Business
On a recent Friday at the Old Oakland Farmers’ Market, one stall kept people lingering for longer than usual among the rows of vendors offering produce and food. At a table decorated with a large zoning map and a wooden outline of Oakland’s skyscrapers, those who stopped weren’t there to buy but to share their opinion about the state of downtown. The Oaklandside is partnering with Oakland North and Oakland Lowdown to examine what’s working well and what isn’t for…
In 2023, there were over 13,000 smash-and-grab car burglaries in Oakland, a 23% increase from the year before. The crime is prevalent throughout the Bay Area, where it is known as “bipping.” The burglaries happen quickly and often go unreported, making them difficult to combat. Businesses, especially in downtown Oakland, are also victims, as frequent car break-ins have prompted prospective customers to avoid the city for shopping and dining. In an attempt to reclaim the city and encourage customers to return,…
Sarpreet Oberoi has been to various In-N-Out Burger locations in the Bay Area over the past eight years and found news that the Oakport outlet was closing because of crime “saddening.” He believes it’s a good spot for a fast food company, with plentiful parking, lots of customers, and a vibrant retail corridor. But it’s law and order that matters, he said. Major chain businesses are leaving or reducing operations in Oakland due to crime. However, small business owners are…
A perfectly curated window display. The smell of essential oils in the air. Free samples of homemade lemon pound cake. These are just some of the ways the vendors of Uptown Market are trying to draw people in amidst sights of seemingly constant construction and all-too-frequent incidents of property crime downtown. Launched in August, Uptown Market is a retail hub at 1955 Broadway that features a rotating lineup of local entrepreneurs selling snacks, clothing, home goods, children’s books and more,…
Oakland First Fridays, a monthly festival on Telegraph Avenue featuring food and crafts, will shut down through March because of financial constraints, organizers say, and may be different when it reopens. “This year, we’ve been losing money every month and we need to stop the bleeding,” said Shari Godinez, the executive director of Koreatown Northgate Community Benefit District, the nonprofit that runs First Fridays. On Dec. 1, residents enjoyed “Frosty Friday,” the last First Friday event of the year. They…
California and cities in the Bay Area have led the country against plastic pollution: A series of laws and ordinances have already banned Styrofoam and restricted plastic bags and plastic straws. The next items on the chopping block are single-use plastic foodware — things like cutlery, cups, lids, stirrers, plates, and doggie bags. On Dec. 19, Oakland City Council will vote on the Reusable Foodware and Litter Reduction Ordinance, which would ban these items from local eateries and large events. …
With its inviting grass-green storefront and sleek interior, Element 7 appears to fit in among the well-heeled boutiques lining Montclair Village’s business boulevard. But as the first cannabis dispensary in Montclair, Element 7 is generating controversy just days before its planned opening. Nestled in the Oakland Hills, Montclair Village is a green glade of suburban-style affluence within Oakland. Residents describe it as a good neighborhood and a safe place to raise a family. Some worry that a dispensary will spoil…
Small business owners say Oakland’s city officials are failing to address a serious crime wave. In September, the city did not submit a completed application that would have secured Oakland a portion of a $256 million state grant for police funding. Now, several small business owners in Oakland are asking whether city officials are doing their part. “I just want the people who are given the job to lead Oakland to look at themselves in the mirror and ask themselves…
The editors at Street Spirit, an East Bay newspaper focused on homelessness, are nearly halfway to meeting their fundraising goal to revive the shuttered newspaper. Bradley Penner, the newest editor of Street Spirit, and Alastair Boone, its outgoing editor, are working on a long-term funding plan for the paper once they secure enough money to relaunch in January. So far, they’ve raised $100,000 of their $250,000 goal through private donations. “Part of the work we’re doing now is developing a…