2013 Grand Avenue Survey Question 13

Question 13. Please list the shops and/or services that you’d like to see added to the current mix on this stretch of Grand.

  • Upscale food market Shoe stores Clothing look at places with a mix like 4th street in Berkeley
  • Office supply A quality vegetarian restaurant Pet store
  • I’d like to have a deli that serves sandwiches, with sit-down space. Something similar to Saul’s in North Berkeley would be ideal. There aren’t a lot of choices in the neighborhood for grabbing a quick bite, and there isn’t solid sandwich representation.
  • More retail stores (a piedmont ave kind if mix…vintage as well as regular More restaurants/cafes
  • Cupcakes and late night restaurants
  • Hip new restaurants and cafes. Art galleries. Green and eco-friendly businesses. Boutiques.
  • This liquor store would be great. More restaurants.
  • I would like more of a variety of food, I can’t get a good salad anywhere, for example, or anything very healthy for that matter. Just no more alcohol, please.
  • I would love to see more restaurants and shops open here (Oak Common is a great addition) like a greeting card store or something similar.
  • I would like a kid friendly bar and grill like Cato’s or Ben and Nicks
  • less shops for rich people
  • more resturants
  • I’d like to see more stores that encourage clothing, shoe and other types of shopping. A gift store. More shops like on 4th Street in Berkeley.
  • More utilitarian shops for residents, such as a butcher shop, good bakery, shoe store, stationers, See’s candy store.,
  • Ice cream – gourmet
  • Sewing shop.
  • Retail shops that focus on locally made goods.
  • I would like a local spirits type store like the proposed one. i would be more likely to stop into that then the liquor store you guys reference here. it’s a completely different thing. we went in there for chips or for a cold soda and i have actually only bought liquor there when i was too lazy to go to the store on lakeshore and needed something for an ice cream recipe.
  • Asian grocery, like in Chinatown. inexpensive ice-cream shop featuring non-dairy options as well, I’d like to see even more stores and services aimed at the people who live here, but not trying to make it a destination like Rockridge, or whatever.
  • more cafes
  • More ice cream. 🙂 Coffee/tea shops. Shoe store. Home accessories. But not chain stores.
  • restaurants, toy store, clothier, pet store.
  • Women’s clothing boutique, shoe store…
  • Vinyl record store like 1-2-3-4 Go or Stranded.
  • anything but bottled spirits, nail salons, x rated or erotic material stores
  • More retail,
  • A produce market like the one on Lakeshore would be great.
  • Quality produce market (selection and quality as close to Berkeley Bowl as possible).
  • I do not see the need for additional wine shops. While they differ in their services, I would like to see other services, such as local clothing and boutique establishments.
  • A korean restaurant more local retail (homemade local products) place for live music in a cafe or restaurant more nightlife that is somewhat upscale better breakfast restaurant
  • I would like to see more restaurants and more nightlife. Perhaps more women’s clothing stores. An art supply store.
  • restaurants (looking forward to Little Star opening)
  • More restaurants and gourmet specialty Shops.
  • A quality art store would be lovely. A vintage clothing shop and an antique shop would round out things out a bit. A nice gallery too.
  • Antique/retail shops nice restaurants (not chains) galleries/ studios/ creative spaces
  • More restaurants, boutique food stores, more clothing boutiques, NO CHAIN STORES!!!!! Less manicure places
  • There needs to be more restaurants of different sorts. Where is the Burmese place? Some sort of fusion place? There is an exciting mix of cultures in Oakland- let’s showcase those. I’m not sure we need another upscale establishment selling things to a select few people (whose needs are already met at several different venues). It would be nice to have some creativity put into the new place: Thai tapas downstairs and gallery upstairs (the gallery is the best part of the plan).
  • Extended store hours for shops and restaurants, an artisanal ice cream shop or artisanal bakery.
  • I would love to see a comic bookshop.
  • More restaurants, clothing stores, make it more similar to rock ridge. It is in a great location and underutilized.
  • I’d like to see a good cafe, small music venue, more art, specialty food shop, a butcher, an oyster bar.
