Today's Chronicle features an article about Craig Martin, who bought a fixer-upper in Oakland eight years ago. With some help from a rehabber friend, Tom Anthony, and interior designer Kristine Ahlstrand, the 1939 five-bedroom house has been transformed. At the same time, so has the Laurel district neighborhood.
Click here for Laura Thomas's article.
Images: Eric Luse
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Comments (7)
I know the title comes from the Chronicle, not AT, but as someone who first moved into the Laurel District in 1996 (before the profiled owner), it really rubbed me the wrong way. I'm familiar with the house & they've done a beautiful job with it. And yes, improvements to one home can have a ripple effect. But to imply that the neighborhood is better only because of one homeowner dismisses the value of community and the efforts of the other interesting, engaged, committed people who live in the area.
Gentrification is in the news?
I really, really like the Japanese garden. Simple and restful.
And the raised beds for gardening.
Gentrification is both good and bad, neighborhoods get better, but suddenly they are not affordable for those with lower incomes
i know all the good points of gentrification, but our entire neighborhood is to the breaking point with all these damn bastards coming in and causing so much worry and war because their neighbors house doesn't look good. So Friggen TIRED. Gentrification, get outta Harvard Heights, damnit!
Social Darwinism.
The guy that writes "Stuff White People Like" would have a field day with some of the negative comments that pop up on this board. Yeesh.