb0309f0f6/17_Camacho_1139AddisonSt.png" /> <img width="1150" height="864" width_o="1150" height_o="864" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/35ed4c993ab1234e1fde63e64c438535b00ffc376d1fb63ca952c40f6768dbae/11_Camacho_1050SanPabloAve.png" data-mid="241852570" border="0" alt="1050 San Pablo Avenue, Albany" data-caption="1050 San Pablo Avenue, Albany" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/35ed4c993ab1234e1fde63e64c438535b00ffc376d1fb63ca952c40f6768dbae/11_Camacho_1050SanPabloAve.png" /> <img width="1150" height="864" width_o="1150" height_o="864" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/66fb2dbd549b88fee3f5b68df41dfe8aee4e74c0c1793f42ecf8a5f8adc53146/_1030554.png" data-mid="241876150" border="0" alt="1955 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" data-caption="1955 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/66fb2dbd549b88fee3f5b68df41dfe8aee4e74c0c1793f42ecf8a5f8adc53146/_1030554.png" /> <img width="1150" height="864" width_o="1150" height_o="864" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8b0b1316566ae686714154197cebc3af14d345a897c86181587e8d041c5b157e/15_Camacho_6451SanPabloAve.png" data-mid="241852574" border="0" alt="6451 San Pablo Avenue, Oakland" data-caption="6451 San Pablo Avenue, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8b0b1316566ae686714154197cebc3af14d345a897c86181587e8d041c5b157e/15_Camacho_6451SanPabloAve.png" /> <img width="1150" height="864" width_o="1150" height_o="864" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ea5a3544d618340bbb40a5381ab46dfc3b5ef1afb4540782aa5dbc7453cfe138/19_Camacho_Rodeo.png" data-mid="241852578" border="0" alt="Rodeo, CA" data-caption="Rodeo, CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ea5a3544d618340bbb40a5381ab46dfc3b5ef1afb4540782aa5dbc7453cfe138/19_Camacho_Rodeo.png" /> <img width="1150" height="864" width_o="1150" height_o="864" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/939db124419f7416408368245142257524c8d8174e006e08b31dea63f9cb6905/16_Camacho_Rodeo.png" data-mid="241852575" border="0" alt="Rodeo, CA" data-caption="Rodeo, CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/939db124419f7416408368245142257524c8d8174e006e08b31dea63f9cb6905/16_Camacho_Rodeo.png" /> <img width="1150" height="864" width_o="1150" height_o="864" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3a5febc3c9392569ec0803dc2258f3682f089461eb846c94183ac1aac4a2da1d/12_Camacho_2255SanPabloAve.png" data-mid="241852571" border="0" alt="2255 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" data-caption="2255 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3a5febc3c9392569ec0803dc2258f3682f089461eb846c94183ac1aac4a2da1d/12_Camacho_2255SanPabloAve.png" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f1961bd9dcbac8874054df74a1dcb4b11279a8d03080e818d81754ab896b1137/13_Camacho_PinoleRodeo.png" data-mid="241852572" border="0" alt="San Pablo, CA" data-caption="San Pablo, CA" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/f1961bd9dcbac8874054df74a1dcb4b11279a8d03080e818d81754ab896b1137/13_Camacho_PinoleRodeo.png" /> <img width="1150" height="864" width_o="1150" height_o="864" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4aedf5ff9278fe1b2044dce66927ee74f971bba0cb58f79c7d2e71b11a1b8681/14_Camacho_ElCerrito.png" data-mid="241852573" border="0" alt="San Luis Street, El Cerrito" data-caption="San Luis Street, El Cerrito" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4aedf5ff9278fe1b2044dce66927ee74f971bba0cb58f79c7d2e71b11a1b8681/14_Camacho_ElCerrito.png" /> <img width="1150" height="864" width_o="1150" height_o="864" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/51ec80d5e4f25a69ef44411ed8ec85cdfb2b67fe7f8205f389e4bbd758a16426/20_Camacho_PacificAve.png" data-mid="241852579" border="0" alt="Pacific Avenue, Rodeo" data-caption="Pacific Avenue, Rodeo" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/51ec80d5e4f25a69ef44411ed8ec85cdfb2b67fe7f8205f389e4bbd758a16426/20_Camacho_PacificAve.png" /> Discount on Fate by Gabriela Camacho Walking San Pablo Avenue made the car-dependency of the East Bay Area outside of major city centers graphically apparent. I thought much about what level of disconnect this condition brings about and how people compensate for this lack between one other. Along portions of San Pablo where the streets grew wider, I observed to whom space is allotted; how much space cars are allowed to take up compared to pedestrians and what impact this has on one’s experiences depending on your mode of travel. I grew an interest in differing notions of temporality as it’s been a recurring theme in my coursework this semester. I was introduced to Doreen Massey in this class and have been enlightened by her ideas on socio-spatial relations. She writes in Space, Place, and Gender, “Much of life for many people, even in the heart of the First World, still consists of waiting in a bus shelter with your shopping for a bus that never comes.” Time’s perceived value in western rationality originates from how much work you can get done in a certain amount of minutes. When telling people about how I’m taking a class that runs from morning to evening, I am always met with shock and some distress. This I understand, I’d likely react in a similar way, but even when I explain it, their reaction still reads to me as, “why would you do that?” Even in the face of early awakenings and rushing to get to our meeting spot on time, I’ve tried to adapt to thinking from another temporal conception that I learned about–coming from the Akamba people in Kenya and other ethnic groups in Africa–is time being created through experience which deems it incapable of being lost or wasted. There were many moments along San Pablo I was reminded of home, especially in Richmond. It reminded me a lot of Salinas, where I was born and went to community college. A significant common factor is the two city’s reputations as crime hubs that are also facing recent waves of gentrification, at different levels but nonetheless, and that has an active body of community organizers. On our walks, I felt a constant awareness of our group’s positionality entering spaces as outsiders and for more often than not being welcomed in. I felt more comfortable approaching people I saw something in to identify with and just the same in places I felt a feeling resembling home in. I am especially interested in scenes that depict traces of humanity. Lawn chairs set up on a strip of grass separating the sidewalk from the street, the gloves of farm caretakers hung up on a clothesline, figures of La Virgen de Guadalupe and the Mexican patron saint of immigrants, Toribio Romo on the dashboard of a car. What I hope to convey is absence being an imprint of leftover life. The term leftover can take a bitter connotation, but I use it to say that these are places to return to again and again. Considering ideas of home and belonging, I