A little bit of soul is coming to Oak Park.

Old Soul, that is. The local coffee chain has signed a long-term lease to take over the recently vacated Starbucks outlet at 35th and Broadway.

The new cafe won't open until late January, says co-owner Jason Griest. But he and partner Tim Jordan are holding an open house – with free coffee and pastries – at their new shop Monday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Griest, who made a bid as soon as Starbucks indicated in April that it was closing, says he and Jordan hope to work with other tenants in the 40 Acres retail complex to make it a true community center.

That will include keeping their place open later than Starbucks did – until "at least" 9 p.m. every night, Griest says.

"A vibrant neighborhood can't happen if everybody closes at 6," he notes.

Griest and Jordan intend to encourage students from nearby Sacramento High and McGeorge law school to hang out at the newest Old Soul. And they may offer internships in coffee preparation and baking to Sac High kids.

Georgia West, owner of Underground Books at 40 Acres and the mother of Mayor Kevin Johnson, says she's met the Old Soul partners and thinks they'll succeed in Oak Park.

"This community did everything they could to support Starbucks," says West. "And I know they'll support Old Soul."

Hot spot

The region's new-home housing market is still in the doldrums.

Except in downtown Sacramento, where a number of condo and single-family homes are being snapped up.

At 14th and R, D&S Development this month sold two more units at its condo complex, leaving just one left.

Over at the Regis Homes SoCap project on R between Sixth and Seventh streets, they're also down to a single unsold home.

Thirty-five other SoCap homes – each about 1,200 square feet – have been sold for around $400,000 apiece.

And 9onF - the aggressively green housing complex at 1419 F St. – recently sold out.

None of the developers resorted to serious price-cutting. So what's driving all the sales?

Regis Homes President Bill Heartman says there are three reasons: location, location, location.

App-y days

Here's the got-to-have-it gadget for every soccer mom and dad: an iPhone application that allows proud parents to record their kid's every sports statistic and share it – instantly – with anyone.

Behind the new product is John Tafoya, a Roseville father of three and a former Microsoft exec. While he was on the road, missing yet another of his children's sports games, the idea hit him.

"Wouldn't it be cool," he recalls thinking, to keep up with kids' games remotely.

His solution: a new company, Competition Technology, that came out with its first iPhone app – for football – last week.

For $1.99, it allows users sitting on the sidelines to post details on a player's big plays, scores and other statistics. The stats are sent to Tafoya's site, www.seemeactive.com (that's "See Me Active"), where friends and family who can't be at the game can stay tuned in by phone or computer.

Visitors to the site can also post comments and view game schedules.

Next up are iPhone apps for soccer, baseball and martial arts, says Tafoya, who also envisions adult weekend warriors like himself using the product to track their own sports-league achievements.

"I don't have any notion of becoming a billionaire from this," says the 44-year-old Tafoya. "But I do have notions of it paying the rent."

Reach Bob Shallit at (916) 321-1049. Back columns: www.sacbee.com/shallit.