November 2020

As the year rolls past Halloween and into the holiday season, Lakeshore businesses continue to be innovative and adapt what they are offering to meet our current community and public health rules. Though the Lakeshore Halloween Costume parade was sadly cancelled due to the pandemic, the Lakeshore Halloween spirit was not. Businesses are making plans to be safe but open more according to the new activities permitted in the orange tier by the Alameda County Public Health Department. Though we will not be having a holiday stroll or outdoor celebration this year, Lakeshore is OPEN and a great place to not only grab some delectable food but also think about Thanksgiving and holiday shopping for your friends, family and yourself!

A Different Kind of Halloween

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This year was a different kind of Halloween. Lakeshore businesses brought in the Halloween spirit in new, innovative and safe ways. For the family, Adventure Toys sold Sugar Skull Origami as a creative way to make Day of the Dead decor. Silver Moon Kids carried new and used costumes for children to enjoy and dress up as any person or creature they could imagine. Arizmendi’s cookies are a delight for all ages, but their Day of the Dead cookies are both fun and irresistible!

Halloween is not just for kids! For the over 21 crowd, there were safe, celebratory events on Lakeshore and for home. On Lakeshore, candy corn martinis were available at Heart and Dagger Saloon (how’s that for a fun trick or treat?) Costumes were in the mix at The Cat House where the best Halloween costume received two free cocktails from their resident Halloween witch. For those who stayed home, Hipline presented the “Nightmare on Zoom Street” with the Friends and Family Bar. For this event, audience participants could pick up drinks and/or a meal kit from Friends and Family Bar and watch the Hipline Halloween show at home. Alternatively, people could just stay home and see a frightfully good Hipline Halloween show in their own abode.

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Welcome Back Top Dog!

Welcome back Top Dog! Committed to selling sausages for an affordable price and “hot dog enjoyment”, Top Dog’s unique hotdogs and veggie dog are popular on Lakeshore Ave. Unfortunately, Top Dog had to temporarily close for about six months while we all adapted to a new COVID world, but is back with a robust menu of quick, convenient takeout food that can be ordered in-person or online. Stop by to enjoy a tasty hotdog and check out some of their fun merchandise too in the restaurant or online.

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Coming Into the Holiday Spirit

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Just like Halloween, this year is likely going to have a different kind of holiday vibe; however, there are still plenty of goodies and presents to think about getting for your friends, family, or yourself while supporting local businesses.

For early inspiration, Bay-Made carries exclusively local products and artwork, and a fabulous selection of quality art and writing supplies. Since fall is often about feeling cozy, their locally made bath and body products, herbal gift items, and delectable caramel, chocolate, teas, and coffee are practical and delightful. They carry fantastic art and jewelry too.

Urban Indigo is a marvelous gift store with elegant jewelry, scarves, socks, aesthetic household items, and an enormous array of tasteful cards (they have one for everyone!). Maribel is a women’s designer casual clothing and accessories consignment boutique that has amazing finds at amazing prices. Across the street, Lakeshore Beauty has a wonderful array of skincare, makeup, and hair accessories. Silver Moon Kids, Adventure Toys, The Gap, and Unleashed have a variety of creative items for the family.

Though Thanksgiving is likely to be smaller this year, many restaurants will have their to-go Thanksgiving Menus ready soon for us to enjoy with our housemates or ourselves. While November is just starting, our favorite restaurants may be in high demand once their menu is out! It is wise to ask if your favorite restaurant will have a Thanksgiving Menu this year. Most businesses have curbside pickup; here is a list of businesses that are open, have curbside pickup and gift cards for restaurants and for holiday gifts.

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What The Orange Tier Means for Lakeshore

Due to the stable COVID-19 case rates, Alameda County expanded the activities they are allowing while the County is in the orange tier. As you may be seeing on Lakeshore, some of these new allowances let businesses to open more. Restaurants can now have indoor dining up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people, whichever is less and indoor retail can now have indoor retail up to 50% of capacity. To keep this progress and further progress through the tiers, we all must continue to take actions to limit the spread of COVID-19 by wearing face coverings when you leave home, limit mixing with people outside of your household and stay six feet away from each other when you do, wash hands frequently, and stay home when sick. Please see a summary of the activities that are now allowed below and the Alameda County Public Health Department press release here.

– Indoor family entertainment centers may open activities that are naturally socially distanced, like bowling alleys and climbing walls, up to 25% capacity
– Indoor dining up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people, whichever is less
– Indoor worship services up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people, whichever is less
– Indoor movie theaters up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people per screen, whichever is less
– Expansion of indoor retail and malls up to 50% of capacity and permitting limited food courts
– Expansion of indoor gyms and fitness centers up to 25% of capacity, but indoor pools are not
permitted to open
– Expansion of outdoor non-contact fitness classes up to 20 people including the instructor
– Expansion of wedding and funeral services up to 25% of venue capacity or 100 people, whichever is less
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