set out to make images that feel intimate and undefended. I find that photos with interesting light-shadow relationships and the variation in lighting of my photos as a collection communicate this especially well. I gathered much from Paccarik Orue’s project centered on Richmond: There Is Nothing Beautiful Around Here. What Orue says about coexistence of realities lended me perspective on different ways to think about human-time/space relationships. Sorrow and beauty, adversity and vibrance, are all here. Their respective persistence fluctuates, one can be more potent than the other at times. Photography has a special way of documenting these aspects in an incredibly blatant manner. Along Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Oakland, I noticed a business front with a banner signaling the building as a soon-to-be new location of the African-American Wholistic Wellness Hub Complex. Right in front of the door was a large foam pad and a jacket presumably placed there by an unhoused person seeking a good night’s rest. I found this incongruity quite jarring to see on explicit display like this, so I felt it was important to include.&nbsp; According to the City of Oakland’s 2017 Downtown Disparity Analysis, 68% of the city’s unhoused population is Black/African-American despite making up just 26% of the general population–in stark contrast to white people being 15% and 39%. Regardless of the identity of the person who set up on these steps, it is evident that these resources are desperately needed. To give background on the title of my project, I used the camera feature on the Google Translate app to translate the text on a street sign written in Mandarin in one of my photos from Chinatown. My phone had difficulty reading it so it was flipping through a plethora of different attempted translations, one of them being “discount on fate.” I found it very amusing to learn that the actual translation is “Webster Street” and I just hadn’t realized that the sign below this one indicated the same thing but in English. Regardless, Discount on Fate spoke to me as an image of socioeconomic disparity and the obligations it imposes on people, preventing us from the pursuit of passion. But my experiences walking have proven to me that people always find a way in spite of these imperatives. The morning we arrived in Emeryville, I approached a man cleaning a machine part behind Arizmendi Bakery. What caught my attention was his shirt reading, “Fuk Ice” in the style of the brand ICEE’s logo. He immediately complimented my cat DJ shirt and I complimented his. He then informed me that it was his own design and introduced himself by his artist name, Chicano Eyes. I wanted to know more about his work, so he pointed me over to a piece he did on the building across the parking lot that was soon going to be painted over due to new ownership of the building. Good Bones, a poem by Maggie Smith has rang in my mind through the duration of this semester during our walks. Particularly the final line, “This place could be beautiful, right? You could make this place beautiful.” The making of this project has all been an attempt to refuse a rejection of the world by instead actively embracing it and all of its parts. Additionally, to reconstruct popular politics of encounter via this medium that can feel extractive and instead go forth in the spirit of curiosity and intentional connection. I have progressed to implement these thoughts and practices into my life through meaningful engagement with people and with the environment. To relate locally while thinking globally. In a practical sense, I’ve learned much more about my camera’s manual settings. And even more so, I have granted a deeper understanding of photography as a means of documenting humanity, absence, injustice, love, and conveying stories through stills of that which lives. https://onsanpabloave.com/ASHLEY-RIBEIRO-Altered-Landscapes Thu, 04 Dec 2025 21:57:31 +0000 On San Pablo Ave https://onsanpabloave.com/ASHLEY-RIBEIRO-Altered-Landscapes <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/de4317ac76bd1e268972cd0602b1c3fd1b803e30561b3657dfe6d9f393e44bf4/Oakland_1.png" data-mid="241875565" border="0" alt="616 18th Street, Oakland" data-caption="616 18th Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/de4317ac76bd1e268972cd0602b1c3fd1b803e30561b3657dfe6d9f393e44bf4/Oakland_1.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e46b7a0bfd948c0133543a113d693ea4d0d1c8c2314b11ae67afd8fd09d0503b/_1090176.png" data-mid="241875580" border="0" alt="1724 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" data-caption="1724 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e46b7a0bfd948c0133543a113d693ea4d0d1c8c2314b11ae67afd8fd09d0503b/_1090176.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/50894e1179ca7a9389479e78446ee2200f368d076cd2ff1d719cdddaf8367fcf/_1100119.png" data-mid="241875576" border="0" alt="10256 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito" data-caption="10256 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/50894e1179ca7a9389479e78446ee2200f368d076cd2ff1d719cdddaf8367fcf/_1100119.png" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/366ff56a63c4f0f72c23faae863e112ffaa8696b25d9519f6c6fe0c961741de4/_1090142.png" data-mid="241875579" border="0" alt="1943 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" data-caption="1943 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/366ff56a63c4f0f72c23faae863e112ffaa8696b25d9519f6c6fe0c961741de4/_1090142.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/541b00a21a77283309450a6b9338fe45bf309915743145055e9cbaec4c5bca8b/_1090216.png" data-mid="241875568" border="0" alt="708 Camelia Street, Berkeley" data-caption="708 Camelia Street, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/541b00a21a77283309450a6b9338fe45bf309915743145055e9cbaec4c5bca8b/_1090216.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d086f01dd933024e7677bccb271d312eb4faaf17c87c6c5b79fb27c9a862cacd/_1100125.png" data-mid="241875575" border="0" alt="1098 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito" data-caption="1098 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d086f01dd933024e7677bccb271d312eb4faaf17c87c6c5b79fb27c9a862cacd/_1100125.png" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4f1c9b76575d4b0b8d7b6598633dbed4429dacc0a20b1667e6a495f6df64590e/_1090341.png" data-mid="241875577" border="0" alt="940 San Pablo Avenue, Albany" data-caption="940 San Pablo Avenue, Albany" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/4f1c9b76575d4b0b8d7b6598633dbed4429dacc0a20b1667e6a495f6df64590e/_1090341.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4caec4f673fd65c72759292fa1a9a49df23683f8e0c8b8f21ecbe282ccd58eaa/_1100426.png" data-mid="241875574" border="0" alt="5755 McBryde Avenue, Richmond" data-caption="5755 McBryde Avenue, Richmond" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4caec4f673fd65c72759292fa1a9a49df23683f8e0c8b8f21ecbe282ccd58eaa/_1100426.