  • Coffee shop closer to Ace Hardware. Men’s and women’s clothing.
  • no comment
  • Good ethnic restaurants that aren’t family restaurants. I’m extremely excited that the Red Whale wine retail/bar is opening soon, which is why I think this new wine/spirit place is a bit silly if only because it seems a bit redundant. It doesn’t seem beneficial for either business to have them so close on the same street. But I suppose it could be alright if this wine/spirit place were different enough.
  • Artisanal coffee shop, more clothing/jewelry boutiques along the lines of Oak Common, better selection of exciting ethnic food options.
  • More evening businesses, improved lighting, parking.
  • Fancy pet grooming; street level galleries or clothing stores that are open late .
  • An Italian style deli, a French bakery, perhaps something like tapas, Gordo’s Burritos, any environmentally responsible business, or health aware shops.
  • I like the idea of a new shop, restaurant, etc. here, but this seems oddly similar to the Red Whale. Why not diversify the neighborhood’s offerings a bit?
  • More boutique food shops.
  • Butcher Vegetable stand Florist French Bakery/ patisserie
  • More good restaurants, perhaps a clothing boutique or two
  • Shoe store, sporting goods, restaurant or coffee house closer to Ace
  • Games store, pet store, bowling alley, indoor golf,
  • cafe with gourmet salads similar to Mixt greens in SF. I can’t seem to find a decent salad around here. butcher shop, bulk foods store
  • A great bakery
  • These two shops make sense. I just go with the flow.
  • I enjoy boutique type stores
  • I would like to see a reduction in the number of nail salons but what would be a good substitute, I can’t really say at this time. We seems to have already attained a good number of restaurants. Perhaps a nice florist or flower cart. I don’t patronize the current florist – the exterior and windows appear dirty. It does not attract business.
  • More restaurants and bars
  • nail shoppe
  • A good bakery like La Farine. Gourmet Market for specialty and ethnic ingredients
  • Women’s shop
  • Restaurants. Quality bakery.
  • Sports Bar/Pub Yoga Studio
  • Keep going in the the direction it has been
  • Shoe shop which is specialized — not chain type stores. I think of something like The Walk Shop or Shoes on Solano type establishment. Having some kind of women’s clothing store of a boutique nature would be great. miss having Milano restaurant, i.e., an Italian restaurant.
  • some less expensive restaurants; Less alcohol.
  • I support the opening of a locally sourced liquor and wine store. I now travel to Ledgers or the new Northbrae Bottle Shop in Berkeley for specialty liquors. The premium spirits used by local fine restaurants are not available in Oakland. This shop will not detract from the local grocery/liquor store’s business. This is a totally different market. Why lose my sales revenue to Berkeley when I would rather shop in Oakland?
  • I’d like to see low-key live music, evening events, nothing huge and loud. Things to bring the neighborhood out.
  • Whatever the market will bare; not exclusive to dinning.
  • A wine establishment. A CREATIVE ONE. As someone in the wine retail business, I’m excited about multipurpose spaces, especially ones that showcase art. I think that a wine/food/art venue has great potential for success (see Duende in downtown), and I think it’s important to highlight local wines like Dashe and Donkey and Goat, because in this industry Napa and Sonoma often overshadow East bay producers.
  • If this place is anything like Cask in SF, it would be a great add. Not a traditional down-market liquor store that symbolizes despair. A seafood spot like Swan Oyster Depot in SF would be a cool add to the area as well. And a quality cheese shop might be good (though if the wine store carries that wouldn’t likely be needed.
  • I really like the idea of a craft wine and spirits store. I would definitely go. It would be great if there were educational tastings- like what is offered at St. George’s spirits. I found that very educational.
  • Clothing Furniture Home accessories
  • More clothes & retail. Frozen yogurt and/or juice shop. A more upscale breakfast restaurant.
