From the Editor

Design, Decor and More

    It’s no secret that I love poking around Alameda kitchens. I’ve been doing it if for years now, accompanied by gal-about-town and Alameda Magazine columnist Gina Jaber who thrills in escorting me to scout classy kitchens every February.
    Choosing the kitchens to feature is tough, but hard decisions must be made because there’s limited space. This year’s upscale redos, where kitchen islands star as focal points, are stellar examples of the quality renovation work that goes on behind closed doors in Alameda. Contributing writer Kimberly Chun talks to the homeowners to find out how they successfully navigated the construction zone.
    Construction has soured many a relationship, but that’s not the case with one couple that built their kitchen from the ground up on a tight budget. These young, resourceful, crafty folks, a chef and a nurse, trolled Craigslist, eBay and outlet stores to find great deals and create the kitchen of their dreams, managing to pull off a professional-caliber kitchen, building it themselves for the most part. They learned where to splurge and save, and they graciously offer up tips for sound decision-making, and now Alameda Magazine readers can learn their secrets.
    Continuing the home design and garden theme, this issue also offers a
bird’s-eye view into a few homeowners’ outdoor natural retreats created through lovely water features, primarily fountains and such where water spills over rock piles or pools lazily into calm ponds surrounded by lush yards with brightly colored blooms, smooth pavers and contrasting flora.
    And for gardeners who need expert advice on how to refresh, renew and redo their own patches of paradise, columnist Iris Watson spills the beans on what to do when and where to create a bit of Eden on the Island.
    This issue also celebrates the community’s biggest and most successful commercial renovation of the year, the restoration of the historic Alameda Theatre and new cineplex. To honor the occasion, Snapshot correspondent Lewis Smith gave the grand opening and black-tie gala full-court press coverage. (See more photos on Snapshots.)
    But design and home decor are not the only games in town this go-round: Mary McInerney takes up the controversial Measure A (to which, I’ve been told, there are two sides: mine and yours), explaining its origins and intentions. A gaggle of guest writers—David Howard, Barbara Kerr, John Knox White and Helen Sause—also sound off about it.
    Politics not your bag? There’s still more in store: Alameda’s sailing university, a bartender and journalist who’s changing the world, the can-do executive director of the Alameda Education Foundation, and Acquacotta, a restaurant definitely worth the wait, plus Roy Creekmore, Kent Rosenblum and new and updated dining listings. Enjoy.
    One more thing: Alameda Magazine was honored for excellence in the recent East Bay Press Club annual awards recognizing work published in 2007. Contributing writer Marcus W. Thompson II won second place in the short feature category for “He Believed” [November 2007].

Judith M. Gallman
judy@oaklandmagazine.com