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/355a28555a9b5ead3d1f2397804ee98ed1b9b98b73fe31c12b4e3fd0e1d8b173/_1080967.png" data-mid="241876095" border="0" alt="6520 Hollis Street, Emeryville" data-caption="6520 Hollis Street, Emeryville" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/355a28555a9b5ead3d1f2397804ee98ed1b9b98b73fe31c12b4e3fd0e1d8b173/_1080967.png" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ba99cd5a29649e11b9dd74f7a09877d71cf39d7f6fb275117e97dc5d2457e9c6/_1090994.png" data-mid="241875634" border="0" alt="627 San Pablo Avenue, Albany" data-caption="627 San Pablo Avenue, Albany" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/ba99cd5a29649e11b9dd74f7a09877d71cf39d7f6fb275117e97dc5d2457e9c6/_1090994.png" /> <img width="848" height="1125" width_o="848" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2269fced89583eb9dacc6ad68164f351020c29fb5399060f4c4239a65a168933/_1100868.png" data-mid="241875572" border="0" alt="388 9th Street, Oakland" data-caption="388 9th Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/848/i/2269fced89583eb9dacc6ad68164f351020c29fb5399060f4c4239a65a168933/_1100868.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c853f2cc0b412852e79c0c458333608d6d09bbcf9a2180402c2f4260f4bdf2c4/Oakland_6.png" data-mid="241875566" border="0" alt="902 Washington Street, Oakland" data-caption="902 Washington Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c853f2cc0b412852e79c0c458333608d6d09bbcf9a2180402c2f4260f4bdf2c4/Oakland_6.png" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9c7b29463dd35d3836daa036dcbf692fa9f51753719af5cb894eb8c62ce9cae6/_1100176.png" data-mid="241875638" border="0" alt="10520 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito" data-caption="10520 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/9c7b29463dd35d3836daa036dcbf692fa9f51753719af5cb894eb8c62ce9cae6/_1100176.png" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8b179aa6310d61bbebb48bce58559120f9e7b526d4a0c9254ca348d6c1af18c6/_1090003.png" data-mid="241875578" border="0" alt="5885 Horton Steet, Emeryville" data-caption="5885 Horton Steet, Emeryville" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/8b179aa6310d61bbebb48bce58559120f9e7b526d4a0c9254ca348d6c1af18c6/_1090003.png" /> <img width="845" height="1125" width_o="845" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6d0eafc150f1ad0447eabc8df1f42df574b65d345d9d2f19c30d78d05b4800bd/_1090155.png" data-mid="241875632" border="0" alt="1830 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" data-caption="1830 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/6d0eafc150f1ad0447eabc8df1f42df574b65d345d9d2f19c30d78d05b4800bd/_1090155.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b320fc84f58e991e4ca155ab2715a70305f670d184c2082516a010ff6cc24ede/Oakland_9.png" data-mid="241875567" border="0" alt="1117 Broadway, Oakland" data-caption="1117 Broadway, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b320fc84f58e991e4ca155ab2715a70305f670d184c2082516a010ff6cc24ede/Oakland_9.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d462c5a0053dd969687f060b2ce6b3fe0c3e170638888eb94c70cffc23c46673/_1100834.png" data-mid="241876828" border="0" alt="150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland" data-caption="150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d462c5a0053dd969687f060b2ce6b3fe0c3e170638888eb94c70cffc23c46673/_1100834.png" /> <img width="845" height="1126" src="//freight.cargo.site/w/845/i/98a774b427e503ae5ca25275361d346345acac6ada83e797c648d295653048a3/_1080791.png" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/98a774b427e503ae5ca25275361d346345acac6ada83e797c648d295653048a3/_1080791.png"> Altered Landscapes: Capturing Change Throughout San Pablo Avenue San Pablo Avenue extends a length of 22 total miles, encompassing a number of cities and towns, from Oakland to Rodeo. Although only 7 of these 22 miles made-up the historic State Route 123, San Pablo Avenue is a distinct, car centric road. Parallel to I-80, San Pablo Avenue is a key congestion reliever street, meaning it is well traveled. Making our way up the street, we watched the way San Pablo transformed, from dense and urban to more spread out and suburban. It even became almost rural as we reached Pinole and Rodeo. My photographs aim to capture this ever changing landscape. When walking through San Pablo and seeing how much it changed, I was hoping to capture the impacts of gentrification on the street and its people. Gentrification and displacement are topics I am heavily interested in, and I have conducted research on it in the past. During my senior year of high school I began exploring the impacts of gentrification caused by the “Dot Com Boom” in Silicon Valley. I looked specifically at gentrification’s impact in Oakland and the Bay Area, focusing on the displacement of Black Americans further inland into Bay Area suburbs and the Central Valley. This interest has continued at Berkeley, manifesting itself in multiple research reports on displacement, urban renewal, and gentrification in Stockton, California. I wanted to continue focusing on this topic in this class, taking a more creative approach to breach the subject. The stories Professor Wanek told us about businesses that had disappeared throughout the years and new buildings that sprouted up, as well as the experiences of people we met along San Pablo Avenue, inspired me to pay attention to the small, local businesses of San Pablo. I was also inspired to focus on the working class people that made each city. I took note of how each town may have changed or was in the process of changing. Noah Bustin’s “Life Along Berkeley's San Pablo Avenue, Through the Lens of 6 Small Businesses,” which was an assigned listening article before our Berkeley trip, also pointed me in this direction. Bustin’s interviews with different business owners to try to understand their backgrounds stuck with me. During the trip following this reading, we tried to visit some of these locations and had conversations about those that had closed or moved locations, reflecting on how San Pablo continues to change and the reasons why. From rising rents and being priced out, not being able to compete with big box stores and online shopping (like Amazon), or giving up on dreams of going to medical school, it was bittersweet to see. Traveling San Pablo Avenue, I felt especially connected to members of the Latine community, whether that be people we talked to or the community institutions we walked past. Small ethnic grocery stores, which we saw more of in places like Richmond and El Cerrito, reminded me of going to similar shops as a kid with my family. We lived in an East Bay rural suburb and would travel an hour to places like Oakland and Richmond to go shopping for cultural items, such as loose yerba mate leaves and alfajores. The