History of May Day (1st)
May 1, 2011
On this day in 1931, President Herbert Hoover officially dedicates New York City‘s Empire State Building, pressing a button from the White House that turned on the building’s lights. Hoover’s gesture, of course, was symbolic; while the president remained in Washington, D.C., someone else flicked the switches in New York.
The idea for the Empire State Building is said to have been born of a competition between Walter Chrysler of the Chrysler Corporation and John Jakob Raskob of General Motors, to see who could erect the taller building. Chrysler had already begun work on the famous Chrysler Building, the gleaming 1,046-foot skyscraper in midtown Manhattan. Not to be bested, Raskob assembled a group of well-known investors, including former New York Governor Alfred E. Smith. The group chose the architecture firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon Associates to design the building. The art-deco plans, said to have been based in large part on the look of a pencil, were also builder-friendly: The entire building went up in just over a year, under budget (at $40 million) and well ahead of schedule. During certain periods of building, the frame grew an astonishing four-and-a-half storeys a week.
At the time of its completion, the Empire State Building, at 102 storeys and 1,250 feet high (1,454 feet to the top of the lightning rod), was the world’s tallest skyscraper. The Depression-era construction employed as many as 3,400 workers on any single day, most of whom received an excellent pay rate, especially given the economic conditions of the time. The new building imbued New York City with a deep sense of pride, desperately needed in the depths of the Great Depression, when many city residents were unemployed and prospects looked bleak. The grip of the Depression on New York’s economy was still evident a year later, however, when only 25% of the Empire State’s offices had been rented.
In 1972, the Empire State Building lost its title as world’s tallest building to New York’s World Trade Centre, which itself was the tallest skyscraper for but a year. Today the honour belongs to Taiwan’s Taipei 101 building, which stretches 1,670 feet into the sky, but which will itself soon be superseded by the Burj building in Dubai.
http://bcove.me/sspjfpw9 to watch a video on this day in history.
San Mateo City Street Closings for May Day
April 30, 2011
Thirteen cities in San Mateo County are closing their streets to cars this weekend and opening them to walkers, bikers and other revelers.
The second annual “Streets Alive” will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday across the county and will include events ranging from exercise and dance classes to picnicking and play.
Last year’s event was held in April to coincide with the World Health Organization‘s 2010 open spaces-themed World Health Day, organizers said.
Pounding rain kept most of the crowds away, so the county decided to hold this year’s event in May, said Eric Pawlowsky in the office of county Supervisor Carole Groom.
Although the public is “thrilled at the idea” of opening up the streets, officials don’t know how many people to expect with the weekend’s sunny forecast, Pawlowsky said.
“People love the idea of having a safe, car-free place to walk and to bike,” he said.
Four new cities signed on this year to participate in the event, which is relatively inexpensive to stage because most of the services are donated and only existing infrastructure is used.
Pawlowsky said the county expects to continue holding Streets Alive on an annual basis, but officials hope the yearly gatherings will encourage individual cities to block their streets to cars more often.
The participating cities are Belmont, Brisbane, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Foster City, North Fair Oaks, Pacifica, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Mateo and South San Francisco, Daly City and Millbrae held their events in April.
More information about the individual city routes is available at http://www.streetsalivesmc.org/
Psycho! Janet Leigh’s Former Home for Sale – $4.5 Million
April 13, 2011
Check out this home that Janet Leigh lived in. I guess the Psycho Thriller really had an impact on her life-style.
Psycho! Janet Leigh’s Former Home for Sale – $4.5 Million.
Alpine Inn in Portola Valley
April 12, 2010
Whether you want a quick workout or a leisurely spin, The Loop in Palo Alto has you covered. This popular road bike route has several iterations; the 
one we recommend is relatively short, not too demanding, and suitable for novice or advanced riders. No road bike? Rent one at Bike Connection for $35 (a bit steep, but the wheels are yours for 24 hours). The 18-mile loop passes the Stanford campus, vaunted venture-capital companies on Sand Hill Road, and multimillion-dollar estates. The most-scenic stretches are west of I-280 in the less-trafficked towns of Woodside and Portola Valley. Those on a leisurely pace can make a pit stop at the historic Alpine Inn, two-thirds of the way through the ride; at more than 150 years old, this roadhouse beer garden is one of the Peninsula’s longestrunning businesses. Finish with a mad dash or a slow ram! Either way works close for the loop.
