Shannon Bloemker is the Piedmont mom to four sons ranging in age from 7 to 18. I recently met with her at the beautiful Blue Bottle Coffee in Temescal (seriously, so pretty in there!) and we laughed over our similar experiences and frustrations with houses and kids. Here, she shares her favorite places to go with her family.
Who calls you mom?
Zach (18), Mitchell (15), Bodhi (10), and River (7).
What do you love about Piedmont?
It is a very tight-knit community of about 2,000 families. Even though we live in the suburbs and get the benefits of neighborhood living, we are only two miles from downtown Oakland with diverse cultural influences in art, music, and theater.
Do you have a favorite kids’ birthday party?
I’m a big fan of home birthday parties. The one that all four of my boys have had is the Lego theme. There are so many things you can do with that including an awesome homemade birthday cake shaped like a Lego (square pan with upside down cupcakes on top!) We even wrote on a short stack of Duplos and delivered them to their friends as invitations. Too fun!
Do you have a favorite Saturday morning family ritual?
Collecting eggs from our backyard hens and having Dad make omelets!
What local discovery do you want to tell every new-in-town parent about?Â
The ferry from Jack London Square to the San Francisco Ferry building. It runs all the time, costs only $8, and is the most amazing way to see the new bridge and a panorama view of the city. Plus the Ferry Building has a great farmers market and yummy food venues. It’s the perfect outing for the whole family.
Do you have a go-to family dinner out?
Xolo Taqueria. Definitely not fancy, but with four boys that’s a plus. It is literally the only place where all six of us are blissfully happy with our food choices!
What’s your favorite Bay Area day trip?
Muir Woods. It’s so magical and right across the bay. Plus they have the most amazing grilled cheese sandwiches – locally baked bread and Point Reyes cheeses.
Mini Bio: Shannon Bloemker is the CEO & Founder of Glasshouse, the premier preventative home maintenance service. Shannon is a former investment strategist and has over 15 years of experience in real estate investment, renovation, and property management experience. She holds a Masters Degree in Sustainability from Harvard and is a certified home inspector.
