On the northwest corner of 9th and Catharine Sts. once stood a retail market owned by the Alioto family, which specialized in imported olive oil, with the brand name Alto. The photo below is from 1954.

Awesome

The Aliotos were out of the building in the decades that followed, and in the late nineties, the building was converted from office and warehouse space into commercial space on the first floor and apartments above. We think there was a real estate office somewhere in there too, maybe in the basement? The apartments are lofts and have a warehouse-conversion feel. The first floor space has been a daycare for a long time, with Moonstone leasing the space for years before moving to 11th St., and Joshua Tree currently using the space.

A modern look at the building. Notice the (relatively) new trees.