farmers market in Oakland, as well as the many street vendors we came across, made me think of the Latine community I grew up around and the struggles minority, especially immigrant, populations go through to survive. Being the daughter of immigrants and low-income, I thought of all the other low-income immigrants that did “side hustles" to make ends meet. However, new experiences on San Pablo also made me feel connected to the people and the street. I felt the most connected to San Pablo when we interacted with people along the stretch, such as the girls I took a photo of in Albany, who posed with peace signs waiting for one of us to snap a shot of them, or when we stopped to talk to the brothers in Emeryville who shared their story of moving from the East Coast to the West Coast when they were younger. I took a photo of one of them next to their truck, although it’s not in my final forty images. Many of the images I took of people we stopped and talked to, or that we had a moment with, are not some of my best images. Sometimes, I did not even get a photo of them. However, these were still the most enriching moments, revealing more about San Pablo than photographs ever could. I gained a lot of skills while taking this class, both technical and soft skills. I have noticed that I have gotten more comfortable with the camera during my time in this course. It took me a long time to get used to the settings and understand how to use it. Even something as simple as focusing was difficult for me, however, I noticed on our last trip that I was finally able to focus on what I wanted. This demonstrates the growth I made throughout the year and how much more used to the camera I got. In addition, I am glad that I was able to learn Lightroom Classic. I remember the first day we learned to edit, I had to ask Avery for help when darkening the blacks and upping the shadows because I was unsure on how it should look. Now, as I got more comfortable with the program, my editing got more consistent and intuitive. My knowledge also expanded throughout the course. I was visiting places I was familiar with as an East Bay native, but viewing these towns through a different, more analytical lens. Working class communities and spaces are the most important parts of San Pablo. Although as students we usually only think about San Pablo Avenue as the parts of Oakland, Berkeley, and Albany, this class has highlighted the street outside of these cities and this perspective. It also made apparent the distinctions between classes that exist along the route. Brandi Summers described Oakland, which is along San Pablo, as "two co-constitutive publics – a segregated, decaying city mostly inhabited by poor and working-class Black and Latinx residents and laborers, and a modern, prosperous, neoliberal city that caters to a privileged class of white residents and tourists – especially as the city grappled with the management and regulation of public space in the midst of a global pandemic. This was present through most of the road all along the bay, with higher income houses looming from the hillsides onto poor, minority communities. Going through San Pablo with the goal of wanting to capture the working classes communities that inhabit it, as well as the gentrification of the environments and the contrasts between high and low-income neighborhoods, I saw the street as more dynamic than I would have previously. This has continued as I go through my day-to-day life, even outside San Pablo. In a way, the course has given me “people watching” skills, noticing the things in between and the quiet moments, like someone sitting and smoking during a lunch break, or having a quick chat with a classmate. https://onsanpabloave.com/KEIRA-KENT-Urban-Spaces Thu, 04 Dec 2025 21:57:24 +0000 On San Pablo Ave https://onsanpabloave.com/KEIRA-KENT-Urban-Spaces <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6778af55b6a0d4a527469d2e70c3896e3a911e82212af6eafa30a1af3b5c3ac0/_1050202.png" data-mid="241542144" border="0" alt="Camelia Street, Berkeley" data-caption="Camelia Street, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6778af55b6a0d4a527469d2e70c3896e3a911e82212af6eafa30a1af3b5c3ac0/_1050202.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1118" width_o="1500" height_o="1118" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5010445a195484dd91511b2b837b4cc5f3dac1fdf5ea509e49726350a2b9d088/_1050607.png" data-mid="241542153" border="0" alt="Telegraph Avenue and Broadway, Oakland" data-caption="Telegraph Avenue and Broadway, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5010445a195484dd91511b2b837b4cc5f3dac1fdf5ea509e49726350a2b9d088/_1050607.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ff3d419131be0c9686ea3fe24e029de9614ef565594c024f252139247b5b779f/_1050097.png" data-mid="241542141" border="0" alt="2429 San Pablo Avenue, Emeryville" data-caption="2429 San Pablo Avenue, Emeryville" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ff3d419131be0c9686ea3fe24e029de9614ef565594c024f252139247b5b779f/_1050097.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1118" width_o="1500" height_o="1118" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3cdd137898751c599b3e0836fc1dfc373069fb290211969c299442b4e5e19622/_1050475.png" data-mid="241542146" border="0" alt="2542 22nd Street, San Pablo" data-caption="2542 22nd Street, San Pablo" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3cdd137898751c599b3e0836fc1dfc373069fb290211969c299442b4e5e19622/_1050475.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1118" width_o="1500" height_o="1118" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e3ee56d13d5e636119220323b54a9346dedeaa906a9110c7ba0b7e190deb190c/_1050517.png" data-mid="241542149" border="0" alt="2051 Railroad Avenue, Hercules" data-caption="2051 Railroad Avenue, Hercules" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e3ee56d13d5e636119220323b54a9346dedeaa906a9110c7ba0b7e190deb190c/_1050517.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a6b1097b9ac7ae46e670a6d9621eab3e0d19fd928cd13cfed28163b1db700ec9/_1040909.png" data-mid="241542137" border="0" alt="Hollister Street and 45th Street, Emeryville" data-caption="Hollister Street and 45th Street, Emeryville" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a6b1097b9ac7ae46e670a6d9621eab3e0d19fd928cd13cfed28163b1db700ec9/_1040909.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8b145cc3a55210a7c53d14f14ba59729910f0e28219d581eaf7b6e523e3b104a/_1040993.png" data-mid="241542138" border="0" alt="San Pablo Avenue and 57th Street, Emeryville" data-caption="San Pablo Avenue and 57th Street, Emeryville" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8b145cc3a55210a7c53d14f14ba59729910f0e28219d581eaf7b6e523e3b104a/_1040993.