Oakland-Long's Garden Center closing 2010

Safeway, which owns the strip mall in Oakland CA (51st & Broadway, the Rockridge district) is demolishing the bldg where Long's Drug and its huge, wonderful garden center, is located. CVS has purchased Long's and does not want such a large store, nor are they interested in its garden division. Safeway will build a new store on the Long's site, and then close the old Safeway.

There is no exact date yet, but assuming the permit process goes through, the demolition/construction starts sometime in late 2010.

It's sad to see them go, the garden center at Long's was one of the best and the only good one in Oakland. Now it's a trek to San Leandro (Evergreen Nursery) or Berkeley (Berk Hort or East Bay Nursery).

That's really a shame that they're going to close--Long's was really great! I'm not surprised though, there was talk a couple years ago about Safeway buying them out or something so they could have that space, and then when CVS bought Long's I figured they'd eventually decide they didn't want a store that was so different from all the others. Definitely a shame though!

Have you been to Grand Lake Ace garden center not too far down the road from Long's? I've always liked them too, they're smaller than Long's but the prices are good and they have a really nice selection of plants.