Friday, March 26, 2010

Urban Design Bus Tour

On Friday, March 19, Y-PLAN students and mentors from Richmond High and Kennedy High took a bus tour around the Bay Area.
Our first stop was Rosie the Riveter Park in Richmond. We met Marian, who worked in the shipyards here as a welder during World War II. We saw the Rosie the Riveter Memorial, made from part of a boat turned upside down. We saw the sidewalk that had a timeline honoring the people, especially women, who helped our country win the war. We also enjoyed the calm atmosphere and the view of the Golden Gate Bridge.



























Our second stop was Preservation Park in Oakland. In the middle of these two blocks of restored Victorian houses, there was a beautiful fountain. We learned that many parts of Oakland and West Oakland used to be thriving communities of people of color, who lived in beautiful houses like these, until the government demolished them to create freeways and urban renewal.
















































Our last stop was the Ferry Building in San Francisco. We learned that before the Bay Bridge was built in 1936, everyone coming into San Francisco came through this building. Now it has been restored and there are food stores and restaurants inside.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Neighborhood photos from Julianna´s group

Leaving campus...

The gas station on the corner across from campus
Apartments across from the gas station

Contra Costa College

Graves and mausoleum at St. Joseph´s cemetery

Neighborhood Photos from Fernando´s group

The Contra Costa College library.



Neighborhood Photos from Kevin´s group

On March 3, the Y-PLAN students gave the mentors a tour of the neighborhood around the school. Here are a few highlights:

The famous Starbucks at the center of the universe,






















the crossing sign and expensive apartments across the street from campus




an interview,














getting change at Limón Frozen Yogurt












Helms Middle School

Monday, March 1, 2010