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1118" width_o="1500" height_o="1118" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2d7ed682c6d3169381218e7e39067ceae854f3d3f638cfb519e7ddd0ff7e7ebc/_1050564.png" data-mid="241542150" border="0" alt="162 John Street, Rodeo" data-caption="162 John Street, Rodeo" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2d7ed682c6d3169381218e7e39067ceae854f3d3f638cfb519e7ddd0ff7e7ebc/_1050564.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ebec0f8dc05c69c560f07884cf6b5cd3115a40e7cffec8ef04d090040e448a53/_1050121.png" data-mid="241542143" border="0" alt="2213 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" data-caption="2213 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ebec0f8dc05c69c560f07884cf6b5cd3115a40e7cffec8ef04d090040e448a53/_1050121.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1118" width_o="1500" height_o="1118" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c7e1d3c47083c4f019966600fd8ce32e3716731181b0a356c289dba5c079816b/_1050510.png" data-mid="241542148" border="0" alt="2100 Pear Street, Pinole" data-caption="2100 Pear Street, Pinole" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c7e1d3c47083c4f019966600fd8ce32e3716731181b0a356c289dba5c079816b/_1050510.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1118" width_o="1500" height_o="1118" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/69ec85e96702400ccdb6998ca91e74139b46eeba4ba51d422aeb3635e18690fe/_1050579.png" data-mid="241542151" border="0" alt="10 Pacific Avenue, Rodeo" data-caption="10 Pacific Avenue, Rodeo" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/69ec85e96702400ccdb6998ca91e74139b46eeba4ba51d422aeb3635e18690fe/_1050579.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e58b571a72db968b9480074617522bf6a8e0fec22c57ba927b02e788e8d51d05/_1050315.png" data-mid="241542145" border="0" alt="6109 Tehama Avenue, El Cerrito" data-caption="6109 Tehama Avenue, El Cerrito" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e58b571a72db968b9480074617522bf6a8e0fec22c57ba927b02e788e8d51d05/_1050315.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1118" width_o="1500" height_o="1118" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5dd8c6e6d884001f1c4ea650acefad664573c4cab5a430818fda258e3cb10052/_1050492.png" data-mid="241542147" border="0" alt="2000 San Pablo Avenue, Pinole" data-caption="2000 San Pablo Avenue, Pinole" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5dd8c6e6d884001f1c4ea650acefad664573c4cab5a430818fda258e3cb10052/_1050492.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1118" width_o="1500" height_o="1118" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b94bf129d6eb6ea4953520d46005babf83e8d792c6f6b0a54bf341d0ae8c0236/_1050598.png" data-mid="241542152" border="0" alt="Peter Van Kleef Way And 17th Street, Oakland" data-caption="Peter Van Kleef Way And 17th Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b94bf129d6eb6ea4953520d46005babf83e8d792c6f6b0a54bf341d0ae8c0236/_1050598.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1118" width_o="1500" height_o="1118" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7aae5baaecc3a4dba1805bf94890dca64ed6f8d36c4e7bbd9d0ccbb0213added/_1050719.png" data-mid="241542156" border="0" alt="801 Bancroft Way, Berkeley" data-caption="801 Bancroft Way, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7aae5baaecc3a4dba1805bf94890dca64ed6f8d36c4e7bbd9d0ccbb0213added/_1050719.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1118" width_o="1500" height_o="1118" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/24e2a28c9d977c3013d86cd3f56e5167ccb11ddb619ef2103fe97bc1895cabe6/_1050657.png" data-mid="241542155" border="0" alt="638 Webster Street, Oakland" data-caption="638 Webster Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/24e2a28c9d977c3013d86cd3f56e5167ccb11ddb619ef2103fe97bc1895cabe6/_1050657.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/83c9d9134638d0559dd8d8797fb2ed6c50656116a5cf7081456c5271e24c25df/_1050027.png" data-mid="241542139" border="0" alt="San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" data-caption="San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/83c9d9134638d0559dd8d8797fb2ed6c50656116a5cf7081456c5271e24c25df/_1050027.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1118" width_o="1500" height_o="1118" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/563fccf3959201d982d61654e667edd777d7321ec36f0ac2d55b121b7d220a77/_1050754.png" data-mid="241542157" border="0" alt="Berkeley I80 Bridge, Berkeley" data-caption="Berkeley I80 Bridge, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/563fccf3959201d982d61654e667edd777d7321ec36f0ac2d55b121b7d220a77/_1050754.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1118" width_o="1500" height_o="1118" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0081679ef86c3a317f2005be40f70e5ded0d53ff7dbbb4d72c84f4e19b92bc70/_1050644.png" data-mid="241542154" border="0" alt="372 7th Street, Oakland" data-caption="372 7th Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0081679ef86c3a317f2005be40f70e5ded0d53ff7dbbb4d72c84f4e19b92bc70/_1050644.png" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4ced6678d13c7783d5952ca8e19d54c74945dd50a3f67e0fa1e371e871fd1d3e/_1050048.png" data-mid="241542140" border="0" alt="5885 Horton Street, Emeryville" data-caption="5885 Horton Street, Emeryville" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4ced6678d13c7783d5952ca8e19d54c74945dd50a3f67e0fa1e371e871fd1d3e/_1050048.png" /> <img width="1341" height="1000" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e85868a7bfcf5f7d7c70f0f179c1f61a96c237cac96720655ad3e90a24bc8999/Practice-Export-2.jpg"> Urban Spaces: By Keira Kent For my final project I want to show San Pablo Avenue in a more wholistic light. I find that when I am out taking photos I am drawn to the things that are falling apart because they can make for an easy interesting photo. But as I begin to look back on the photos I have taken and then compare that to the experiences I have had I realize that they don’t always align. Yes, there are some spots among San Pablo Ave that are a little more run down. But in reality San Pablo is a bustling and vibrant community with many different communities and cultures coming together to make that street their home. As I start to assemble my final images, I want to remember who makes up San Pablo Ave (by adding more portraits) rather than focusing on the disrepair that is happening in certain areas. Although I think it is important to look at the good of these places, I think it is also vital to this class to look at the gentrification efforts that are taking place all along San Pablo. We can already see the historical flower markets being shut down and instead being replaced by condos and coffee shops. You can talk to a local and they will tell you about how their favorite hole in the wall Mexican restaurant is being replaced by an artisanal coffee shop. This too is important to note because this tells the current story of San Pablo Ave. In my eyes it