With so much changing around downtown Walnut Creek at any given moment, it’s sometimes nice to reflect on the places that have been around for years. One of those places is the J. Rockliff real estate building at the corner of N. Main and Civic.
You’d recognize the building by its brick-on-brick look. It sits right across Civic from City Hall and diagonally across from La Scala. It almost looks like a mini-brick castle. Anyway, they have fountains out front that I never stopped to look at before, and they are gorgeous!
The fountains complement the property and the real eye-catcher is the wrought-iron statue in the middle, perched atop a mosaic base. It’s quite mesmerizing up close!
Take a minute to recognize an old classic in Walnut Creek next time you’re in the area. With buildings and blocks changing all the time, it is nice to see something stay the same.
Fellow pizza enthusiasts, rejoice! Pancoast Pizza, one of the best options in town, has expanded its space next to Las Lomas and now boasts a ton more seating options. To go along with it, they expanded their menu! The pizzas are pricier than most, I think it is because they have quality ingredients.
Pancoast is one of my favorite pizza joints in town (doesn’t hurt that it’s walking distance from my house!). I love thin-crust and theirs is delicious and it has to do with the cheese which comes from Wisconsin. I’m excited to see they’ve added some other options to the menu. They are still serving strombolis, and now there are hoagies, Philly cheesesteaks, and even chicken wings.
This is truly a small, local business in Walnut Creek. The owner is usually there and the staff is generally very friendly. It attracts a younger crowd, as you might expect with its location next to the high school. I often go after a late night at work and get a slice of the cheese pizza – it is addictive!
I recently sold a home at 7007 N. Mariposa in Dublin. One cool thing about it is that this is the fourth property I have either helped sell or buy for this same family.
Each time they bought, I said, “you will be moving in four or five years!” They have a growing family so a move-up buyer makes sense. This home I just sold had only a small side yard and no driveway, but as you can see by the pictures, they had a beautiful home that went quickly. So off they went to find the unicorn house that has it all.
They are now in contract on new construction and I have a feeling they will be staying in this one for a long time. I’m so happy I was able to help them out again. Though one of the kids was sad to leave, I believe they will love their new home and their new baby brother or sister due to arrive next year Congrats to all!
I recently took about 10 items to ThredUp, but only one was accepted for a grand total of $7. The company will pay you for bringing in older clothes, much like Main Street Rags or Labels. The difference is that ThredUp will donate, recycle or put them on their website if they don’t buy it. They also will give them back to you if you want to directly donate it.
That’s what I really like about ThredUp. What they don’t take will get consigned on the website and you might end up getting more money or the material will get recycled and donated. So either I feel good about where it’s going or I might get some money out of it.
I also didn’t feel clothing-shamed (that it wasn’t good enough for the consignment store). I tend to hold on to items, and all consignments want items that are two or three years old. I recently Marie Kondo’d my closet for the first time in 10 years, so I have a bunch of (old) stuff to donate, and just have to do it seasonally. But, ThredUp accepted everything that I had (even if they only kept one item to sell). I left feeling good about it all, versus going to the snobby consignment store next door.
Whew, it feels good to get rid of a lot of old stuff (of course those are the items that I won’t get any money for). ThredUp was founded in 2009 and inspire their customers to think “#secondhandfirst.” It’s a very cool concept, and I hope you all give it a chance!
Well, this would be a bit of a haul in a car. But luckily, flights to Colorado aren’t terribly expensive from the Bay Area, and visiting Aspen is well worth the price of admission! I visited recently for BHG’s Top Producer conference and met some agents from all over the United States and got to share in Aspen’s natural beauty!
The conference was at the St. Regis and it was one of the best hotel stays I have had. They left me a handwritten note asking if I would like coffee, tea or hot chocolate delivered to my room. I chose hot chocolate and then they asked if I wanted marshmallows – of course!
The conference held a nice dinner, with music at the T-Lazy-7 Ranch one night and then another was at the hotel with an oxygen bar, and raptor birds. The St. Regis offered free rides in and around town. Not that Aspen is that big, but it was nice to have a ride back from dinner. On Friday, at the end of the conference, it snowed and I was hoping to see the Maroon Bells. The next day was forecasted sun, so I wandered around Aspen and met up with Nina and Chris from Boise and we walked around the John Denver Sanctuary, which was serene and beautiful. Then we had dinner at Matsuhisa, a fabulous sushi restaurant.
On the ride back to the hotel, the driver asked what I was going to do tomorrow. I chimed in with the Maroon Bells, he asked how I was getting there, and I said Uber or Lyft. He looked at me and said he doesn’t think there would be one available so early (7:30 am) nor would there be reception for me to call one to pick me up (welcome to Aspen). He then suggested that the hotel has a partnership with Lexus and they have two vehicles for guests to test drive in 4-hour segments. That was perfect for a trip to the Maroon Bells to get me back in time for my 12:20 flight. I texted Nina if she and Chris wanted a ride and she asked if Sam and Q from Minnesota could come and, thus, our pictures!
BTW, the St. Regis has Kitty the Bernese as their mascot and his Instagram is a hoot! The handler is called a “fur butler.” I want that job for my retirement. Kitty was only there for a day, as the St. Regis was closing for three weeks and Kitty was on a road trip to San Francisco.
You all remember Ty Pennington from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, right? Well, I recently read a short blog about his five tips to make a home’s exterior look brand new, regardless of how old the actual home is! Without further ado, here are Ty’s tips:
1. Paint
Nothing packs as much impact as a fresh coat of paint. My favorite new trend-black siding! No need to tear off and do a full replacement. If your vinyl siding is in good shape, paint it!
2. Clean
We tend to put off cleaning the windows, but don’t! Clean windows make your house look well-loved and cared for.
3. Repair
Cracked and missing concrete is not just an eyesore, it’s a safety concern. While it may be costly to pour a new driveway or sidewalk, it will pay you back in reducing that safety risk.
4. Fertilize
It’s autumn, and that means it’s time to prep for summer! Fertilizing your grass now will help fill in thin spots and grow deep roots so your lawn survives winter. Plant your bulbs now if you are considering selling in the spring.
5. Tuckpoint
If you have a brick house, protect it from moisture intrusion by having it professionally tuckpointed. That said, there are very few brick homes in our area (more stucco).
On Sept. 30th, owner Wissem Kheruji opened Brioche de Paris in downtown Walnut Creek. He is from Paris originally, and his family owns many Parisian bakeries. Wissem is the only member of his family in the U.S. He went into health and fitness, but ended up following in the family footsteps. Lucky us!
He opened this French-inspired cafe and bakery at Locust and Bonanza. They use imported flour and butter to make everything besides their baguette bread in-house. They are brand new, so the menu is still developing, but I’ve been told that a sweet and savory crepe menu should be available in a few weeks.
Brioche de Paris also offers espresso drinks, a daily soup, and salads. Their croissants are out of this world. They serve sandwiches between $6-$9 and pastries for $5 or less, and as little as $2.25. That’s right about in line with Walnut Creek prices.
The space itself is quite cozy and open, and they offer free WiFi with tons of outlets, which is usually a frustration in cafes. I’d highly recommend going to visit and getting a fresh croissant and enjoying a cup of joe at the newest bakery in town!
