The Old Neighborhood Revisited
Mara French wasn’t sure about Cathy
Lake’s address on Napa Avenue, so I drove over to the old neighborhood
Saturday afternoon. I parked across the street from 1963 Napa Avenue
where I grew up and walked the street clear to The Alameda-- a whole block--
and wrote down several addresses. Cathy’s was 1955 Napa Avenue; Jim
Walczak’s was 1927 Napa Avenue. I snail-mailed a bunch more to Mara.
I spent a couple of hours in the neighborhood,
something I hadn’t done since my folks sold the house and moved to Rossmoor,
Walnut Creek in 1970. I walked up to “The Corner” of Hopkins and El Dorado
and then up Terrace Walk and to Oxford School via Short Cut Walk . Short
Cut may not have been named that in 1955; it was a walkway that went just
north of the school, from Shattuck to Oxford. I think the last time
I made that walk was 1955.
The houses along the way seemed pretty
routine, mundane, and just plain average in those days and maybe even scruffy
through the doldrums of Berkeley’s 1970’s real estate slump. Saturday,
they seemed well kept and pristine. I had forgotten the views across
the Bay from the school and was never aware of the views from the houses
on Terrace Walk. I was shorter then, probably couldn’t see the views…
may not have looked…! I still don’t know where the Terrace Walk residents
park their cars; it is a Walk! Some of the houses are in the midst
of remodeling. A house facing Mariposa is gutted clear to the lath supporting
the exterior stucco. Thank God for wealthy people!!!
As I sat in my car reflecting, the
lady who now owns 1963 Napa, Sue Willm appeared in weekend-garden-chores
garb. I introduced myself and we started to talk. The treat
of the afternoon— after a few minutes conversation, she asked if I would
like to come in and see the place. You know I accepted and in we
went. She asked about certain details: when were the fireplace and bathroom
remodeled? what about a feature in the kitchen? what did my room look like
before the mid 1950’s kitchen remodel? She asked a question about
some chalk marks on the back of the garage wall which I guessed dated to
when my Dad and his younger brother grew up in that house. In a thank
you note, I asked if I could bring my kids to see where Ol’ Dad grew up.
Talk about nostalgia!
John T. Dodds
January 22, 2002