is the beginning to the end. We are seeing an erasure of the rich culture that exists in the East Bay all the while new developments are moving in. This is what I want to show in my photographs, I wish to show that San Pablo has- and most likely will be- ever changing. I have noticed now that we have done many fieldtrips, that I have developed a method to capturing my desired photographs. If it is a portrait, I will begin to talk to the desired subject first, making them acquainted with our class and the work we are doing. Once they seem comfortable enough that is when I ask them for their photo. If it is a landscape shot however, I find that I tend to take a step back to get a fuller photo, and I put the main subject of my photograph out of center. I am not sure why that is, but I find I like the photos better when I do so. I think it is important to get a variety of photos, but to me stepping back and seeing the bigger picture (quite literally) allows for a greater story to be told about San Pablo Avenue. The photo that I have found very influential in shaping my artistic process was early on in our photography class. We were in Emeryville or Berkeley I believe, and we were walking along the street when we saw an older South East Asian woman leaning against her yellow motorcycle. After talking with her (somewhat successfully) we got her photo. I think this exemplifies both process I had talked about in the previous paragraph. Within this example I was able to talk to the subject and her husband, trying to get them familiar with the type of work we are doing and if we could get her photo taken. Then when it was time for the photo to be done I found myself stepping back and then putting her to the side of the camera, capturing not only her and her motorcycle but the corner store to her left and the martial arts studio to her right. Overall, I have learned not only how to become a better photographer (and how to work a digital camera for that matter) but I think this class has made me a slightly more confident person too. I notice as time goes on I feel less sheepish when asking people for photos, or even when it comes to just walking around in a large group with cameras around our necks. I think this class has definitely taught me to just own up to it. Own up to the photos you take, take them with pride and with direction. But also own up to taking up space, this is something that I’ve been working on in my day to day life and I feel like this class has definitely taught me that and it even shows in my photos too. Throughout the class I am finding I am getting more portraits, I am taking more shots when we are out in the open, and I am finding ways to assert myself in the lives of those who live and work on San Pablo Avenue. One other thing I have learned is that photography is a patient persons practice. And I have never considered myself patient. To take a good photo you must be still, you have to take your time in setting the shot up, and you have to have a clear sense of what you want in your mind or else the photo wont turn out. You cant just stand and point your camera- this is another thing that I am still learning. But perhaps the most important lesson, and I have brought this up in other reflections, is that the East Bay is a rich and diverse place to live, work, visit, etc. And many people don’t realize that I think. At least coming from me, a girl who has lived in Southern California most of her life. I think places like Oakland get a bad reputation, whereas in reality the city is vibrant, hosting a variety of different types of people, cultures, and businesses. I am glad that I was able to take this class and rethink the way I have always thought of The Bay and the communities that exist within it. https://onsanpabloave.com/ELLORA-KLEIN-Streets-and-Stories Thu, 04 Dec 2025 21:57:26 +0000 On San Pablo Ave https://onsanpabloave.com/ELLORA-KLEIN-Streets-and-Stories <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/df003399974ec5ab7015d912f9624084d14acdad456e2fa1acc8b7d6688cef3c/05-5.jpg" data-mid="241671056" border="0" alt="1900 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" data-caption="1900 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/df003399974ec5ab7015d912f9624084d14acdad456e2fa1acc8b7d6688cef3c/05-5.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/37ba7a1f295ef50ed075bcb344b3918dc6aaba7d8dee63cf9bbaaa6b350e7567/_1050177-2.jpg" data-mid="241661336" border="0" alt="350 7th Street, Oakland" data-caption="350 7th Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/37ba7a1f295ef50ed075bcb344b3918dc6aaba7d8dee63cf9bbaaa6b350e7567/_1050177-2.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/211c0e7d3d0bd4b2e9be927350c45f05ed3caa146a87110ffbcc258b90ff337a/02-1-3-2.jpg" data-mid="241662419" border="0" alt="1050 San Pablo Avenue, Albany" data-caption="1050 San Pablo Avenue, Albany" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/211c0e7d3d0bd4b2e9be927350c45f05ed3caa146a87110ffbcc258b90ff337a/02-1-3-2.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/764512e6fa057f2779ecccf57c42996fadd4684c24f6b6190a1e5aa9e58a6791/Practice-Export.jpg" data-mid="241662696" border="0" alt="1830 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" data-caption="1830 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/764512e6fa057f2779ecccf57c42996fadd4684c24f6b6190a1e5aa9e58a6791/Practice-Export.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ca5853f11296de4055a080ac950105cf94cfa04895039bf3f629584d51891f4b/01-2-3-2.jpg" data-mid="241661514" border="0" alt="1002 Webster Street, Oakland" data-caption="1002 Webster Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ca5853f11296de4055a080ac950105cf94cfa04895039bf3f629584d51891f4b/01-2-3-2.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/152db0b511880a02f6125f8cce98e99791c71e31984da1dd41b536180fe84698/07-1-2.jpg" data-mid="241663096" border="0" alt="425 9th Street, Oakland" data-caption="425 9th Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/152db0b511880a02f6125f8cce98e99791c71e31984da1dd41b536180fe84698/07-1-2.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5cbbb1d52aad08d5f507747a63d9fa7e7a5e9f230af8111fe53b3626907f24b1/_1050139-4.jpg" data-mid="241663203" border="0" alt="9th Street and Washington Street, Oakland" data-caption="9th Street and Washington Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5cbbb1d52aad08d5f507747a63d9fa7e7a5e9f230af8111fe53b3626907f24b1/_1050139-4.jpg" /> <img width="4403" height="3306" width_o="4403" height_o="3306" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/57eefa54f9136939764978694e6be069b5824ecbea08993f153d2d225a4571ee/01-4-3.jpg" data-mid="241661756" border="0" alt="12899 San Pablo Avenue, Richmond" data-caption="12899 San Pablo Avenue, Richmond" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/57eefa54f9136939764978694e6be069b5824ecbea08993f153d2d225a4571ee/01-4-3.