Boulevard Bites

by Deborah Francis and Sheila D'Amico

### Ruth Villasenor of Paws and Claws mentioned that business activity at the new Farmer Joe’s and Peet’s in the Dimond is not translating up the street and along MacArthur. She’s in the process of installing a merchant kiosk with a directory and map on Fruitvale just outside Farmer Joe's. Meanwhile, Ruth asks us to take a walk up MacArthur to the shops around the corner. What’s there? Towards downtown: Asian, Mexican, and soul food, pizza, burgers, office supplies, convenience store, pet supplies, and small businesses. Towards the east, you’ll find electronic gadgets, a coffee shop, burgers, a post office, exercise, dry cleaning, and more. Check it out.

### Speaking of coffee, we now have at least five coffee shops in the Laurel and the Dimond: Peet’s and Caffe Diem are in the Dimond, the Laurel has World Ground Cafe, Lucky Donuts, and the Laurel Café. And that's just in those two neighborhoods. Check the nooks and crannies of your neighborhood. We're sure you can find more.

### We’ll be doing a survey of breakfast places in the Metro area soon. Go to the top of the front page of the Metro (masthead) to see what geographical areas we cover. Then send your suggestions for breakfast to metroreaders\@earthlink.net. Put “breakfast” in the subject line. Requirements: in Metro area, open by 8 a.m., serve full breakfast, cook meals on site.

### Cena from Laurel Café tells the Metro that their Internet computers are seeing heavy use by area junior high students. Students can also use computers at the branch libraries. To reserve at Dimond, call 482-7844. At Melrose, call 535-5623. For neighborhood students in the Melrose/High Hopes NCPC neighborhood, the Prayer Tower church also has a bank of computers with internet access they want to make available. Pastor Ron Thompson says they are looking for volunteers to staff the computer room and to help set up Internet access. If you can help, call 582-3626.

### For the first time since the MacArthur Metro started publishing way back in April 1989, you won't be seeing Dr. Dorothy Okamoto's ad. She's leaving her Optometry practice and moving on. She's been an inspirational neighborhood activist. Besides being an advertiser, Dorothy helped the Metro in its formative stages and served for a time on the Board. Our best wishes.