Treat Towers in Walnut Creek Sold for Close to $120 Million to MetLife

August 29, 2012 8:30 am

The Treat Towers, located near the Pleasant Hill BART station in Walnut Creek has just been sold to MetLife for close to $120M according to the Business Times.

From the article:

In one of the East Bay’s biggest office sales this year, MetLife picked up up Treat Towers, a 378,000-square-foot, two-building, ten-story Class-A office in Walnut Creek from Equity Office Properties and TIAA-CREF.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the seller or buyer, but market sources said the price was close to $118.5 million, or about $313 per square foot.

They even have a fitness center with full shower facilities inside. Looks like Walnut Creek may have the strongest real estate market in the East Bay.

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Groceries Around the World – India Bazar in Walnut Creek

August 28, 2012 11:30 am

Back in May I made the first “Groceries Around the World” post in Walnut Creek about the Russian grocery Babushka, and today I’m posting about the Indian grocery, “India Bazar“, located at 1250 Newel Ave. in the San Miguel Center.

There are plenty of decorations on the walls throughout the store which is fun to look at, and the aisles contain Indian delicacies and ingredients for sale so if you love Indian food I would check them out.

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Anthropologie Opening Sept. 14th in Downtown Walnut Creek

August 28, 2012 8:30 am

Anthropologie is opening Sept. 14th according to a comment left on my previous post about the progress at the Mt. Diablo Blvd. & Locust St. location. The sign is now finished, and spot lighting has been added so it’ll be visible at night. And the fencing is now gone! You can stroll by to check out the progress inside since they haven’t blocked the windows (for now).

Check out the massive glass walls:

Looks like the side section will have some primo parking spots:

Those door handles at the front entrance are pretty cool:

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Fourth Annual Lobster Party Redux at Walnut Creek Yacht Club

August 27, 2012 4:30 pm

From the Walnut Creek Yacht Club:

If you missed the fun on July 3, here’s your chance to make up for it, and if you made it on the 3rd, and had so much fun that you can’t wait for next year to
do it again,
well sign on up now!

Fourth Annual Lobster Party Redux!

Wednesday August 29
Reservation times are 5:30 or 8:00 on the Aft Deck
family style seating and service

Menu
Trio of Summer Hors d’oeuvres

Smoked Trout, Horseradish & Chive Truffle
~
Mediterranean Tuna Mousse Crostini
roasted red pepper, pinenuts, kalamata olive
~
Watermelon – Crab Salad Canapé
mint, black pepper crème fraîche

Iceberg Wedge & Ft Bragg Bay Shrimp Salad
10,000 island dressing, crispy onion
marinated local heirloom tomatoes

New England Lobster Boil Platter
1 1/4 lb maine lobster, littleneck clams
corn on the cob, and red potatoes
all cooked in our special broth
served with drawn butter and lemons

Lemon Pound Cake
summer berry compote, vanilla ice cream
toasted almonds

$60.00 dollars per person
tax and gratuity are not included

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Walnut Creek Baking Company Closing Aug. 31st

August 27, 2012 11:30 am

When I read that the owner of the Walnut Creek Baking Company Denise Vickers couldn’t come to an agreement with her landlord for a new lease and was going to sell the business to her landlord, my jaw dropped. What on earth is going on here?! So I dropped by over the weekend and saw these posters for a Customer Appreciation Celebration on August 31st from 8-11am. I naively thought that the issue had been resolved amicably and the bakery was saved. Wrong. That is the last day that the bakery will be open. After that it’s closing for good. There are currently no plans to move the bakery elsewhere.

In May I noted that the owner Denise Vickers recently published a cookbook titled, The Walnut Creek Baking Company Cookbook. They have been in business for 10 years now and have been the winner of Diablo’s Best of the East Bay since 2003 according to a sign on their window. I have had my fair share of the bakery’s pastries and cookies and can attest to delicious work they do.

Here’s a final look at the inside of the bakery:

This is terrible news that they are closing. I’m still hoping that this mess can somehow be averted so it can stay in business in downtown Walnut Creek. Who else is a Walnut Creek Baking Company fan?

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Le Virage Burns over Weekend- Cause Unknown, for Now…

August 27, 2012 8:30 am

A couple of weeks ago I noted that the now vacant French restaurant Le Virage was painted over in Walnut Creek, and over the weekend a fire mysteriously ignited inside which was put out by the Contra Costa Fire Department.

The post about the Le Virage murals getting painted over contained this photo:

Notice how the plywood is not covering the entire window. This would allow someone to easily start a fire inside. For example, a curious child, or an arsonist. Has anyone seen the movie Goodfellas?

The question is, why was the plywood not fully covered? An inadvertent mistake, or?

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Arrest for Lewd Conduct at Walnut Creek Christian Academy

August 24, 2012 9:15 pm

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From the Walnut Creek Police Department:

During the early morning hours on 8/23/12, WCPD officers responded to a school on Buena Vista Ave. for a reported trespasser on school grounds. Officers checked the area but were unable to locate anyone. On 8/24/12, school officials reviewed security camera footage from the previous day that showed an unknown adult male confronting a juvenile student on campus. The video shows the male committing a lewd act in the presence of the juvenile before she ran away. School officials immediately notified the police department and assisted with the initial investigation.

During the investigation WCPD officers and Detectives were able to identify a suspect that lived near the school. The suspect was identified as Darryl Allen. Detectives contacted Allen near his residence and placed him under arrest for a variety of offenses (see Crime Description/Code above).

Allen was transported to the Martinez Detention Facility and is being held on $145,000 bail.

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Vulture Appreciation Day at Lindsay Wildlife Museum Sept 1st

August 24, 2012 4:30 pm

From the Lindsay Wildlife Museum:

What: Walnut Creek’s Lindsay Wildlife Museum(LWM) hosts a book signing for museum docent and naturalist Diane Lang’s first children’s book ‘Vulture Verses, Love Poems for the Unloved’ which pays tribute through verse and illustrations to some of the lesser appreciated animals that may stink, slither and sting, but still deserve lots of love.

Ms. Lang will read from her book at 11:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. LWM residents featured in the book – such as a vulture, tarantula, opossum and snake – may make special appearances!

When: Saturday, September 1, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Cost: Free with museum admission; ‘Vulture Verses, Love Poems for the Unloved’ will be on sale for $16.95 each.

Where: Lindsay Wildlife Museum, 1931 First Ave., Walnut Creek.

For more information: Please call 925 935 1978 or visit Lindsay Wildlife Museum.

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Demolition at Shell Gas Station on Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Walnut Creek

August 24, 2012 11:30 am

As I exited off highway 24 to get to Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Walnut Creek recently, I noticed my favorite gas station, now a Shell station, has been closed and the gas pumps are gone. A closer look shows some major demolition taking place. Anyone know what’s going on here? Is it gone for good or was there some kind of structural problem that forced them to do this? They had really good gas prices so I hope they’ll be back.

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Renowned Walnut Creek Fountain Head Missing – Being Restored

August 24, 2012 8:30 am

To those opposed to the new Walnut Creek fountain ‘head’ sculpture on N. Main St., your prayers have been answered. It’s gone. For a couple of weeks that is. It being restored to have a new sealant applied acording to the Walnut Creek director of Arts, recreation and community services, Barry Gordon:

Shortly after the installation of Seyed Alavi’s “Fountain Head”, the gold surface color of the fiberglass sculpture began to fade from contact with the water. When the water flow shut down every night, the color returned. After discussion and research by the artist, fabricator Academy Studios and City staff, it was determined that water was wicking into fibers in the Gelcoat finish causing “blushing,” which clouded the color.

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