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/60a6edd97c7050669902306459423ac57c57b67b9d9a8fb9c298a8fdbdb1905c/01-3-1-1-2.jpg" data-mid="241661949" border="0" alt="1100 Channing Way, Berkeley" data-caption="1100 Channing Way, Berkeley" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/60a6edd97c7050669902306459423ac57c57b67b9d9a8fb9c298a8fdbdb1905c/01-3-1-1-2.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/396099ec2b7ae28f66ed479ab06d8e206e24967c79a0425b9367b1d678c899da/06-2-1-1-2.jpg" data-mid="241663019" border="0" alt="707 Washington Street, Oakland" data-caption="707 Washington Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/396099ec2b7ae28f66ed479ab06d8e206e24967c79a0425b9367b1d678c899da/06-2-1-1-2.jpg" /> <img width="4592" height="3448" width_o="4592" height_o="3448" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/220c9b427200146fd97f69a6319f65c6a47bcc175bcd2eb3470ec3ed99604274/02-2-3.jpg" data-mid="241661234" border="0" alt="2525 Dover Avenue, San Pablo" data-caption="2525 Dover Avenue, San Pablo" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/220c9b427200146fd97f69a6319f65c6a47bcc175bcd2eb3470ec3ed99604274/02-2-3.jpg" /> <img width="4592" height="3448" width_o="4592" height_o="3448" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1c5ecdb820c8eafac0a47897c8593944a2e4199f9bcf0af53e902942714bcd77/10-1-1.jpg" data-mid="241663193" border="0" alt="350 7th Street, Oakland" data-caption="350 7th Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1c5ecdb820c8eafac0a47897c8593944a2e4199f9bcf0af53e902942714bcd77/10-1-1.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/497e5318e0d58c00e018cb2c3efe2370e9fbfa7f96597cb3569b547240be14d2/04-7-1-1-2.jpg" data-mid="241662335" border="0" alt="712 Franklin Street, Oakland" data-caption="712 Franklin Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/497e5318e0d58c00e018cb2c3efe2370e9fbfa7f96597cb3569b547240be14d2/04-7-1-1-2.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b09083cadc0780368ce31542de1d388e486efd39f648614fb7d8efd9a0b48693/_1040757.jpg" data-mid="241663200" border="0" alt="619 San Pablo Avenue, Albany" data-caption="619 San Pablo Avenue, Albany" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b09083cadc0780368ce31542de1d388e486efd39f648614fb7d8efd9a0b48693/_1040757.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0a58a51e2d754556823b0ecbf696da74c03df660352dc3fe08bd6bfa04fb12cc/09-1-2-1-2.jpg" data-mid="241663186" border="0" alt="Alvarado Park, Richmond" data-caption="Alvarado Park, Richmond" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0a58a51e2d754556823b0ecbf696da74c03df660352dc3fe08bd6bfa04fb12cc/09-1-2-1-2.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c7c927a3718917a80d068e457a33cb62aa59fef48d36917d3d0a3e6d2d5917c9/09-1-1-5.jpg" data-mid="241663184" border="0" alt="425 9th Street, Oakland" data-caption="425 9th Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c7c927a3718917a80d068e457a33cb62aa59fef48d36917d3d0a3e6d2d5917c9/09-1-1-5.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/830d3636fc8f6538c47f2eab477ee2a525b58a587da1dd0dd85113de9031865e/Practice-Export-2-2.jpg" data-mid="241663197" border="0" alt="425 9th Street, Oakland" data-caption="425 9th Street, Oakland" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/830d3636fc8f6538c47f2eab477ee2a525b58a587da1dd0dd85113de9031865e/Practice-Export-2-2.jpg" /> <img width="4592" height="3448" width_o="4592" height_o="3448" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/53656b5f61a98376b4c2453b9167c6cb0587f9b76a92f7bd1405016fefd65548/06-1-3.jpg" data-mid="241662891" border="0" alt="2100 Broadway Avenue, San Pablo" data-caption="2100 Broadway Avenue, San Pablo" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/53656b5f61a98376b4c2453b9167c6cb0587f9b76a92f7bd1405016fefd65548/06-1-3.jpg" /> <img width="1500" height="1126" width_o="1500" height_o="1126" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3a091b93d1df1935c86fa37ac35ea95743f25f96d5302cf3965071a90700bb9c/07-2-3-2.jpg" data-mid="241663182" border="0" alt="1201 Solano Avenue, Albany " data-caption="1201 Solano Avenue, Albany " src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3a091b93d1df1935c86fa37ac35ea95743f25f96d5302cf3965071a90700bb9c/07-2-3-2.jpg" /> <img width="4592" height="3448" width_o="4592" height_o="3448" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3380e0166cba8c37e63db8d2348bb1746bdaf953ff92d3636a6542a8feebc215/08-3-1-1.jpg" data-mid="241663212" border="0" alt="1300 Amador Street, San Pablo" data-caption="1300 Amador Street, San Pablo" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3380e0166cba8c37e63db8d2348bb1746bdaf953ff92d3636a6542a8feebc215/08-3-1-1.jpg" /> Streets and Stories by Ellora Klein San Pablo Avenue, a 22-23 mile-long urban stretch in the East Bay, contains a multitude of neighborhoods, communities, and ethnic enclaves, each with its own distinct character. Walking along San Pablo Avenue makes it clear how each community functions both as its own world and as a fragment of a greater whole, interconnected through the broader geography of the street. One neighborhood seems to morph into the next based on its location along the bay, its history of business and industry, and its ethnic and cultural identity. The diversity of built, natural, and cultural environments along San Pablo Avenue is what makes it so exciting, and it was interesting to see what people found most meaningful and worthy of documentation as we walked. Although everyone in our class had, for the most part, the same route, the same cameras, and interactions with the same people, we each noticed and picked up on different things, bringing our own perspectives to each interaction. One subject could have a million different ways of being perceived and portrayed, and could be found remarkable by one person and mundane by another. As I walked down San Pablo Avenue with my camera, I often found myself wishing I could capture every sense, rather than simply vision. The sound of local business and home owners telling us stories, the taste of food from as many different cuisines as one can imagine, the smell of the flora in the wooded areas and the breads being baked in nearby bakeries, and the feeling or texture of a building or a piece of fruit being sold at a local farmers market. Initially, it felt hard to capture the diversity and vibrancy of each of San Pablo Avenue’s cities, streets, and residents in photographs, particularly because I had previously spent time on the avenue taking videos rather than images. However, as I continued to take photographs over time, I found it to be an exciting challenge to try to capture and elicit these senses through photos, so that each image held a specific feeling or story that went beyond the act of seeing, and instead into the realm of a more complete imagined sensory experience. I enjoyed thinking about photography as storytelling and