In the early 1990s, El Cerrito's two-mile stretch of the Ohlone Greenway had exactly one tree, and then someone cut it down. The green corridor you walk past today came from volunteers, a city contract arborist and a dedicated city official and staff. The El Cerrito Historical Society has been telling that story this fall.
The Rialto Cinemas Cerrito on San Pablo Avenue has a similar history. It sat dark for decades until neighbors organized, the city bought the building, and the curtain went up again. This month both of these neighbor-built places get their own events. Fairmount Avenue, which starts at the Greenway across from El Cerrito Plaza BART and climbs toward Sunset View Cemetery, now has a new counter near each end.
One tree, then a forest
The Historical Society's free walk, "Greening the Greenway," runs Sunday, Nov. 15, from 10 to 11 a.m. It meets at the Ohlone Greenway at Fairmount Avenue, 6699 Fairmount, across from El Cerrito Plaza BART Station. The route is flat, covers two miles and ends at Del Norte BART, so you can take one stop back or walk home.
Walkers will hear from two people behind the replanting. Steve Price was the organizer and lead volunteer, and Steve Batchelder was the city's consulting arborist at the time. The society's event listing says every block along the Greenway has its own story, "including the mysterious Dinosaur Forest."
"In the early 1990s El Cerrito's two mile stretch of the Ohlone Greenway had exactly one tree–until someone cut it down."
The Dinosaur Forest is a real spot on the route. A sign announcing it stands where the Greenway crosses Schmidt Lane. The city's Ohlone Greenway plan lists the Dinosaur Forest as one of the corridor's existing community and ecological themes, along with frog habitat, a wildflower garden and creek restoration projects.
The low end of Fairmount changed hands in September
Down at the 6400 block, 6401 Fairmount Ave. got a new tenant this fall. Sweet Potatoes Up Beet Cafe, which served smoothies, lattes, scones, sticky buns, donuts and bagels, closed on Sept. 11, 2026. According to Nosh's September closings roundup, a new branch of Cafe Buenos Aires has opened in the space.
Cafe Buenos Aires is an Argentine cafe built around empanadas. It already had a shop in West Berkeley and two in San Francisco before the El Cerrito one, Nosh reported. The menu covers empanadas, including two vegan ones, plus smoothies, coffee drinks, alfajores and other desserts and pastries.
So the coffee and smoothies are still at that address. The bakery case now holds alfajores and empanadas in place of sticky buns and bagels. If you end the Nov. 15 walk at Del Norte and ride back to the Plaza, the empanada counter is on the same street the walk starts from.
The theater the city bought to restore
The second rescue story is on San Pablo Avenue. The Cerrito Theater first opened in the late 1930s. It was designed by William B. David, and its Art Deco lobby has a blue mirror etched with Diana, Deco chandeliers and sconces, porthole doors with etched blue glass, and elaborate stage murals.
The Mercury News reported that Dave Weinstein, a local resident, was the one who first raised the alarm about the threat to the theater. Residents formed Friends of the Cerrito Theatre in 2002, and the crowds at public meetings helped persuade the city to buy the building and restore it with redevelopment funds. The Friends' own history gives the dates. The group formed in February 2002, and the City and its Redevelopment Agency voted that June to buy the theater for restoration.
The theater reopened on Nov. 1, 2006, with a showing of Casablanca. The Friends of the Cerrito Theater credit the reopening to their group, the El Cerrito Historical Society, the City of El Cerrito, Speakeasy Cinemas and others. The 20th anniversary fell on Sunday, and the celebration comes the following week.
Here is what to know about the anniversary night:
- When: Monday, Nov. 9, 6 to 8 p.m., at Rialto Cinemas Cerrito, 10070 San Pablo Ave.
- What's showing: "The Last Picture Shows," a new documentary by Rustin Thompson about people preserving movie theaters across the West, followed by a Q&A with the director.
- Cost: Free. Tickets are available only at the Rialto Cinemas Cerrito box office.
- Hosts: Friends of the Cerrito Theater and the El Cerrito Historical Society. Refreshments will be sold at the concessions counter.
Because tickets are only sold at the box office, you will need to stop by the theater before the night. The Rialto's event page has the trailer and details. Bogdanovich's 1971 film "The Last Picture Show," which the documentary's title plays on, is excerpted throughout. The evening will also cover how the Rialto itself was revived, restored and rebuilt.
Uphill, a quiet opening next to a longtime bakery
The other new counter is at the top of Fairmount. El Cerrito Supply Co. has moved in near Sunset View Cemetery and Mortuary, at 7523A Fairmount Ave. Oaklandside's openings roundup describes it as a home goods shop featuring local artisans, with pantry and dry goods, an event and workshop space, and a coffee bar by Mirage Roasters. The owner also plans to host food pop-ups.
The shop's opening announcement read: "Check us out (quietly) in November, then come to our grand opening in December." On the El Cerrito Supply Co. site, hours are listed as coming soon. The calendar shows Mirage Coffee plus rotating local roasters for all of November and points visitors to the shop's Instagram for pouring times. The grand opening is set for Sunday, Dec. 13, from noon to 1 p.m.
Next door, at 7525 Fairmount, is Fatapple's Restaurant & Bakery. It has been part of the East Bay food scene since the late 1960s, and El Cerrito Patch once described it as sitting on "the quietly busy commercial strip on Fairmount Avenue." Fatapple's takes online orders for its El Cerrito location. That puts a full-menu restaurant and a maker's shop with a coffee bar side by side on the same block.
The Greenway walk on Nov. 15 starts at the other end of the same street.
November and December, in order
Here is everything above in date order, starting from publish day:
- Now: Cafe Buenos Aires is open at 6401 Fairmount Ave. in the former Sweet Potatoes Up Beet Cafe space.
- All of November: El Cerrito Supply Co. lists Mirage Coffee and rotating local roasters on its calendar at 7523A Fairmount. Check its Instagram for pouring times.
- Monday, Nov. 9, 6 p.m.: The Rialto Cinemas Cerrito 20th anniversary screening of "The Last Picture Shows," free, with tickets at the box office only.
- Sunday, Nov. 15, 10 a.m.: The free "Greening the Greenway" walk, from Fairmount Avenue across from El Cerrito Plaza BART to Del Norte BART.
- Sunday, Dec. 13, noon: El Cerrito Supply Co.'s grand opening.
If you followed our summer look at El Cerrito's BART-area food map, this list picks up where that one left off. For more on the city, see our El Cerrito neighborhood guide.
At BloomHomes Team, we follow changes like these block by block, because a new counter on your street affects your weekend and how buyers see the area. If you own near Fairmount and want to know what your home is worth this season, get your instant home valuation.