  • I support any local business that can generate enough revenue to stay in business. I think residents should vote with their wallets and that the city should do less to interfere with mom and pop retailers. Maybe Grand Lake Market doesn’t sell what I want, but the new place will. The more we restrict small entrepreneurs from opening shops the more I end up buying my wine or any other products from BevMo or Target. I would much rather go to Grand Ave. It is highly unlikely that a problematic liquor store would come to Grand Ave, and even if it did you can cite them for any violations and they will go out of business if locals don’t shop there.
  • More good coffee shops and maybe a couple nicer bars.
  • More good restaurants
  • Family-friendly pub (e.g., Cato’s or Ben and Nick’s) Cheese shop Children’s gear store (not to compete with Silver Moon, but to cover products they do not carry–e.g., furniture, strollers, etc.) Beer shop/supply store–wine is well represented here, but beer is not! While we don’t oppose this conditional use permit, we also don’t see the need for more shops of this nature given that there are several already in residence or further along in the planning process (Monkey Forest Road, Red Whale, Buckingham Wine and Spirits, many restaurants with great bars). There is a definite concern about over-saturation of the market, both with respect to taking up space that could help diversify this stretch of Grand (we also do NOT want any more yoga studios or cell phone stores!) and with respect to the potential for the business failing and being replaced by a less desirable business taking on the license.
  • Pub-style restaurant Upscale Chinese restaurant Butcher/fish market
  • Fewer work-out gyms.
  • I love the idea of your artisanal wine and spirits shop and the lovely pinterest boards. (I am concerned, however, about what would happen if your shop closed and a shady liquor store moved in). I’d also love to see more specialized shops, e.g. a butcher, cheese shop, etc.
  • Brew Pub, quality Tapas restaurant,
  • More night life; a music listening place, perhaps.
  • More bars More small grocery stores More casual restaurants More retail/shoppings
  • Place that specializes in cakes and pies.
  • More higher end restaurants; more casual/ deli-type restaurants (similar to Grand Lake Kitchen which is just outside this area); more interesting shops; and of course an Apple store 😉
  • bakery, vegetable market
  • It would be nice to have additional establishments that support other kinds of “entertainment,” beyond eating. It seems that we already have many options (with more in process) for food. Having additional activities would be nice (other than just the theatre and yoga). Some additional patio areas would be great (like Grand Tavern) – and not at a place like Monkey Forest Road (I don’t feel like that place is very welcoming to the greater community). It would also be nice to have a store like Greetings (on Lakeshore).
  • Vegetarian restaurant, clothing boutiques, sit-down Mexican restaurant, shoe store.
  • Butcher A produce store with late hours Fish store Bakery with cake!
  • Butcher shop Fish market Dedicated produce store Florist with imaginative products
  • Tootsie’s shoes (currently on College Avenue) Chic home housewares shop Pet Store
  • I would like to see more venues for live music (gypsy jazz, tango, etc.)
  • baby store (clothing, supplies, furniture, supportive environment) like the Tulip Grove was in Montclair, or like Rockridge Kids.
  • Classy wine shops, upscale restaurants, upscale gift shops etc.
  • Clothing boutiques Bookstores Craft shops Gift shops
  • I would like to see more of the same (i.e., new food and drink places); more specifically, though, it would be good to see (1) more family-friendly places and (2) a broader range of cuisines represented.
  • Good meat market, vegetable market. More upscale restaurants.
  • More family friendly restaurants.
  • Pub would be great with out door patio. More boutiques. A Nathan and Company type store would be fantastic! NO MORE NAIL SALONS, NO MORE DRY CLEANERS!!!!!!or MASSAGE PARLORS..
  • I would welcome a mid-range Italian restaurant similar to Filippo’s on College. I would love to see a branch of Burma Superstar on Grand. An open air bar/restaurant similar to Jupiter in Berkeley would be a very nice addition if a suitable location could be found.
  • More restaurants! Quality please…
  • A good wine/spirits shop A good deli A really good falafel store a great cheap produce market
  • I’d like to see a small, upscale market that carries high quality local and organic produce.
  • independent wine shop, good bakery, cheese shop, etc. I like the market feel that rockridge and 4th street in Berkeley have, but I don’t want it to get too commercial.
  • Wine store! Specialty cheeses or vegetables.
