It may not be in Oakland, but North Oakland residents have a new library branch at their disposal. The new South Branch of the Berkeley Public Library re-opened for business last Monday.
An estimated 6,000 cat lovers gathered in Oakland on Saturday for the Internet Cat Video Festival. Yes, you read that right—Internet Cat Video Festival.
The East Bay Regional Parks Foundation has kicked off its 2013 Trail Challenge program designed to encourage hikers of all ages and skill levels to get out and experience the East Bay’s many hiking trails.
Festivities commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. Day were in full swing Monday with dozens of Oakland residents celebrating the holiday and the national day of service.
From his dark, cramped second floor office, David Sarber looks out a narrow window to the sales floor below, surveying the final days of the business his family has run for some 50 years. A large sign outside reads: “LIQUIDATION SALE Everything Must Go.” After opening in 1961 and coming to Montclair Village in Oakland in 1964, Sarber’s Cameras will close up shop at the end of January.
The downtown Oakland school, founded in 2002 by Governor Jerry Brown who was then Oakland’s mayor, will celebrate its 10th birthday Thursday night with a performance at the Fox Theater. It is the only public charter performing arts school in Oakland, and is actually made up nine different schools, each spanning grades 6-12, that teach dance, instrumental music, vocal music, digital media, literary arts, production design, theatre, visual arts, and circus arts.
Live experimental cinema returned to Temescal Sunday night with the opening night of the second season of Shapeshifters Cinema, a monthly series blending experimental video with live musical accompaniment.
Police Chief Howard Jordan and Mayor Jean Quan held a press conference Monday afternoon to condemn the recent spate of violence that resulted in four homicides in Oakland last Friday.
Held at the Oakland History Room on Sunday, this was the first History Edit-a-thon, which is about to become a regular weekly event. The meeting was organized by Oaklandwiki.org as a way to generate more content for the fledgling site—a collaborative project that seeks to collect all things Oakland into one easily navigable website that any user can edit.
The amphitheater outside of City Hall was the site of a spirited pep rally for Oakland’s sports teams Monday morning, as Mayor Jean Quan led the crowd of about 100 fans in a “Let’s Go Oakland!” chant, urging them to get louder and draw people out of their downtown offices.
Silver and black was out in full force Saturday afternoon as fans packed the O.co Coliseum parking lot hours before the Oakland Raiders defeated the Detroit Lions 31-20 in the third preseason game of the year.
Two months ago, two Oaklanders started “Projet En Vue.” The idea is simple: they walk around Oakland and find interesting people to talk to. They document the interviews on their website, building an online gallery that reflects “an eclectic, vibrant, interesting” Oakland community.
“The Waiting Room” is an upcoming feature-length documentary film shot entirely at Oakland’s Highland Hospital. The film follows a group of patients and doctors as they struggle through the realities of the public health care system—lack of insurance, the high cost of care, a shortage of beds, and extremely long wait times. Peter Nicks, the film’s director sat down with Oakland North reporter Adam Grossberg to discuss the project.
All night, fighters will come and go, the post-apocalyptic backdrop will change, and, in the end, one person will be crowned the victor of the first “Fight Night” video game tournament at Oakland’s new Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment.
On Tuesday, Terence Candell was out in front of Grocery Outlet on Broadway collecting signatures for a recall Mayor Quan petition, while later that night, volunteers for two groups collected signatures side-by-side in front of the Grand Lake Theater.
On any given day, close to 90 clients come to God’s Gym for personal training from 49-year-old Gary Shields. Some clients lift heavy weights and work on their massive physiques. Others have more modest routines, toning or rehabbing injuries. The two-story storefront on the corner of Broadway and 25th Street is painted jet black from top to bottom. Images of two posed, flexing bodybuilders fill the front windows. One is a silhouette of Shields in his prime. Centered between the bright, bold white words of the gym’s name, is a painting of a buff, black Jesus breaking free of chains.