Albany Bulb

An "anarchical" no man's land, complete with garbage sculptures and a hobo-run "Landfillian Library"

Category Outsider Art

Image of Albany Bulb located in | Dragon

Dragon

Image of Albany Bulb located in | Dragon Image of Albany Bulb located in | Concrete TV Image of Albany Bulb located in Image of Albany Bulb located in | Statue Image of Albany Bulb located in | The Castle Image of Albany Bulb located in | Amelie Image of Albany Bulb located in | Beach where people take their dogs
Outsider Art http://atlasobscura.com/category/museums-and-collections/outsider-art

Certain places exist in a kind of urban vacuum. They decay, change and grow without the approval of authorities, and without blueprints. These places are often the domain of societies marginalized, places where the homeless, bored teenagers, and those who simply wish to play and create without oversight can congregate.

The Albany Bulb (aka The Bulb) is one of these places. If you asked the city officials they would tell you it is a landfill located on a thin strip of wetland, in Albany, California, which extends into the south east San Francisco Bay. If you asked the people who frequent it you would get a different answer altogether.

Created in 1963 as a dump for construction materials, it was closed in 1987 after a series of lawsuits, and left in legal limbo. Now unattended the size and inaccessibility of the park made it difficult for the police to patrol and a perfect location for those looking not to be patroled. Due to this the bulb has a reputation as a anarchic no-mans land, especially at night.

Among those who have claimed the park are the homeless who have set up small shanty towns, teenagers who want a place to party, dog owners who want to let their pets run wild, graffiti artists who want to paint in peace, and environmentalists who want to see the park returned to its natural habitat and resent the dog walkers and graffiti artists for helping to ruin the habitat.

However the bulb is most distinctive for the contributions of its artists, both graffiti and sculptural, to the park. Among the more notable pieces are a series of large driftwood sculptures made by Scott Hewitt, Scott Meadows and David Ryan, a concrete TV, dragon sculpture, and something known as "The Castle" which is a eroding concrete shelter covered in graffiti.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the bulb is the makeshift "Landfillian Library" assembled by Jimbow the Hobow. Comprised of roughly 300 books always changing volumes donated to "head librarian," Jimbow the Hobow, the books are not only free to borrow, but are free to keep.

The future of the Bulb is unsure with possible plans to turn it into an official park, or shopping area, among other development plans. In the meantime the Bulb continues to operate under its own unplanned plans.

See an error? Know more? Edit this place.

Users who like this place: Duck_Muscle

Users who have been to this place: Shalaco leiris Lily Landes Duck_Muscle

  • Hours None
  • Address Buchanan Street, Berkeley, California, United States
  • Cost Free
Map/Directions

Go to Google Maps

The Albany Bulb sits between The Eastshore State Park, and the east San Francisco Bay. Directly south east of The Bulb sits Golden Gate Fields, the only commercial race track in the Bay Area. The city of Albany lies directly to the east. The Bulb, like the Eastshore State Park, is an estuarial habitat. It houses geese, ducks, and various birds, as well as reptile populations, and small mammals such as rats, mice, and rabbits. The Albany Waterfront Coalition, a group focused on the conservation of The Bulb, have stated that The Bulb is a Burrowing Owl habitat, but no official sightings have been made. Vegetation on The Bulb is typical of wetland ecosystems, but includes palm trees and blackberry bushes native to the East Bay Area.

Post a Comment

to comment. Use your Facebook account to login instantly. Anonymous comments will be held in moderation.

Enter the Captcha code below to confirm you're human:
Captcha Image

Comments

  • & Anonymous May 14, 2011
    dogwalkers,please bear in mind that there are domestic cats as well as dogs living at the bulb,my best friend included.And so,just as you would not wish any harm to your companion,and might seek retribution if it were to occur,realize the potential harm and respect the place,its resident lifeforms,and its artworks,as we(with a couple unwanted exceptions) do our best to the same and for you and yours.
  • & Anonymous April 29, 2010
    The racetrack nearby just filed for bankruptcy, but so far there have been no decisions made as to what to do with The Bulb. I live in Albany and the debate is and has been a very contentious one. It's a great place to explore (in the daytime!), but don't park your car there... Cars are continually being broken in to.
  • & Anonymous October 18, 2009
    I thought this was being ripped up! Anyone know if the sculptures are still there?
  • & Anonymous August 24, 2009
    If you need to manufacturer meth or hide a dead body this is the place to go!
  • garfieldgurl& garfieldgurl August 24, 2009
    A great place to hike, walk your dog and just enjoy a nice day looking towards the San Francisco area and Golden Gate Bridge.