  • The bookstore provides a great service to that stretch by creating a place to browse (and hopefully buy) while waiting for seating at a restaurant or for a movie to start. We could do with more shops similar in that way, that remain open in the evening. Lakeshore and Piedmont Ave. have more of this type of shop. The theater is great, but maybe an additional performance venue or something? A non food/drink-based way to have a social night out? An art gallery was mentioned in the email, but location is probably too far from the rest of that scene (Uptown area, Temescal, etc.) to generate much foot traffic on its own. Maybe paired with food/drink, as suggested. Boot and Show always has great artwork up, wish they would expand to include a gallery venue.
  • perhaps another boutique clothing shop, an ice cream shop, and most certainly the proposed artisan wine and spirits shop!!!
  • A good taqueria. A casual men’s clothing store that is not high end and not devoted to hip-hop fashion.
  • Upscale delicatessen or specialty food shops; more restaurants
  • more good restaurants a better bakery for bread a nice cafe or bar that opens late
  • more nail shops! no no, I’m kidding. No more used furniture either! we need: a small fresh vegetable market more homegrown oakland businesses. another fancy restaurant more small and affordable boutique foody places – like a Dona Tomas taqueria. the occasional spot for Off the Grid food trucks, with signage as to who might be coming when – maybe two nights a week at the gas station…
  • Maybe some niche retail, like Sway or Indigo on Lakeshore
  • Yours.
  • 1 A co-op that features take-out food: dinners/lunches from Farmers Market vendors 2. I love the idea of a good wine/spirits store and I would use it 3. A moderate priced shoe store-not high fashion but good fashion at reasonable prices 4. A locally supplied gift/cards/home goods store-like Oaklandish but not so “young”, but still hip
  • Ice cream, a few basic groceries, kid friendly but good restaurants.
  • Retail stores, gluten free bakery. Please no more hair or nail salons. More restaurants that are not pizza, why are we getting another one right across from Boot and Shoe?
  • Women’s clothing.
  • cheese shop, specialty grocery, more clothing boutiques!
  • Butcher, tailor, stationer, game store, taqueria
  • irish music pub live music or performance space
  • I’d love a few more coffee shops, perhaps also some clothing stores, more restaurants.
  • More of the same!
  • A specialty bottled beer shop (like Buckingham’s selection on Lakeshore but BIGGER). A specialty spirits shop (like the one being proposed). A wine bar that is financially accessible (like the other establishment coming to Grand). More restaurants (like The Star opening in place of Milano) and entertainment (like the Pinball Museum on Webster in Alameda). Perhaps a bead store (I make my own jewelry), that has classes. I’d love a Kiehl’s retail store so I don’t have to go to 4th Street in Berkeley for that. Possibly a Flight 001 (LOVE that store). I am sure I could think of more…
  • A good sandwich shop to replace Jenny’s and a place to buy decent cocktail-making supplies. Right now the best option is to go to Ledger’s Liquors in Berkeley or any of a number of shops in SF.
  • I’d like to see more outdoor seating, maybe some more healthy food options, maybe a juice/smoothie place, more live music opportunities might be nice.
  • Butcher, baker, another good grocery store, art galleries
  • A mix of restaurants, bars, food/supplies, and other retail would be best, as the key to a thriving and SAFE street is regular foot traffic at all times of the day and night.
  • Quick food options (burritos, sandwiches), fabric/textile/craft store.
  • More boutique retail and high-end specialty shops in general.
  • I would like to see the spirit shop. I think the owners of the property have tried hard to improve the space (it looks great) and I don’t see them allowing a lousy liquor store to move in if Sante doesn’t make it.
  • A breakfast spot as creative and delicious as Sunnyside Cafe Affordable and stylish men’s wear A great independent record store A Mexican/Latin restaurant similar to Comal or Fonda A family friendly pub similar to Kensington Circus A high quality butcher and/or fish market (I would be happy to see these on lakeshore as well)
  • A full-service butcher shop with meat, poultry and fish. An organic produce market — possibly combined with olive oils and such. A quality shoe store.