Fun with Highways: The Alemany Maze

We return to a favorite topic here at CatSynth with a highway interchange that we know quite well.

The Alemany Maze is the large interchange in southern San Francisco between US 101 and Interstate 280. It derives it’s name from Alemany Boulevard, which runs parallel to 280.

In the upper-left corner of the interchange is a large lot that is home to the Alemany Farmers Market, which has been operating at this location since 1947. I wish it wasn’t only on Saturdays (indeed, it would be great if it operated on a weekday evening to pick up fresh ingredients for dinner on the way home from work). Beyond the lot is 5lowershop (pronounced “flower shop”), where I performed two years ago at the headphone festival. I will be performing there again in October.

The section of the I-280 north of the interchange is the last double-decker freeway in the Bay Area.


[photo by /\/\ichael Patric|{] on flickr]

In the years since the infamous collapse of the I-880 Cypress Freeway in the 1989 earthquake, the other double-decker freeways have been torn down, leaving only this far less controversial section of I-280. You can read more in this article.

Whenever I drive to work (sometimes I take BART), I pass through this interchange on I-280. Besides it’s largeness and the annoyance of having to change lanes just to up against the freeways and the ramps.

Indeed, the houses along Boutwell St lie in between 101 and the ramp to 280, which seems like a somewhat surreal place to live. Similarly, I see these and other houses on the top of the hill on Charter Oak Avenue (north of 280) when driving south:

The houses on Charter Oak are actually on a steep hillside, so are somewhat sheltered from the freeway, though they also have a rather direct view of the double-decker section.

All these houses are part of the Bayview District of San Francisco (also known as the Bayview-Hunters Point District), which extends east from 101 to the bay. I can only imagine that these house all pre-dated the construction of I-280, which was built in the late 1960s. More information on the history of I-280 can be found at California Highways.


Weekend Cat Blogging #170

We’re in the middle of (yet another) busy weekend here at CatSynth. In addition to the show this evening, there have been other music events and art openings to attend. We’ll have reviews on Monday.

Meanwhile, we’re still out and about enjoying the warm weather here in San Francisco, where summer officially began on Labor Day weekend.

With so much going on, it can be hard to find time to rest. But it’s important to curl up and take a nap now and then:

This might be one of my favorite pictures to date of Luna napping.

Weekend Cat Blogging #170 is being hosted by Othello and Astrid at Paulchens FoodBlog – looks like the cat boys are taking turns at hosting now.

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos is being hosted by our friends at The House of the (Mostly) Black Cats.

The Carnival of the Cats will be hosted by a new site, Counting Cats in Zanzibar.

Meanwhile, the the Friday Ark is where it always is, at the modulator.


UPDATED: Upcoming Show, September 6, El Mundo Bueno Studios, Oakland

NOTE: Updated Location!

My next show is another performance with Polly Moller and Company, this time as a trio.

Saturday, September 6, 6:45PM

El Mundo Bueno Studios
5427 Telegraph Ave Suite M
Oakland, CA

This is part of a benefit concert for the Stone City Sanctuary.

We will be reprising many of the songs we have done as a group over the past year, but it is likely going to be for a different audience and with different performers sharing the bill (less “new music”, more “new age”). I like to bring our music to different audiences, so I am looking forward to it.


Weekend Cat Blogging: Outside!

We have been having a gorgeous week here in San Francisco. September is our real “summer” season, the warmest, clearest and driest month of the year.

Luna is an indoor cat, but today she was given a special opportunity to venture outside. It all begins with an open door:

All these new sounds and smells from the open portal pique her curiosity. Of course, they’re not entirely new, as she has experienced them through open windows. But this is different, and even a bit scary.

But curiosity wins out, and Luna steps over the threshold into this strange world.

Tentatively at first, she begins to stroll out onto the patio, taking in all the new sights, sounds, smells and textures.

Just as with our indoor habit, Luna’s natural beauty shines outdoors as well, against the plants and artwork.

The way she strolls about seems even more “panther-like” than usual.

Of course, this excursion only lasted a few minutes, as Luna made a hasty retreat indoors for a “shelter within a shelter.”

We are fortunate to have a large private patio with high walls here at CatSynth HQ, an usual feature in this section of the city. Part of the motivation for this outing is simply to share the experience of a sunny day on the patio with Luna, but also to give her a chance to become familiar with it, less frightened and more confident, in case she does get out accidentally; and to let her see how easy it is to find the door and come back inside. The walls are probably too high for her to scale, but one should never underestimate the athletic abilities of cats. I would not allow her out on her own. And I am sure some will question with wisdom of letting her out at all.

Nonetheless, it is a reminder that in life we do sometimes need to venture out and take risks. Not stupid, reckless ones, but at least some. Certainly, our move her was one such move, but it was worth it. And perhaps it is time to start taking more…

We at CatSynth are also thinking about our human and animal friends along the Gulf Coast, Cuba, and the Caribbean, whose weather will be anything but clear and sunny in the next few days and who may be facing evacuation exactly three years after Hurricane Katrina. Stay safe and dry, friends.

Puddy is definitely more confident outdoors than Luna, but this weekend they had even more in common than usual strolling on their respective patios. Puddy and Katie host Weekend Cat Blogging at A Byootaful Life.

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos is being hosted by Pet and the Bengal Brats.

The Carnival of Cats will be hosted by Mom Robyn at a crystal and jewelry adventure.

And of course the Friday Ark is at the modulator.


CatSynth pic: Tweak and ARP 2600

From matrixsynth.

According to the image names in this anonymous post, the cat’s name is “Tweak” (great name for a “synth cat”).

The ARP 2006 has an interesting story as well:

Another story to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside.
“around may of this year in seattle, there was a electronics recycling thing going on which i helped with… it was insane piles of electronic waste, all of which would be disassembled and sold as scrap. during this event i asked the guy in charge if i could have a old ‘music keyboard’ i found (arp 2600 + 3620keys)! (no one knew what it was but me!!!!) once home i and it was taken apart for cleaning i found it had the old ‘moog filter’ and was missing 1 speaker,only thing wrong with it! plus someone had modified it (8 extra holes plus toggle switch) sorta like 70s circuit bending i suppose.” via anonymous. Not sure about the cat connection, but there it is.

If you want to connect with more cats, check out Cats on Tuesday.