Quick note, a Coming Soon directory of stores and restaurants opening soon in Walnut Creek and nearby areas is now available on the right side of this blog. If anyone knows of anything new opening up please leave a comment or shoot me an email to tips@beyondthecreek.com thanks.
Nestled between Extreme Pizza and the Cheese Steak Shop, towards the back, at 1628 Cypress St. in downtown Walnut Creek will soon be a new CrossFit gym, Walnut Creek CrossFit. It should be open sometime in February. There is already one other Walnut Creek CrossFit gym, CrossFit Sweat Shop, and one on the Pleasant HIll/Walnut Creek border, Diablo CrossFit, but this one is in a prime downtown location.
From their website:
In a sentence, our mission is to provide coaches with the skills, experience, expertise, equipment, knowledge and dedication to our clients so that they may achieve their physical fitness goals no matter how big or small.
But to elaborate, here at CrossFit Walnut Creek, our passion is fitness. We don’t find this to be a chore or a mandatory regimen that takes time out of our day – this is our playground and we have more than 3,500 square feet in which to play! We love to be here. We love to swing, climb, jump, row and lift heavy things for their own sake…because it makes us feel good. We also enjoy the benefit of added strength, speed, agility, coordination, flexibility, endurance, power, stamina, accuracy and balance. We have no greater desire than to ignite that fire under the feet of every person that walks in the door with the idea that they might want to energize themselves and take their youth back. This is a place where energy runs high, support runs deep and fun is our main objective. We want you to come back because youwant to not because you are a slave to some resolution or feel that you have to. For our trainers and members, this is a way of life, not just a goal or a 6 week plan. Care to join us?
Disclosure: I am a happy CrossFit member at a nearby gym.
The Ballet School, located at 1357 N. Main Street in downtown Walnut Creek, has been in business for over 30 years, “one of the longest running businesses in existence on North Main Street”. From their website:
Our approach to the teaching of dance recognizes both the demands of the art at the professional level and the pure enjoyment dance offers to those students who may not aspire to a dance career. In a school dedicated to the highest standards of dance training, the atmospheres of our classes are friendly, and our faculty is supportive to the varied goals of our students.
Whatever those goals are; career, personal growth, or perhaps just fun and exercise, The Ballet School offers training and guidance to help every student develop his or her potential, one-step at a time.
Our students have opportunities to display their training and talent in performances. All students in the academic level may participate in our annual School Demonstration. More advanced students are given the opportunity to dance with the school’s affiliated company, The Ballet Joyeux, both in yearly concerts as well as in a full length ballet.
The Ballet School also offers private coaching, as well as special classes for adults and children in the Theatre Arts.
I imagine this is geared for kids, if anyone has been there please let us know how it was.
Restoration Hardware restroom
Pottery Barn restroom
Quick, you’re shopping at Williams-Sonoma in downtown Walnut Creek and suddenly realize you need to use the restroom. What are you going to do? There is no bathroom at Williams-Sonoma! Do you go left and try Restoration Hardware, or do you go right and go to Pottery Barn? Well, now you no longer need to wonder because you can judge for yourself. Both are on the second floor, and although I prefer the wainscoting of Restoration Hardware they are both reasonable options.
Spotted right next to Urban Outfitters and Barnes and Noble. Does anybody know the history behind it?
Last week I wrote about a LOST DOG sign on the window at LIFT Lounge and Grill. A reader wrote in:
Re your recent posting about the lost dog, the gray/blue Sharpei. We live on Mayo Lane and have seen this dog many times, it often used to come down our lane to leave his mark. We knew he was not a stray because he had a collar on we tried to catch him but we could never get anywhere close to him as he would always run off.As a dog owner I am very sorry that he finally went missing but the owner should have kept him more secure, as I said he used to roam around the neighborhood often and I guess that somebody must have finally taken him.
I often hear about the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce, so imagine my surprise looking down a side walkway when I saw a sign for the Contra Costa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Turns out they are headquartered right in downtown Walnut Creek at 1515 Locust St., across the street from Inge’s Footwear and they have been there for over two years now. From their website:
MISSION
The mission of the Hispanic Chamber is to develop, enhance and promote valuable business opportunities for our members while providing a special emphasis on education, cultural awareness and available resources within the Hispanic Community and Contra Costa County overall.
The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Contra Costa County is working to promote the economic prosperity of its members within the Hispanic community and the Contra Costa community.
While there they mentioned that it’s used both by Hispanic businesses as well as local companies that wish to do business with the Hispanic community.
Early this morning the Walnut Creek Police arrested several people attempting to break up a fight in front of Shiro Restaurant & Lounge located at 1523 Giammona Drive in downtown Walnut Creek. In the process suspect Davon Kelly punched a Walnut Creek police officer on the face. In response a Taser was used to subdue him. The official advisory follows below:
On 1/8/12 at approximately 1:10 a.m., officers patrolling the downtown area came upon a large fight in front of Shiro Lounge at 1523 Giammona Drive. As they arrived, officers saw approximately fifteen people fighting in the street with a large crowd watching. Officers observed one subject assaulting another person who was on the ground. When they attempted to break up the fight the suspect, later identified as Davon Kelly, punched an officer in the face. Officers attempted to take Kelly into custody and had to use a Taser to subdue him. Several other bystanders pushed officers away from Kelly in an attempt to prevent him from being arrested. Two of those subjects, Donte Lewis and Davonte Lewis, were arrested for obstructing an officer. Other small fights started breaking out and many in the crowd refused repeated orders from officers to disperse and leave the area. Another subject, Desirae Chapple, was arrested for resisting/obstructing officers and assault on a police officer after she refused repeated commands to leave the area and attempted to punch an officer.
The remaining suspects were arrested for fighting in public or resisting/obstructing officers.
The original fight was reported to have started after a man was robbed of a gold chain inside of Shiro Lounge. The victim of the strongarm robbery was uncooperative with police and refused to provide information about the suspects.
Kelly was transported to county hospital for a medical evaluation which is standard procedure when a Taser is used. Chapple was also taken to the hospital for pepper spray exposure. After both subjects were medically cleared they were booked into Martinez County Jail. Thompson, Lewis, Lewis and Edwards were taken directly to Martinez County Jail.
Shiro Lounge was reportedly hosting a private party prior to the fight. All available Walnut Creek Police units responded to restore order during this incident. Several Highway Patrol units and Contra Costa County Sheriff Deputies also arrived to assist Walnut Creek units.
Looks like in addition to Redux, LIFT and VICE, Shiro can be added to the list of Walnut Creek fighting venues at night.
Photo by Flickr user adrian_parnham
After reading about the Walnut Creek Equestrian Center in this interesting Contra Costa Times article, I noticed that they are hosting a free horse faire on Saturday, April 7th. From their website:
Hitch up your wagons n’ saddle up your horses EVERYONE is invited to our 2012 Horse Faire on Saturday April 7th. Horse Faire is a FREE family-friendly event with exciting horse riding demos to watch; fun activities for the kids; great and reasonably-priced food and lots of wonderful things to buy, make or learn about in our vendor alley which will be full of vendor, crafts and informational booths. Horse Faire is held at our riding arenas in the back of Heather Farm Park at 390 N San Carlos Rd, Walnut Creek, CA from ~10am to 4pm on the Saturday before Easter Sunday. We look forward to seeing you there!
Who knew Walnut Creek had so many horses? And membership is only $10/year for adults and $5 for children. Sounds like a great deal.
Sign spotted at the LIFT Lounge and Grill at 1321 Locust St. in Walnut Creek.