Alameda Point – Live, Work and PLAY

I love all the chatter about Alameda Point. Many of us have been talking about what to do with “The Point” for a while now and would love to see something great emerge from the ruins.

Every summer I think, Man, wouldn’t it be nice to hang out at a Bay-side bar at The Point and watch the sun set with a delicious cocktail in hand?  Wouldn't that be nice?

If you've ever been to the Esplanade in Capitola or Moss Beach Distillery near Montara, you know what I’m talking about.

In Capitola, you can watch pelicans cruise the shoreline while you enjoy delicious coffee and treats right above the beach at Mr. Toots. Or enjoy happy hour at one of the lively bar/restaurants that line the street and overlook the beach. 

Just across the Esplanade are shops and more fun (gifts, ice cream, clothes, art and more) and everything is within close walking distance of nearby homes and vacation rentals. The one drawback is the traffic. It’s crazy-busy in the summer and parking can be a contact sport. But once you find a legal place to ditch your car, you can enjoy Capitola Beach on foot.

Alameda Point may not be a beach vacation destination like Capitola, but it could offer many of the same wonderful amenities for us locals and nearby “staycationers.”  It could also be a fantastic option for tourists visiting San Francisco and the greater Bay Area.

Regardless of what’s done at the Point, we’d have to have more transportation options. The Tube isn’t going to be enough. I often wonder why we don’t have a more robust ferry & water taxi network throughout the Bay Area.  We should have more ferries going everywhere all the time.

But I digress…  I had some fun in Visio the other night and made a quick mockup of an imagined Alameda Point. There’s a lot of space out there – plenty of room to put in more housing as well as businesses and basic services. But at the far end, on The Point, we could replicate all the best parts of what works in Capitola and create a beautiful place to live and visit.

To keep The Point traffic-free, no cars allowed. Park at the nearby Parkateria and then hop on the tram that circumnavigates the point and drops you right by your house or a great restaurant. 

Although before you get on the tram, if you want to hit some balls at the driving range or play a few quick holes on a fun, compact course, that’s just a short walk across the way beyond the Bladium, right on the water. You can also bring your kayak (or rent one) and do some paddling before you relax on the patio of your favorite Bay-side watering hole.

Hop onto the tram (or use the bike/walking/running path) and visit bars and restaurants and coffee shops farther out on The Point with gorgeous views of the Bay and San Francisco’s skyline. Book a weekend getaway at the little hotel and play all day, then go wine tasting along “Wine Road” just down the street and enjoy a delicious dinner on the shoreline.

Or, move to a charming bayside home with beautiful views and a big, social square (a piazza, really – with a lovely fountain in the middle) and enjoy life on the Bay.  Shops and services on the Estuary side provide the essentials and the would be a quick tram ride away (I’d want that tram to go all over the point, really).  Need your own transportation on The Point?  Easy – borrow an electric cart for the day and haul whatever you need around the Point or to/from your car at the Parkateria.

Why not think big and create something amazing?  There has to be a smart developer out there that won’t just redevelop, but go beyond the same old high-density urban planning so common elsewhere.

If nothing else, city planners, please put in bay-side bar and restaurants. Alameda is sorely lacking in the shoreline leisure factor and we’re sitting on a gold mine out there.