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Courtesy photos

The Tribune and Oakland Bank Building towers serve as a backdrop to Anthony Holdworth's painting "Oakland Global Warming #2," while Mount Diablo plays the same role in Wendy Rabin's more tranquil "Oak Tree with Mount Diablo," below.

The island of Alameda: is it a microcosm of America? We could make that argument; many do. And what a lucky bunch we are, indeed — a motley crew of all the classes commonly identified as the haves, the have-nots, the middle class, professionals, civil servants, blue-collar workers and students.

Ethnic and religious diversity exist here, too, with Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, New Age followers and the secular. A bit of utopia on the Bay, from my perspective a tapestry of subcultures sharing space on the same cloth with complementary themes, some subtle and some obvious. Growing up in the 1950s, we saw the West End as "uptown" with different neighborhoods.

The Naval Air Station, Bethlehem Steel, Todd's Shipyards and the projects (subsidized housing for the poor and disabled) dominated the West End. As did the remnants of the Neptune Beach: indoor pools, the beach access of lower Washington Park and the "Rock Wall," a popular place for West End residents to fish. Ballena Bay was then open land with a beach very popular with young people, especially the Encinal High School students. The Naval Supply Center's shipyards and two drive-in movie theaters surrounded the Posey Tube, which ran one lane in each direction.

Webster Street served as the West End's main drag. The Skippy Peanut Butter plant occupied the site of present-day Walgreen's at Atlantic Avenue. The neighborhood boasted two indoor movies theaters and a great music store where you could sample 45- and 78-rpm records in a booth before buying them.

Several dress shops, a large men's store, a hobby shop and the extremely popular Tillie's Diner lined Webster Street.

Tillie's stayed open 24 hours a day to serve the military personnel, civil service workers, shoppers, merchants and the many high school students who stopped by after school for their cherry Cokes and French fries. Sailors and Marines leaving the many Webster Street taverns at 2 a.m. would stop by Tillie's.

Nighttime was the right time for Webster Street. The many bars, clubs, taverns and dance venues were jumping, especially on weekends. The familiar sight of the Navy Shore Patrol's white vans parked in strategic places to respond to the inevitable incidents of soldier and sailor rowdiness of all kinds reassured the locals.

I'm sure that Alameda Police Department appreciated the Shore Patrol's presence to rein in the disorderly conduct of young men on leave or liberty from the ships stationed at the base, as well as the young soldiers from the Oakland Army Terminal. You could almost predict this "orderly" disorder, planned for and excusable at that time.

Most of the serious infractions stemmed from the local boys out to join in the fun, or to take advantage of the vulnerability of the guys on liberty with money in their pockets. Larceny occasionally blossomed in that special setting.

Helen's Kitchen, a soda shop much like the one on the "Happy Days" television show stood at Ninth Street near Santa Clara Avenue. Helen Wade tended the grill. The young teens came in after school for sodas and burgers while the jukebox played Fats Domino, Little Richard or Chuck Berry and the like. Dancing broke out and memories were forged. Helen's made for a great after-school program. More West-End memories to come.

Linda Treml, an Alameda writer and proud citizen of this whale of an island.