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In what we now call West Oakland is a beautiful dilapidated train station called the 16th St. Train Station. A company called Rails has bought it. Part of a new HBO movie about Hemingway was filmed there and in San Francisco, with Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen in the spring. It was kept very hush-hush.

My friend and her husband helped with a neighborhood event there on Thursday night to bring attention to it and to bring the neighbors out. It's a cool venue and they want to have more events like these, a weekend farmers market and community garden. This is a very sketchy part of Oakland but due to new 'green' condos and housing and people who have lived there for generations, it's slowly turning into something good without displacing the long-time residents. The first real grocery store in on its way.

The train station is beautiful and will surely be completely restored one day, But for now I love the crumbling paint exposing the brick walls and the faded yet intricate detail of the reliefs and the warm golden light that seems captive there.

What a sight this must have been.

Beautifully carved benches, like church pews

The setting sun floods through this gorgeous window

Elevator up, this was as close as I could get, dreamy scrollwork on those gates

See that glowing window

Bike valet, I was impressed at how many people rode their bikes.

Old-School R&B band consisting of neighborhood guys, they RAWKED the place and I saw some very cool electric slide happening with women of all ages. Hep Cats.