I am prejudiced of course, since I used to fly with Geri, who helps her Mom (Molly) run the place.
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Belmont Historical Home…
March 4, 2010
Ok, this has been going on for a long…………time. Does anyone have an update for me……
The Pre-Construction Meeting for the Emmett House Project took place on July 14th. During this meeting the contractor representatives, designers and members from Police, Community Development, Public Works, Belmont/San Carlos Fire and Mid-Peninsula Water District discussed key issues associated with the project. Currently, City staff and designers are in the process of reviewing multiple submittals with special emphasis given on exterior color selection. City staff also met with City arborist to receive recommendations on tree protection. The Notice to Proceed will be issued on July 27th. Contract construction time will begin on August 3rd with contractor mobilization which shall include providing temporary power, storage equipment, fence installation and erosion control measures. Contract construction time is 260 working days.
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Historical Home Sells Bourne Mansion
January 23, 2010
Those who are familiar with the Bourne Family from Filoli will miss this historical home in San Francisco (2550 Webster Street) which was sold at auction and closed December 23, 2009 for $2.79 million. Sure looks like the Disneyland Haunted Mansion doesn’t it.
The Road To The Alpine Inn, My Favorite Historical Place
January 22, 2010
- Image via Wikipedia
My favorite place of all is to relax and meet friends at the Alpine Inn, formerly called Rissotti’s or “Zott’s”…
Of course, I am partial since my dear friend and my other dear Mother own the place. But, if you just want a beer/wine/soft drink it is a great place to just be yourself and hang-out. If you want a great burger, chicken or other this is the place. The fries are great too! This is why this place is on my main page as one of the historical homes that I love. You can just imagine as you drive up, the horses that used to come and tie up there… I have met many wonderful people there.
As of 2009, Zotts has enjoyed 150 years as Portola Valley’s hotspot…
A lot of history has passed through here… Zott’s is unique, it is the only Beergarden that has stayed one since it’s existence.
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Alpine Inn, My Favorite Place for Chilling with Friends
September 23, 2009
One of my historical homes/restaurants on my home page….
Hence, Alpine Inn or Zots or Rossatti…
Join me on Sunday afternoon for a gathering on September 27th at 1:00 pm for music by John Mork of SoundCOMM and he will have some special surprise guests.
Alpine Beer Garden (formerly known as Rossatti’s or Zot’s) at 3915 Alpine Road in Portola Valley.
See you there!
Historic Architecture
July 17, 2009
The historic character and architecture of the downtown provides Redwood City with a unique identity. Revitalization of the downtown will build on its physical assets and its unique qualities. While no particular style of architecture is proposed, all new buildings will be high quality and compatible with the existing buildings. Preservation and renovation of historic buildings such as the Sequoia Hotel will be strongly encouraged. I love that we are keeping a lot of the historical buildings and taking care of them. Redwood City has definitely become the place to be.
Historical Ralston Hall Mansion
June 28, 2009
Ralston Hall Mansion was the country estate of William Chapman Ralston, a prominent and powerful San Francisco financier who founded the Bank of California. Purchasing the property from an Italian nobleman in 1864, Ralston began construction of an increasingly grand mansion, ultimately comprising over 80 rooms. He called his estate “Belmont,” a name that was subsequently adopted by the adjacent village.
In style, the exterior of Ralston Hall is Italianate Villa. The interior incorporates many features of the 19th century “steamboat gothic” construction and design, reminiscent of Ralston’s early days on the riverboats of Mississippi before he came to California.
After Ralston’s death, the estate was passed to his former partner, U.S. Senator William Sharon. During that era of the Mansion’s history, one of the most elaborate celebrations was the wedding of Sharon’s daughter Flora to Sir Thomas Fermor-Hesketh of England.
In 1922, the Ralston estate became the campus of College of Notre Dame. Chartered by the state of California in 1868, it is the state’s fifth oldest institution of higher education. Known today as Notre Dame de Namur University, it continues the proud tradition as a premier master’s university providing professional and liberal arts programs, with an enrollment of nearly 1,600 students.
You are cordially invited to personally experience the elegance of Ralston Hall Mansion. For those of you like me, who love historical buildings, this one you can tour… Located at 1500 Ralston Ave. in Belmont…. for info. you can call 650-508-3501
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