Westside Billiards
San Jose, CA
Photo courtesy Heather David

Check out the glowing marquee at Westside Billiards in San Jose. With billiards and a coffee shop sharing the sign, motorists could find a place to shoot some pool or take a break along West San Carlos Street. The big eight ball and star overhead make the business pretty hard to mistake. 07-08

There’s a family pool-hall story behind the place, too. George Tsbaoukos’s father opened Cue & Cushions in downtown San Jose in 1943. George and his wife Yvette date their Westside business to 1981, continuing that family connection to the game.

UPDATE: Westside remains family operated, and its sign received restoration work in 2024. By July, the flashing starburst’s incandescent bulbs were working again following a preservation fundraiser. Good to see a little movement back above the pool hall, even before anyone breaks the rack inside. 10-26

Dr. Wilkinson's Hot Springs
Calistoga, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Catch the evening glow at Dr. Wilkinson’s Hot Springs in Calistoga. The tall neon sign advertises mud baths, pools, and a resort, giving travelers a pretty good idea of what’s waiting beyond the entrance. A roadside invitation to slow down and get a little muddy. 09-08

John “Doc” Wilkinson and his wife Edy established the business in 1952. The mud baths became its signature attraction, helping make the resort a familiar stop along Calistoga’s main street for generations.

UPDATE: The property reopened in May 2021 after an extensive renovation, operating as Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs. Updated rooms, spa facilities, and a restaurant joined the longtime mud-bath business, while the familiar neon sign remained part of the welcome. 10-26

Cole's Markets
Pleasonton, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

Check out the script lettering on the Cole’s Markets sign in Pleasanton. The flowing name contrasts with the block lettering below, and even the apostrophe gets a starburst treatment. This marquee was putting on a full neon show when the photograph was taken. 10-09

There’s a reason the word “Markets” sits inside a football shape. The grocery was once owned by San Francisco 49ers star Hugh McElhenny, giving the sign a connection to the playing field. Quite a bit of personality packed into an advertisement for a neighborhood shopping stop.

UPDATE: Cole’s Market is still around. 10-26

Moraga Center
Moraga, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

Look up at the towering marquee for Moraga Center, standing above the shopping center in the town of the same name. The tall framework has the look of an earlier roadside era, even if the lettering has received some attention along the way. A pretty substantial announcement for a shopping stop. 10-09

The center grew out of plans to develop this part of Moraga during the 1960s. Local developer Russell Bruzzone envisioned a shopping destination for motorists traveling between Oakland and Walnut Creek. The proposed highway connections didn’t all come to pass, but the shopping center became part of the town’s everyday scenery.

UPDATE: Moraga Center remains an active shopping destination, including its longtime Safeway location. The towering sign is documented in recent roadside sign surveys, although its original fabrication date remains uncertain. 10-26

Pleasant Plaza
Pleasanton, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

Pleasanton has another nighttime eye-catcher at Pleasant Plaza. The roadside sign brings some flowing lettering and a starburst into the shopping-center scenery, giving motorists something more interesting to spot than a plain list of tenants. Quite a pleasant little neon stop. 10-09

Despite its older appearance, this particular marquee went up in the 2000s. Charlie Stroud designed it for Arrow Sign Company to complement the shopping center’s retro makeover. Here’s a newer sign that took a few pointers from the roadside advertisements of an earlier generation.

UPDATE: Pleasant Plaza continues serving neighborhood shoppers. Its familiar sign belongs to the 2000s renovation, rather than the center’s original construction era. Good to see neon being added to the roadside scenery during a shopping-center facelift. 10-26

Al's Market
Castro Valley, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

Check out the green neon lettering at Al’s Food Market in Castro Valley. The glowing “Al’s” gives this neighborhood grocery a little extra presence after dark, catching the eye of travelers looking to stock up on snacks and water. Even a quick shopping errand comes with some roadside neon. 10-09

The market sits at Somerset and Santa Maria avenues, away from the larger supermarket scenery. Here’s the familiar corner-store arrangement: pull in, pick up a few things, and head back out beneath a sign with a name of its own.

UPDATE: Al’s continues operating as a neighborhood food market in Castro Valle. 10-26

Lodi Arch
Lodi, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

Check out the evening glow beneath the Lodi Arch, with the California Golden Bear keeping watch from above. As dusk settles over Pine Street, the illuminated lettering gives this downtown landmark another look. That bear certainly picked a spot with a view. 10-09

Architect E. B. Brown designed the arch in 1907 as a grand entrance to the Tokay Carnival, the first Lodi Grape Festival. The structure cost about $500 to build, providing the newly incorporated city with a greeting that lasted well beyond the celebration.

The arch nearly lost its place in 1956, when its deteriorating condition made it a safety hazard. Local residents raised money to save it, and reconstruction gave it a reinforced concrete foundation. According to the city’s history, original timbers remain behind the plaster.

UPDATE: The arch survives as California Historical Landmark No. 931. Its bear received another restoration in 2023, returning to the perch in September with repairs and fresh 23.7-karat gold leaf. More than a century after the carnival, Lodi’s golden lookout is still on duty. 10-26

Connell Cadillac and Buick (Gone)
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

Here’s a look at the neon lettering at Connell Cadillac and Buick on Oakland’s Broadway Auto Row. The Connell name was also associated with Oldsmobile, giving this dealership a connection to a brand that eventually disappeared from the showroom altogether. The property later operated as Bay Bridge Auto Center, selling several General Motors brands. 10-09

The illuminated lettering belonged to a stretch of Broadway where selling and servicing automobiles shaped the roadside scenery. Showrooms, used-car lots, and repair businesses gave motorists plenty to look over, with neon continuing the advertising after daylight faded.

UPDATE: Bay Bridge Auto closed in late 2010 after losing its GM franchise rights. Bay City Chevrolet opened in the building in 2011, but that operation also closed in early 2014. 10-26