According to Jim Wyman from the Ming Quong store a few blocks away, the lease for Papyrus in downtown Walnut Creek at 1376 North Main Street may not be renewed in 2014 in order to combine the open storefront next to it for a new restaurant. Apparently the available storefront is only available for a one year lease while the landlord searches for an interested restaurant to take over bother storefronts in 2014.
With a few hours to spare I decided to check out the new 21 Jump Street movie at the Century movie theater in downtown Walnut Creek. The times popped up on Google immediately so I headed out for a 2:25 showing.
I get there and they ring me up for a $14 ticket. For a moment I thought I was hallucinating that I was in Manhattan, because a movie ticket in Walnut Creek can’t be more than $8. And then I remembered about the special XD movie theater with special seats, audio and a larger screen. Not wanting to lose out on seeing the movie I shelled out the $14 and decided to see what’s so special about the XD theater. Would it be worth the extra 75%? Put simply, no way. The theater was rather empty considering it was opening weekend, so I think most people would agree.
Lesson learned: when you check for movie times at the Century theater in downtown Walnut Creek, make sure you steer clear of the XD showings.
Can you guess where this was taken?
I hope everyone has a fun and safe St. Patrick’s Day! Here is a St. Patrick’s event at Walnut Creek Yacht Club in downtown Walnut Creek:
See the complete menu after the jump
Be on the lookout for a toy that looks like a bus as pictured above. In 2007, they were handed out in Antioch, Bay Point, Concord, Pittsburg, Richmond, San Pablo, Martinez and Brentwood, but may have ended up in Walnut Creek and Lafayette. From an email:
Dear Beyond the Creek,
I would like to alert you to a lead contamination health crisis here in CCC involving toys containing up to 2100 ppm (which is 21 times the current federal limit).
This situation was not reported to the general public here in Contra Costa County, CA, and as the danger remains, I feel the public has a right to be more fully informed about the matter. Moreover, it seems that the agency violated the federal Consumer Product Safety Act, which requires that any distributor of hazardous toys involving a recall is required to immediately report it to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. They admittedly did not do that, nor did they report it to the State of California public health officials, and it’s not confirmed that they actually informed our county’s lead poisoning office, which may be required by law as well.
Read the rest after the jump
This is the sign on the door of Yogurt Park in Broadway Plaza. Does anyone know why they don’t accept credit cards? Is it because of the extra fees they get charged or actually setting up the system to accept them in the first place? I ask because it seems like it would be more convenient for customers to be allowed to use credit cards, and considering other yogurt places nearby accept them, like Yogurtland and Coco Swirl, it would be in their interest to accept them as well.
Maybe Yogurt Park and similar stores are so well known and in such great locations that they can continue to function like it’s the 70s and 80s and accept checks. Has anyone ever seen someone write a check to buy yogurt?
Ming Quong, the quaint downtown Walnut Creek jewelry and gift shop run by Jim and Nona Wyman since 1969 may not be able to renew their lease in September if plans go through with The Pizza Place a couple of doors down getting sold and turned into an organic restaurant and store which would expand through to the Ming Quong store. Ming Quong is named after an orphanage in the East Bay where Nona grew up, and they have a lot of support from the community. Check out a couple of the many notes people have written for support:
This is one of my favorite stores in Walnut Creek. My parents have been comming here before they were married.
-from a childI have been coming to Ming Quong for almost twenty years, and it’s the most unique store in Walnut Creek. If it closes, it would be a great loss to the community.
If their lease is not renewed they would still like to remain in downtown Walnut Creek if they can find the right location. This was my first time visiting the store and it reminded me of something straight out of Berkeley. A nice change from the typical Walnut Creek shops. They are located at 1517 1/2 N. Main St. across from Prima Ristorante, so if you’re in the area stop by to show your support and check out the things they have to offer, it’s quite interesting.
Lamorinda CrossFit, located at 1031 Blackwood Ln. in Lafayette, recently moved to a bigger location right next door to their old location, and they are having a grand re-opening celebration on April 22nd at 4pm. From an email:
Join your Cave Family for a celebration in FINALLY making our move to the New Cave! We are thrilled with our new space and are grateful that you are part of our growing community!
Potluck style bash. Bring food, snack, dessert or drink to share. Friends and family are welcome!
Disclosure: I am a member of this CrossFit gym and really like the bigger location. Stop by and say hi if you’re nearby!
The musical Sunset Blvd. will be playing at the Lesher Center in downtown Walnut Creek beginning March 16th through April 15th. Tickets can be purchased here. It is being put on by the Contra Costa Musical Theatre. From their website:
A magnificent tale of faded glory and unfulfilled ambition. Silent movie star Norma Desmond longs for a return to the big screen, having been discarded by tinsel town with the advent of “talkies”. When she meets struggling Hollywood screen-writer Joe Gillis in dramatic circumstnces, their volatile relationship leads to an unforeseen and tragic conclusion. Extravagant, spectacular, witty and genuinely poetic – this is Lloyd Webber at his most lushly melodic! Winner of 7 Tony Awards including Best Musical.
Meet the Cast
Norma Desmond: Annmarie Martin*
Joe Gillis: Robert Lopez
Max Von Mayerling: Gene Bencomo
Betty Schaefer: Nicole Helfer
Cecil B. DeMille: Tom Flynn
Artie Green: Joshua Milbourne
Sheldrake: Mark Eichorn
Manfred: John RinaldiMen’s Ensemble:
Jim Coniglio
Mark Eichorn
Joshua Milbourne
John Rinaldi
Erik Scanlon
Austin Scott
Jay Serpas
Greg ZemaWomen’s Ensemble:
Joan Evans
Melissa Heinrich
Dawn Krapfel
Linda Sciacqua
Jennifer Stark
Ann Taylor
Jennifer West
Diella Wottrich
Spotted at the parking garage next to Lesher Center in downtown Walnut Creek:
Josh Keyes, Treadmill, 2006
A gift to the City of Walnut Creek
in memory of Susan Booth
longtime friend of Bedford Gallery
Way back in October of last year, I posted about Hanna’s Bags moving to a different location, and now it’s all coming together with the uproar over Ming Quong potentially moving as well. If you look closely in the above photo you’ll notice an empty storefront, formerly Hanna’s Bags, between Dudum-owned The Pizza Place and Ming Quong (out of frame at left).
It turns out that the building is owned by Jack Dudum, the father, and according to the owner of Ming Quong, Jim Wyman, there may have been plans to sell The Pizza Place to an organic restaurant and store that would expand into Hanna’s Bags and Ming Quong. Eventually, people even stopped by to take measurements, confirming their suspicions. However, these people thought they were leaving in April even though their lease is not up until September, and so they don’t know whether the deal is going to go through or not.
Stay tuned… I wonder what the Dudums will say about this.