Business

Bay Area living: To rent or to own?

A house with a white picket fence has long been a quintessential part of the American Dream. While a majority of Bay Area residents live that as home owners, in recent years renting seems to be trending upward in popularity in almost every Bay Area county. Now with the collapse of the real estate market, will home ownership become a fading dream?

Jazz musicians gather in Oakland to protest changes to the Grammys

Sitting in front of the stage at Yoshi’s, musician Roger Glenn looked up at the portraits of famous players that lined the walls of the legendary downtown Oakland jazz club and was overcome with disappointment. A tear rolled down his cheek as he spoke. “I felt like my whole life, what I was doing, the history of all the people I’ve known, is meaningless,” said Glenn, as he looked out at 50 musicians, reporters and jazz aficionados assembled before him….

Children’s Hospital nurses begin five-day strike

Children’s Hospital nurses went on strike today after year-long contract negotiations broke down over health benefits. On the first day of a five-day strike, nurses on the picket line say spirits are high and representatives from a half-dozen other unions were on site to show support. Approximately forty nurses stood in clumps in front of the hospital on the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and 52nd Street, waving signs at passing cars. Dozens of cars and even a passing BART train honked to show support for the nurses

For the Grilled Cheese Guy, the secret’s in the brick

To Michael Davidson, aka The Grilled Cheez Guy, the secret’s in the brick. This local purveyor of gooey, honest-to-goodness grilled cheese sandwiches cooks his comfort food under a brick wrapped in foil—the pressure, he says, ensures the sandwich cooks evenly and has his signature, perfectly crisp exterior.

Oakland Museum raises $1.6 Million from White Elephant sale

This year’s White Elephant sale topped the charts by earning $1.6 million from its annual event in March. For the 52nd year in a row, the Oakland Museum Women’s Board organized this gigantic rummage sale where people can find anything from picnic baskets to record players to wedding dresses. All proceeds from the sale benefit the Oakland Museum of California.

Dining Out for Life raises funding to fight AIDS

Eating out is usually an indulgence, but for those dining at select Bay Area restaurants last Thursday, it was also a good deed. At locations from San Francisco to Oakland, a quarter of each patron’s check was donated to fight AIDS.

Port to offer a greener power supply to berthed ships

The Port of Oakland is about to start the construction of shore power connections at twelve of its berths, which will provide power from land to a vessel that is berthed or at the dock. Providing a land-based source of power is intended to reduce the amount of pollution from ships burning diesel fuel while they are in port.