Business
On an otherwise uneventful commute across the bay, passengers riding BART from Rockridge to San Francisco on Thursday afternoon were faced with an unusual sight: two pro basketball stars handing out free passes for the train.
After two years of planning, the city of Oakland is now trying to win public support for a plan to create new homes, retail and jobs along Broadway, between 23rd Street and Interstate 580 in downtown Oakland.
In a tent at Art Murmur, pizza chef James Whitehead is hustling. He darts about, frantically tossing dough into the air, saucing pies, and trying to keep up with the steady stream of hungry customers waiting for a slice.
The front gate at the Oakland branch of weGrow, the country’s first “out of the closet” company that sells indoor marijuana growing equipment, is now locked up and its former owners are embroiled in a series of heated legal battles. The 15,000 square foot warehouse facility, located two miles away from the Oakland International Airport, opened last October with a press conference at which a number of city officials, including Oakland Mayor Jean Quan (a city councilmember at that time), showed up to support the store in front of the national media.
Nothing brings people out to a city council meeting quite like the prospect of losing business—or gaining property taxes. With Oakland city contracts, development deals, and the prospect of a new parcel tax up for vote, scores of people packed the chambers on Tuesday night to give the Oakland city council a piece of their mind.
What is it about the Vietnamese sandwich? Some say it’s the fluffy French bread, others say it’s the sweet and spicy grilled meat, and some just love the pickled daikon radishes and carrots. Whatever your favorite ingredient, few will argue it’s a tasty combination of flavors.
It can be hard out there for a meat and booze lover. Or it was, at least, until a few weeks ago, when Bar Dogwood opened its door in Oakland. The new watering hole offers a selection of cured meats, cheeses, and fresh cocktails, seamlessly blending old school taste and style with a modern, Bay Area sensibility.
Oakland urban homesteading celebrity Novella Carpenter could face fines from the city for unpermitted agricultural activities and lose the animals she keeps at Ghost Town Farm, a West Oakland garden that helped make local, sustainable food popular in the East Bay.
Breakfast and lunch hotspot Mama’s Royal Café is calling all doodlers, amateur and professional, young and old: The deadline for its 29th annual Napkin Art Contest is fast approaching. (Really fast, actually. Entries need to be in by March 31. You can either send them in by mail or drop them off at the café’s 4012 Broadway storefront).