worldbuilding, and viewing my images as I edited them as if through the eyes of a stranger from another part of the world. Would they too be able to imagine the sound of the laugh of the old man in Oakland’s Chinatown simply from his expression, or smell the plants at the Gill Tract farm in Albany from the look of their glowing green leaves? It was interesting to think about what information a stranger could glean from one image, and how far one’s mind could take them with just a static picture. With this in mind, I set out trying to build stories and narratives within my pictures, giving them a sense of life, motion, and feeling. Some of the people and spaces I was met with on San Pablo Avenue made this especially easy to do, as their character seemed to shine through immediately. The local autoshops, antique stores, restaurants, markets, and all of their owners felt instantly intimate, with a character so visually obvious that it felt like a story spoke from their pictures without any need for elaborate angles or context. I found myself connected to these spaces and people, and felt an affinity towards their worlds and minds that I was allowed to enter for a fleeting moment. Many of these locals were passionate and excited to speak about their spaces, livelihoods, and neighborhoods, and telling their stories in a photo was something I enjoyed immensely. I also found myself particularly drawn to inanimate things that seemed to tell a story in a neighborhood, giving it character and bringing it to life, such as street art, found and lost objects, and interesting colors and textures. These distinguishing objects and features seemed to express and reflect the sentiments and culture of the locals even in their inanimacy, telling the story of the area they were in. They made the spaces we passed through feel like a home to someone, and I found myself photographing these features the most. Graffiti, murals, and signs were a prime example of this, as the distinct humanness of something hand drawn or written made each wall and building feel like a lived-in space that was experienced and cared for by someone. Rather than a blank wall or a lifeless billboard, a handwritten sign like those we saw on the poles of Richmond gave the neighborhood a sense of life and community that I really enjoyed exploring and connecting with. As we discussed how each neighborhood has been changing and evolving over the years, particularly towards gentrification, it also became clear how important this kind of photographic storytelling is for preservation. It felt significant to try to depict these changes in my images, and to allow them to act as a living archive. As we passed by local fifty-year-old businesses sitting beside impersonal two-year-old condos, it became increasingly obvious how rapidly some of the neighborhoods along San Pablo Avenue are shifting, and how special it is to be able to engage with some of the older businesses that have survived thus far, but may not be able to afford their spaces in the years to come. There were also many vacant lots and abandoned buildings and houses, often donning large yellow signs depicting ambiguous development plans that may or may not come to fruition. I found these spaces to be especially interesting, as they represented to me transient domains of change that seemed to embody something significant in their emptiness. Growing up in New York City, it felt rare to encounter a space without a building, or at least some kind of park or built environment. In both NYC and Berkeley, it feels like every square foot is profited off of or put to use, and those that aren’t are constantly being contested in battles between those who want to maintain it as a free space and those who want to develop it. Thus, seeing a vacant lot or empty house to me sometimes tells an even more interesting narrative than a building. Since I’ve only lived in Berkeley for the past few years, I often don’t have any context for these empty spaces. I don’t know who once lived there, what once occupied the space, or what’s to come. Their emptiness suggests evolution, yet they also feel strangely separate from time, resisting the rapid changes and developments happening around them. Oftentimes, some form of nature seems to have reclaimed these spaces, with developers competing with cats and tall buildings competing with tall grass. They become places of possibility, where one hopes something will emerge that is beneficial to the community and contributes to its character, although the result is often an unidentifiable modern building. We encountered people who spoke about these spaces and the changes occurring in their neighborhoods, who often echoed one another in a desire to keep these areas in the hands of locals. They didn’t want to see their homes overrun with development, but many also faced a reality of being unable to afford to keep these properties. Stories of what once existed along San Pablo Avenue faced us at every corner, and it seemed like only fragments of each block had sustained themselves over the past couple of decades. It made me think a lot about what can actually be distinguished as positive change within a neighborhood or community, and how new demographics and new buildings moving into these neighborhoods can disrupt the sense of community and home, possibly at a point rendering the area unidentifiable and stranger to those that were once locals. I also thought about how I myself play a role in this, as a student moving into Berkeley and exploring neighborhoods of the Bay Area where I can afford to dine at an expensive cafe but many of the locals can’t. These trains of thought made me reexamine my role as a photographer, but also made photography seem even more valuable to me as a way of preserving a home and telling the story of a place that may look totally different in the next couple of decades. Engaging with, thinking about, and using photography as a means to document homes, stories, and change on San Pablo Avenue allowed me to learn a lot about what it means to enter a space that isn’t mine. As an outsider in many of the cities on San Pablo Avenue, I learned how to be mindful, careful, and compassionate in my interactions with both the built and natural environment and the people inhabiting it, and how to attempt to contribute to a community in a way that is positive and beneficial to the locals. Our ventures also changed the way I thought about art, photography, and engagement, and how it can be extractive, even without intending to be. I tend to think of art as inherently positive, but in actually entering a space as an artist, documentarian, and storyteller, I found it to be a lot more complex than I had imagined, prompting me to move with care. As someone passing through, I didn’t want my photography to operate as a one-sided venture, but rather as something collaborative, reciprocal, and joyful.&nbsp;